Resident bushy

SPOTTED laurel or Aucuba is a popular leathery-leaved evergreen shrub that will grow in almost any situation and is especially useful for year-round greenery in shade.

The dark-leaved forms tend to get lost in such a situation but the many variegated varieties are ideal, since their spotted and splashed leaves will brighten the darkest corner. Because of its adaptability to harsh conditions, Aucuba can be overlooked as a garden plant and relegated to urban planting often in dry soil under trees where, unsurprisingly it fails to thrive.

Aucuba japonica was introduced from Japan in 1783 and is the usual species to be found on sale. This forms a dense, bushy shrub with glossy dark green leaves and purplish spring flowers followed by red berries on female plants.

The popular spotted variety is Aucuba japonica "Variegata", with large shiny leaves marked with yellow and small flowers in spring followed by red berries.

In common with all the female varieties of this genus, it needs a male plant to be growing nearby to ensure a crop of fruit.

More unusual varieties include 'Crotonifolia' with yellow splashed leaves and 'Gold Dust', which is heavily marked with yellow spots, splashes and blotches.

'Gold Dust' is a female form but there seems to be some debate about the sex of 'Crotonifolia', which is variously described as being male and female depending on the reference book being used.

The Plant Finder lists both - the male species being new in 2003 and harder to acquire than the female.

Aucuba will grow in any but waterlogged soil in full sun to deep shade, although in hot climates it fares better in shade.

It can be slow growing to start but once established it will grow to form a shrub up to 2.4m/8ft high with a similar spread.

It can be used as a patio plant in a container, for hedging or as a wall shrub.

Aucuba can be cut hard back in spring to reduce its size - it is best to do this by removing individual stems with secatuers.

A hedge trimmer is much quicker but will leave a mess of damaged foliage.

Garden talk

Peter Barker will give an illustrated talk entitled The Arboretum at Castle Howard at Askham Bryan College on Tuesday. The event has been organised by Askham Bryan College (ABC) Gardening Club and will start at 7.30pm in the Conference Hall. Entry is free for members, non members pay £5 on the door. There is plenty of free parking nearby.

Gardening TV and Radio

Sunday, January 29

9am, BBC Radio Leeds, Tim Crowther, Joe Maiden.

Noon, BBC Radio York, William Jenkyns.

2pm, BBC Radio 4, Gardeners' Question Time. John Cushnie, Bob Flowerdew, Pippa Greenwood and chairman Gill Pyrah help Surrey gardeners with their horticultural problems while Anne Swithinbank looks at what makes a perfect pond. The gardening weather forecast is at 2.25pm.

Friday, February 3

8pm, BBC2, Christine's Garden. In the final part of the series Christine prepares her garden for winter and brings tomatoes indoors to ripen.

8.30pm, BBC2, The Gardeners' Year. It is also the last part of Alan Titchmarsh's series and autumn in the garden. The changing climate means that plants like dahlias, cannas, grasses and autumn bulbs last longer than ever.

Talking Rot...

In this new monthly feature, we look at common problems that affect compost bins. This weeks, slugs and snails and how to avoid attracting rats.

A compost bin is an ideal environment for slugs and snails, it is damp and warm and a bountiful feeding ground for them. In fact it is likely that by providing this four-star hotel for them, they will never have to stray into the rest of the garden.

Slugs and snails are harmless in the compost bin and help to break down the material that will eventually form the compost - because of this they are often put in on purpose. They move up the bin to get to the fresh material as it is added.

Although the site is perfect for the hatched molluscs, it is less so for their eggs and it is unlikely to become invaded by them. The eggs tend to decompose as they are compressed by the heap or dry out when the compost is spread.

The idea of rats in a compost bin or heap is enough to put anyone off the idea of owning one in the first place, but this is a very unusual problem and will only happen if there is an existing vermin problem.

Rotting compost can be made less attractive to rats by never putting cooked food or eggshells into a bin or heap; by putting raw food scraps only in a bin, not a heap; by burying it in the middle of the bin contents and by agitating the bin or heap contents regularly. Rats only like undisturbed heaps.

If rats are present in the area, the compost bin can be sunk into the ground to a depth of about 15cm with the removed earth banked around the base of the bin, both inside and outside, and compacted.

Chicken wire placed underneath the bin and a row of bricks put around the bottom rim will also act as deterrents.

Plastic bases for the 330 litre compost bins sold by City of York Council are available from Blackwall on 0870 849 4866. The bin sits on the base, which allows drainage and access for beneficial creatures while keeping rodents out.

Kerry Mellor, of York Rotters, and Gina Parkinson

Updated: 16:42 Friday, January 27, 2006