Rockery ructions

Dealing with unruly rockeries can require radical work, a sector commentator has suggested.

Writing in the online pages of the Daily Telegraph, Helen Yemm suggests that such areas require "meticulous care" while they are being established.

Should a rockery become over-run with weeds then she advises that gardeners rescue plants that will work well in such conditions and heel them in somewhere for the rest of the season.

The troublesome weeds can then be dealt with by dosing them with a strong weed killer, Ms Yemm notes.

After the weeds have been removed, the plants can be returned to the now-clear rockery.

Eco-gardeners may be keen to hear that a rockery can be used to attract wildlife that is both interesting and beneficial to the garden.

The BBC suggests that spiders, beetles and woodlice can be attracted to such areas, as can the animals that feed on them such as hedgehogs and birds.