Stumped? Russian vine and pot plants

Two years ago I planted two Russian vines to screen a fence. Despite what is said about it being a mile-a-minute grower, mine hasn't been very fast at all. It's also barely flowering. What's wrong with it? A reader once wrote to ask why their Russian vine had died, and soon after I got a wave of letters asking, "How did she kill it?!" This is a beast of a plant, and you're quite barmy to plant one, let alone two, so take this opportunity to rip them out and replace with a better, large climber: Clematis montana , Lonicera henryi , Virginia creeper , wisteria or a combination. To answer the question, a lack of flowers is usually down to lack of sun or a need for a potassium-rich fertiliser, but please don't feed the brutes. I can't think why they're growing slowly, but they're probably just settling in before take-off. I have several box plants in tubs and a small ornamental bay tree. What care do they need? Long-term plantings in pots need particular care. Obviously summer is the main time to devote yourself to watering and feeding, but as winter approaches there are a couple of things to worry about: pots can get waterlogged, which can make roots rot. Frozen, waterlogged pots can also crack, so get yours up on terracotta "pot feet", so water drains away sharpish. Repot in spring, every few years. • Got a gardening conundrum for Lia? Email [email protected]