QUESTION: I have a very large concrete flower pot that held a ficus tree on my front porch. The tree has died and I want to put new plants in the container. It sits at my front door in the corner (between walls that make an L shaped porch.) It gets full morning sun and afternoon shade. I would like to have a lot of color and something to give it height too. I will change the plants seasonally. Can you suggest anything?ANSWER: You have the potential to do something very nice in that large pot. It sounds pretty heavy, so I would plan to let it stay put and plant it seasonally. You have enough of that wonderful morning sun to do that. (How on Earth did you get it in the house for the winter when the ficus was growing in this heavy pot?)Start by taking out all the old soil, which is worn out and probably has little or no nutrient value left. Then look around in the garden centers for a wire trellis, either a round one or one that is square at the bottom and looks like a stretched pyramid.Make sure it is at least 3 inches smaller than the diameter of your pot, so you'll have room to add seasonal color around the rim: trailing impatiens or petunias for the summer and autumn, pansies for the rest of the year.Then pick one of the tamer vines such as black-eyed susan, blue thunbergia, moonflower, even morning glory, to climb the trellis. With six hours of morning sun, I think you have enough for them to prosper. And you will have the height you're looking for.Pay attention to training the vines to wind around the trellis, from the bottom up. Otherwise, they will race to the top and flop over. You will probably need just one, and can set it in the center of the pot and put the trellis around it, saving space around the edge for the shorter annuals.

QUESTION: My creeping fig growing on brick walls has turned brown in places. Should I trim it off or let it grow out?ANSWER: Trim it off, and let the new growth come out to take its place. Once established, creeping fig is a pretty good plant around here, but the damage you're seeing is probably from the cold last winter. It will grow out well. If you leave the brown, dead stems and foliage, it won't look as good and will take space where you want the new stuff to look great. And it will.

QUESTION: I have good luck with pachysandra in beds in front of my house, but the pachysandra under the trees beyond the sidewalk is not doing well at all. The pachysandra doing well gets water from the irrigation system; the other does not.ANSWER: There's your answer: Water. Pachysandra is not a plant for dry shade. It requires moist soil, especially in the heat of summer. There its glossy green leaves look fabulous. I would consider extending your automatic irrigation system or putting down soaker hoses with a timer to ensure the plants get the steady amount of water they need to grow well.Send your gardening questions to Nancy Brachey, The Charlotte Observer, P.O. Box 30308, Charlotte, N.C. 28230.By KRT News Service