Can you tell me if I can use tanalised timber to construct some raised vegetable beds? I have read conflicting information that there's arsenic in them. If can't use tanalised timber what is the best cost effective alternative? Jane, Wokingham

The conflicting information is down to the fact that arsenic, and a couple of other poisons, have only recently been outlawed for tanalising most wood (the exceptions include telegraph poles). Today it can be an offence to own arsenic, let alone use it. What an irony that arsenic was regarded as an essential part of a Victorian gardener's armoury. I spoke about the new rules to Neil Tate who tanalises wood in Sussex www.tate-fencing.co.uk and he tells me: 'The chemical we use here no longer contains any chrome or arsenic. It's mainly copper based and that doesn't seem to affect plants. When we used the old tanalising chemicals we had to have urine tests, once a month, for arsenic. ' Lyndon Davies (www.planeandsimple.co.uk) used to use the old type of tanalised wood professionally in gardens and playgrounds that he made. Now has to use the new, non-arsenic type for all his raised beds and pergolas etc and he says it's never caused a problem for plants. Let's face it - even the Soil Association suggests the use of copper for certain crops like potato. Which is a very long way of saying that today's tanalised wood will be fine for your raised vegetable beds.

How do you keep indoor cyclamen going? Particularly how can one get them to flower in a second year? Jean Teall

While the plants are still in flower give them a low nitrogen liquid fertilizer every couple of weeks and keep watering to a minimum (and avoid getting the corm wet). Once the plant goes over completely stop watering and put the plant in a cool shady, spot at the back of a bed or in a cool moderately light spot in the house. Leave them alone (that's the bit I like) until the first growth begins at which point bring them inside the house to a cool, well-lit spot (avoid direct light in summer) start watering (never over water), feeding and, hey presto, you should have some good blooms next Christmas. Watch out for vine weevils which sometimes go for cyclamen.

Last year did a complete make-over in my garden.now i am finding lots of brown patches on my lawn.i heard it could bre leather-backs,jackets? How do i solve this problem? Brenda Baker

Could be leather jackets (daddy longlegs larvae) or chaffer grubs and, either way, the brown-lawn effect is much the same. In summer you can sometimes get rid of them by putting black polythene over the affected areas overnight and then killing the creatures the following morning when they will be on the surface of the polythene or grass. Alternatively, a predator nematode can be bought from a number of websites including: www.nemasysinfo.com www.harrodhorticultural.com, www.Organiccatalog.com , www.defenders.co.uk www.greengardener.co.uk. and www.agralan.co.uk). Be sure to follow the instructions to the letter and it will work well. If you don't follow the instructions you'll have wasted a lot of money

I was given an electric pragator for Christmas. The plants have startedto grow but are getting very long (leggy). What must I do? Brian Lapthorn

This means they're not getting enough light. Put them in the lightest place you can find and you may find that the plants sort themselves out. Failing that you may have to chuck out the leggy specimens and start again.

One of our beautiful Tuscan Cyprus trees, in a line down the drive, had grown to nearly 10 metres but it was snapped in two in this week's storms. Will it grow back?Lucy Ashington, Sussex

It may well grow back but the growth is unlikely to be as shapely as the rest of your trees. It's probably worth taking out the stump and replacing the tree although you should avoid buying full-size specimens. Buy no more than a couple of metres high and prepare the ground well so that it can make a good root structure.

I sowed a tray of cut-and-come-again salad but it seems to have damped off. Nigel Penny, London

It's very early to be sowing and the low light will make seedlings leggy (see above) and more vulnerable to disease. Damping off is best avoided by using fresh compost and tap water - and make sure the tray is sterile while you're at it.

Last year a friend helped me sow a meadow mix of plants and herbs which looked attractive. Now the garden looks dull. I saw your answer last week and do not want to use scarecrows or plastic flowers. My garden is medium sized.

Sandy James, Sutton

Shrubs are the best bet. It would have been helpful to have a information about soil type and aspect. Anyway, have a look at neighbouring gardens and decide which plants look good right now - then use them in your own garden. Even traditional shrubs like Portuguese laurel, spotty laurel, box and yew can be cut into interesting shapes; choisya looks and smells good all year round and the much-maligned yellow variety adds a splash of colour; camellias are blooming now on acid soil; certain small cherry blossoms and viburnums are in flower now and forsythia's dazzling yellow flowers are regarded as a winter highlight by some although I find the plant ghastly. But I've never been able to cope with yellow flowers.

My 16 year old daughter is away at school. The school does not include gardening on the syllabus but I would like to encourage her to do it. She has her own window sill on which the house mistress says I can install a window box. Name and address withheld

If your daughter hasn't suggested that she wants to garden I doubt you can persuade her at this hormone-ridden stage of her life. You could try salad crops next term on the grounds that, at that age, girls are usually worried about their weight and therefore interested in food like salad.

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