chrissieB

Can you recommend a shrub for this border?

http://apps.rhs.org.uk/plantselector/plant?plantid=1977

What about this? the plant selector on the rhs site is quite good for ideas as you can tailor the search quite well. There is also a similar plant selector on the Crocus website. Berberis is lovely but not evergreen and depending on where you are the berries can also disappear quite quickly - ours always did but we are in the midlands.

The Eleagnus species are quite attractive and there is quite a choice from golden, cream and silver variegated leaves. They are also fragrant and some have berries - I think most of them are quite tolerant of dry soil.

Dogwoods wouldn't be evergreen but their stems would stand out well against the green background?

Hydrangeas are very thirsty so other shrubs may be more adaptable as long as you keep an eye on them in their first season.

Talkback: How to protect plants over winter

Are your cordylines very exposed? Ours have always survived quite happily outside without any protection (north-east aspect but some frost protection from trees). It's a tricky judgment to make as with or without can be risky just in different ways. 

Agree that if you do want to protect that you use breathable fleece which will hopefully allow some air to circulate and don't wrap it too tightly.

Bulb Fennel

It's lovely diced in casseroles. Definitely recommend roasting as suggested by Inkadog. It also makes a lovely addition to home-made coleslaw or any other salad as an alternative to celery.

polytunnel

You could start off some crops for an early harvest next year such as peas and broad beans. These can be started outside but need to be proetcted from frosts so would probably love life in a polytunnel.

There are also some cabbage varieties you can plant now.

Also sweet peas if you like cut flowers?

Is there anything I can't compost?

When I think about it, I stil often end up picking the ghost bags out when I use the compost - just like the odd bits of wrapper, plant labels etc which always seem to get in there however much I think I've being careful when putting stuff in .

Wallflowers and roses

Never heard that one before but wallflowers are happy in poor soil whereas roses are quite hungry. Maybe the theory is that if you are feeding/mulching the soil for your roses you may get more lush green growth but fewer flowers on your wallflowers?

Reusing clay soil to raise patio level?

I would have thought it was fine as long as the layer is not too deep as that might mean that it doesn't get properly compacted and you then get the problems when it settles.

Is there anything I can't compost?

Good point re the teabags although didn't realise it was plastic that made them linger! I always mash mine up a bit before they go in the bin and that seems to work.

GROWING BULBS IN POTS FOR PLANTING OUT IN SPRING

Agree with blairs re possible problems/extra work keeping them in the greenhouse. If this is to give them  additional 'squirrel protection' you could try putting a layer of chicken wire just below the surface of the soil. You won't see it and the bulbs will happily grow through it but it should deter the squirrels - it did ours. They were also less keen to take them from pots anyway so good luck!

The bulbs from garden centres sitting on the surface of the soil have often being forced undercover and its cheaper for them (as less compost used). Bulbs have everything they need to grow in the bulb itself re food etc so don't need to be buried if they are grown indoors where the environment is controlled (eg right temperature, watering etc)

Is there anything I can't compost?

You can be as obsessive or relaxed as you wish and still end up with usable compost so don't worry too much about layering. My mum has composted since the 70's and laughs at all the detailed instructions given out on what you must and must not do now that it is fashionable.

You do need to have a mix of green (eg garden and kitchen waste) and brown (dry eg paper, cardboard, dry leaves etc) but don't get too worried about proportions or the size of layers - if you are putting stuff in on a daily basis as the result of cooking/gardening and reading the paper - the layers will probably be fairly even anyway. Just remember that it it goes slimy and smelly you need more brown. As you have said if you are planning to regularly turn is the layers will all get mixed up anyway.

Turning it will make it compost quicker but is not essential if you are happy (and have room to wait). The biggest factor in getting compost wuickly is the size of your heap/bin - 1m x1m  - is the minimum to have a 'hot' heap. If smaller and not turned you may have to wait 12 months before you have usable compost but it will keep reducing in size so there will be room for you to keep adding your kitchen waste. When I was working fulltime we just kept adding stuff to the bin and the only turn it got was the odd stir at the top and then when we emptied it once a year to get the fully composted stuff from the bottom.

You can compost any veg or fruit waste - bananas and citrus peel are great (it's worms in wormeries that don't like too much citrus). And yes add manure by all means but make sure its not too fresh (as that can get quite a time to become usable on your garden). A spadeful of garden soil can help add bacteria/worms etc especially if your compost bin is not sitting on the ground (eg on soil not a patio/drive).

The benefit of compost is not really the nutrients but the fact it adds organic matter to your soil which is essential if it is too have a good structure which retains nutrients and allows plants to obtain the nutrients and water it needs

Living Walls

Protecting broad beans?