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Q. I have a twenty-five year old tree Peony in my herbaceous border. It is now over 6ft (1.8m) high and 8ft (2.4m) in diameter. If I cut it down by half will I kill it?

A. Anne – I would just take off some of the lankier stems each year to create the shape you want.

Chris – I would prune it by about a third after flowering. The other way is to treat it like a coppice and remove a third of the older stems. You could also transplant it to a preferred location once you have pruned.Ìý

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Q. Where is the best place to plant Echinacea?

A. Anne – they are tricky to grow because they like the combination of free drainage and a lot of organic material. Some cultivars are easier than others.

Chris – almost submerge the crown to encourage the growth of stems. It doesn’t like shade or a windy position.Ìý There is a stoloniferous form called Echinacea Tennesseensis that doesn’t mind a more challenging site and has unusual flat petals.

Matthew – they can be victim to the slugs and snails.

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Q. How can I improve the sweetness of standard size tomatoes?

A. Anne – the basic way is to grow them a little harder than you usually would. If they are stressed then they will be slightly smaller but with a better flavour.

Chris – I would feed with a potash-based fertiliser. ÌýWatering with warm water will bring them on a month earlier.Ìý Overwatering or overfeeding will dilute the flavour.

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Q. What can I grow in a patch at the back of my garden that is boggy in the winter and cracked in the summer?

A. Matthew – Willows will do well in this situation. Salix Alba with its silver leaves can be coppiced or pollarded. You could use Salix Britzensis for more colour.

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Q. My Clematis has been fine in a pot for two years but it has now started to die. Stems grow to about 9inches (23cm) and then the leaves turn brown.Ìý What has gone wrong?

Chris – You should take it out and inspect the root zone to check it is salvageable. Plant it into organic matter based compost. Make sure it doesn’t dry out in the summer. Check that it isn’t in an exposed position. They also need a sturdy climbing frame because they don’t react well to movement.ÌýÌý