[Alisdair]

Friends of mine went to a big UK flower show (Hampton Court) on its closing day, not realising that everyone goes crazy at 4pm as the stands are broken down, and the display plants etc sold off. They bought this magnificent sempervivum chair - as they told me: "We'd walked there so had to carry the damn thing back - very slowly - on a boat and then the car (will it fit, will it fit?). Everyone kept stopping us so they could take a picture. Guess how much it cost.....£10! We thought this was the biggest bargain ever - till we picked it up and realised it was really heavy and bulky. Now it is installed in our back garden it definitely seems worth several hours of heavy lifting in the heat!!"
They'd like advice about how to look after it, especially as apparently some of the plants are starting to yellow. I'm not sure it'll have a long life even with the best of treatment, but suggested spraying it with a hand sprayer.
Any expert guidance?

[Trevor Australis]

WEll from this distance, and from someone with not a great deal of experience in such curious objects: is there an underlay of coir or sphagnum? It will need to be kept damp. If it dries out it will need thorough drenching. The plants will also need pretty regular feeding as I suspect there will be nothing nutritious in the 'stuffing' behind the plants. Dappled but bright conditions should be ideal; too much direct sun will risk drying out the 'stuffing' and cause the plants to suffer from dehydration and exposure. Obviously the anti-macassars will have to come off if there are plants underneath. But at 10 Pounds a bargain, surely?

[David Bracey]

If it dries out put it in the bath.