Central heating spoiled Elsie's new Aspidistra.

ELSIE is rather embarrassed about the state of her Aspidistra and Hibiscus in her flat in Newtown.

She doesn't want me to reveal her second name as she says she can't understand why the plants from her son-in-law keep going brown at the tips.

Well I can, and it's probably down to hot, dry air in your flat. The atmosphere, especially near radiators and other direct sources of heat, becomes very dry causing the tips of the leaves to lose water faster than the plant can draw it up, hence they go brown.

The solution is very simple. All you need is a shallow saucer with some gravel in the bottom covered up with water.

You can also mist the foliage of your plants and keep them well away from direct sources of heat. In the meantime, snip off the brown ends with a sharp pair of scissors.

Mrs Erskine of Kingswinford came to see me the other day with a sample of her Camellia, which I have to say was three quarters dead.

She had read about putting them somewhere sheltered in the winter, so she had placed it in the garage.

This was total neglect, as they need more light and more moisture than that and I argue that a Camellia is quite happy out of doors in a pot until severe frosts arrive.

You need to protect the roots, so I usually place my potted Camellias in the cold or frost-free greenhouses. At this time of the year they are in and out like yo-yos.

Once the flower buds begin to show colour they stay in a frost-free greenhouse.

Either mulch the ground where they are planted throughout the season, or wrap the pot with a suitable insulating material.

Several people have stopped me and asked about Hellebore leaves producing black spots now they are laid on the ground. These are actually the fruiting bodies of a fungal infection and when you see these on our Lenten Rose type Hellebores it is best to cut the foliage off as soon as possible.

Destroy all the foliage or put it in the dustbin, because if you leave it on site it means the spores can simply blow about.

Normally I would leave the foliage on my Hellebores until the new shoots begin to emerge in early spring, but this way you will only perpetuate the disease.

The answer to the recent Armillatox question was two per cent for the correct strength of spray to spray against black spot on your roses.

I have picked out 12 lucky winners and they have already been notified and prizes sent to them. I can tell you that we shall be kicking off the millennium with a really good start and I shall be organising a major competition for the first edition in January.