J Rew, by e-mail
Mistletoe (Viscum album) is an evergreen plant that lives as a semi-parasite on the branches of a host tree, especially apples and limes. To survive, it draws minerals and water from the tree, but rarely causes much harm. Once established, mistletoe produces tiny, yellow-green flowers in late winter. However, the individual plants are either male or female so, to ensure pollination of the flowers and a display of white berries (on female plants), one of each needs to be grown in close proximity. If you have only a single clump of mistletoe in the garden, you will need to propagate more plants. In March, make small, shallow and sloping cuts into the bark of the apple branches before removing the seeds from the mistletoe berries. Insert one seed into each cut and secure the flaps of bark with twine. Hopefully, some of the seeds will germinate, although there is no way of guaranteeing that the resulting plants will be male or female.
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When and how do I prune a caryopteris?
M Johnstone, Axminster
Caryopteris x clandonensis is an arching, deciduous shrub grown for its clusters of dark blue flowers in late summer and early autumn, as well as its aromatic, silver-green foliage. It is an excellent plant for a warm, sunny border with well-drained soil and will reach 3ft-4ft in height, with a similar-sized spread. To encourage healthy new growth and an attractive display of leaves and flowers, the plant should be pruned hard each year. In February or March, cut back all the stems to a couple of inches above ground level. Afterwards, give the plant a feed and spread a thick mulch around the base.
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Where can I purchase a wide range of peppers?
L Hutchins, Newark
Sweet and chilli peppers are very easy to grow from seed, and there are many interesting varieties to choose from. Sow them indoors during late winter and early spring. Try really hot chilli peppers, such as ‘Fatali’, ‘Habanero’ and ‘Ring of Fire’, or go for milder, sweet-tasting ones, including ‘Red Knight’, ‘Gypsy’ and ‘Labrador’. For something a little out of the ordinary, select ‘ Mini Bells’, a small plant that has miniature red or yellow fruits and is ideal on a windowsill; the dark fruits of ‘Purple Beauty’; or ‘Friars Hat’ for its unusual, flange-shaped chilli peppers. A large selection of pepper seeds is available from Simpson’s Seeds (01985 845 004, www.simpsonsseeds.co.uk).
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Neil Wormald is a qualified horticulturalist. Send your questions to Garden Expert, Home, The Sunday Times, 1 Pennington Street, London E98 1ST, or e-mail garden.expert@sunday-times.co.uk