Stumped? A memorial pot and wildlife-friendly woodpile

I want a big pot in which to put my parents' ashes and a small shrub that has a long season of interest and will not become a burden or a guilt trip. I can provide deep shade to full sun. Advice needed, please, on pot, compost, shrub and maintenance. Shrubs in pots do have a tendency to become a guilt trip. You forget to water them, or you go on holiday, or – God forbid – they get stolen. They never thrive as well as those planted in the ground. I'm not sure I'd want to invest quite so much emotion in a shrub in a pot. If you're determined to go down this road, buy the biggest pot you can afford. You want a huge root run and large reservoir of moisture as insurance, should neglect ever creep in. Use John Innes No 3 compost and put crocks in the base for drainage. A small acer such as A. palmatum var. dissectum provides colourful spring shoots and autumn leaves. It needs a sheltered spot, as the leaves crinkle in wind. Also consider box topiary, which is really easy to care for and happy anywhere. My daughter-in-law, a primary school teacher, wants to make a woodpile for wildlife at school. Can you recommend a method? Well, you get some wood and you put it in a pile – that's kind of it. If this is primarily for attracting wildlife, somewhere shady is best, and somewhere it won't be disturbed (tricky in a school). Mix big logs with thinner sticks and handfuls of leaf mould or whatever rough stuff you can get your hands on. Then just let it rot. • Got a gardening question for Lia? Email [email protected]