GARDEN GURU

QA mysterious plant has appeared in my garden. It has reddish-pink leaves and red flower plumes. Can you help? Josephine McCarron

AYour photo shows a species of amaranthus, a large group of annuals commonly known as love lies bleeding. Prized for their colourful plumes, amaranthus are an ancient grain crop from South

America. Your plant probably grew from a seed contained within a bird seed mix.

QI bought a Ceanothus griseus var horizontalis ‘Yankee Point’ in November 2019. It has never flowered despite being fed regularly and the leaves look in poor condition. What’s wrong with it?

Brian Edwards

ACeanothus are generally easy-going shrubs that don’t require much attention. Your picture suggests your plant is being attacked by sapsucking scale insects. These will reduce vigour, so wipe off the stems by hand. By the way, don’t over-feed it – a sprinkle of slow-release fertiliser around the base in late winter will suffice.

QA friend has a striking Sorbus koehneana shrub.

We would like one but can’t find a nursery that has any in stock.

H. Blair

AThis elegant large shrub with clusters of white berries and orange-red autumn leaves can be found at Crûg Farm Plants (crug-farm.co.uk), Mallet Court Nursery (mallet court.co.uk) and Morton Nursery (morton-nurseries.co.uk).