Questions

I live in south Co Wexford, about 2 miles from the sea. I have 3 or 4 different holly types in my garden, with a total of about 40 plants. They range from 3-10 years old but they have never produced any berries. They are very healthy looking plants and all are growing well. I understand that I need male and female types but whenever I ask in a garden centre no-one can ever tell me whether the plants are male of female. Any ideas?

I have erected trellis above my wall for privacy. Can you suggest some climbers to give all year colour?The length of the wall is approx 22 mtrs.

I have an Acacia dealbata about 40 or 50 feet high. Now all flower buds are brown and brittle and the leaves are grey and brittle. I tried to snap a small branch and it appears to be alive, it didnt snap. will I just leave it and hope for the best?

A housing estate is being built to the rear of my house. Some of the houses are on a slope which leaves me with no privacy. I want to use plants to create a fast, thick and most importantly, high screen. I will need about 4 to 5meters of screening. I don't want to use leylandii or lawson Cypress. I was thinking maybe a bamboo but would this give me adequate screening? And will maintenance be difficult and time consuming?

I want to create a natural boundary (approx 30 mtr) between my site and neighbouring Farmland from which my Site was taken. It is currently unfenced and South Westerly facing and the land portion is grazed by cattle or horses. It is also facing a wide open Turlough so the 'winds' can be regular and strong enough. Can you recommend some fast growing hardy shrubs/trees that I could plant to establish such a boundry, appreciating of course that I would have to use an Electric Fence to protect them untill it is established.

There has been a new house built next door to mine and it's floor level is about 6ft lower than mine. Problem is that where the site was dug there's now a 6ft vertical drop that is suffering badly with erosion due to the ground being mostly gravel and rock. Would you have any idea's of anything that we could use to stop this, any plants that could hold the bank in place? Any help would be much appreciated