Can I grow fruits or vegetables in a flat with no balcony? Could garlic help stop slugs from eating my Hostas? Why did you become gardeners?Kathy Clugston is joined by a panel of much-loved gardening experts in the picturesque village of East Horsley, Surrey, to answer listeners’ horticultural dilemmas and offer practical, down-to-earth advice. On the panel this week are botanist and broadcaster James Wong, plant health specialist Pippa Greenwood, and award-winning garden designer Juliet Sargeant.Later in the programme, Pippa Greenwood explores the growing threat of Colorado beetles to UK biosecurity in conversation with Tracy Wilson, Import Specialist at the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).Producer: Matthew Smith
Junior Producer: Rahnee Prescod
Executive Producer: Carly MaileA Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4Plant List
Questions and timecodes are below. Where applicable, plant names have been provided. Q – Can you suggest a suitable hedge that can be kept slim but tall to go between a six-foot fence and a path? (01’31”) James Wong –
Trachelospermum jasminoides, star jasmineJuliet Sargeant –
Muehlenbeckia complexa, necklace vine
Osmanthus delavayi, delavay osmanthus
Osmanthus heterophyllus, holly olive
Elaeagnus × ebbingei Q – How do I encourage my 100-year-old rhododendrons to flower? (05’35”) Q – Is there a way for me to grow fruits or vegetables in a flat with no balcony? And if yes, what would you recommend with limited space? (08’54”) Juliet Sargeant –
HydroponicsJames Wong –
Tomato
Chilli
Basil
Thai Basil
Ocimum kilimandscharicum, camphor basil
Ocimum basilicum 'Christmas', basil ‘Christmas’
Curry Leaves
Mint LeavesPippa Greenwood –
ChilliFeature – Pippa Greenwood discusses the threat Colorado Beetles have on our crops with Tracy Wilson (15’02”)Q – We have raised vegetable beds. I put a layer of mulch on them every autumn. Would it be a good idea to let a bed lie fallow occasionally? (19’49”) Q – What’s causing my Hydrangea petiolaris to die off? (24’05”) Q – What could I grow in a large rockery in our garden, that’s also difficult to kill? (28’31”)Q – Would wild garlic help stop slugs from eating my Hostas? (31’31”) Q – What possessed you to become the garden experts you are? And as a result. What advice would you give to up-and-coming young gardeners to continue? (36’00”)
Ratgeber
Gardeners' Question Time Folgen
A panel of horticultural experts answer gardening questions from a live audience. Recorded in a different location each week
Folgen von Gardeners' Question Time
74 Folgen
-
Folge vom 04.07.2025East Horsley: Potato Beetle, Indoor edibles and Fallow Year
-
Folge vom 20.06.2025West HorsleyWhat causes onions to bolt? What do the team think about using crocs at the bottom of pots? How should I go about pruning my lilac tree? Kathy Clugston and a panel of esteemed gardening experts visit West Horsley, Surrey, to tackle common horticultural challenges and share practical solutions. Joining her are pest and disease specialist Pippa Greenwood, botanist James Wong, and award-winning garden designer Juliet Sargeant.Later in the programme, Bob Flowerdew wraps up our Edible Essentials series with a fool proof guide to feeding and watering your crops - ensuring a rich and rewarding harvest.Producer: Matthew Smith Junior Producer: Rahnee Prescod Executive Producer: Carly MailePlant List Questions and timecodes are below. Where applicable, plant names have been provided. Q – My Ficus Ginseng has lost most of its leaves, what am I doing wrong? (01’35”) Q – What do the team think about using crocs at the bottom of pots? (06’41”) Q – Can the panel suggest shrubs that will flower late spring, early summer and thrive in chalky soil? (10’57”) Juliet Sargeant – Philadelphus, mock orange Philadelphus 'Manteau d'Hermine' (d), mock orange 'Manteau d'Hermine' Weigela All Summer Red ('Slingco 1'PBR) (All Summer Series), weigela [All Summer Red] Weigela All Summer Peach ('Slingpink'PBR) (All Summer Series), weigela [All Summer Peach] Ceanothus, californian lilacPippa Greenwood – Magnolia stellata, star magnolia Mahonia, oregon grape Syringa pubescens subsp. patula 'Miss Kim', lilac 'Miss Kim' Deutzia × rosea 'Carminea', deutzia 'Carminea'James Wong – Pittosporum tobira, japanese pittosporum Wisteria Feature – Bob Flowerdew’s Edible Essential guide to watering and feeding crops (16’56)Q – What causes onions to bolt? (21’19”) Q – Can the panel advise on what I can plant on a north facing one-and-a-half-meter border adjacent my mixed hedge? (25’37”) Juliet Sargeant – Euphorbia robbiae, mrs Robb's bonnet Anemone hupehensis, japanese anemonesJames Wong – Digitalis, foxglove Primula vulgaris (Pr/Prim), primrose Hyacinthoides non-scripta, bluebell Hakonechloa, japanese forest grass Ferns LilliesPippa Greenwood – Hardy geraniums Epimedium Helleborus, helleboreQ – How should I go about pruning my lilac tree? (31’48”)Q – What plants would the panel take from your current gardens if you were moving to a much smaller garden with very poor soil and lots of builder’s rubble in it? (35’23”) James Wong – Tree fernsJuliet Sargeant – Iris germanica, bearded iris Ficus carica (F), fig Salvia 'Royal Bumble', sage 'Royal Bumble' Salvia 'Hot Lips', sage 'Hot Lips' Salvia, sage Salvia 'Amistad'PBR, sage 'Amistad' Erigeron karvinskianus, mexican fleabanePippa Greenwood – Aubrieta Eryngium, sea holly
-
Folge vom 13.06.2025Perton Staffs: Used Compost, Angry Peonies and Ant-ticsWhat's the best way to revive a dying bonsai tree? Do Peonies hate being moved? I am inundated with ants – how do I get rid of them?Kathy Clugston hosts BBC Radio 4's Gardeners' Question Time, joined by a panel of esteemed plant and gardening experts in Perton, Staffordshire. Sharing their horticultural wisdom are the passionate plantsman Matthew Biggs, head gardener Marcus Chilton-Jones, and renowned plantswoman Christine Walkden.Later in the programme, Matthew Biggs has a chat with David Austen Jr to explore his father’s remarkable legacy in rose breeding at their prestigious nursery. He also gets an exclusive glimpse at some of their latest, most exquisite varieties.Senior Producer: Daniel Cocker Junior Producer: Rahnee Prescod Executive Producer: Carly MailePlant List Questions and timecodes are below. Where applicable, plant names have been provided. Q – What colour would you paint a garden fence to best show off and compliment the plants in it? (01’32”) Q – Why have my Peonies stopped blooming? Is it because I’ve moved them? (05’03”) Q – Which plants would the panel recommend covering a roof of five feet by 10 feet with a depth of two and a half inches? (08’07”) Matthew Biggs – Thymus vulgaris, common thyme Thymus serpyllum 'Russetings', creeping thyme 'Russetings' Campanula, bellflower Campanula portenschlagiana, wall bellflowerChristine Walkden Sempervivum, houseleek Hylotelephium, sedum Mentha requienii, corsican mintMarcus Chilton Jones – Puschkinia Allium schoenoprasum, chives Ajuga repens, bugleQ – What are the panel's thoughts on reusing compost that's been used in pots for summer annuals? (10’53”) Feature – Matt Biggs speaks with David Austen Jr about his father’s legacy in breeding unique roses (15’01)Q – I wondered what was the best way to revive a dying bonsai tree? (19’26”) Q – How hard should I cut back our Ceanothus? (23’59”)Q – What can the panel recommend that's low maintenance and won't prickle anyone that I could plant in a two foot wide plot? (28’10”) Christine Walkden – Cyclamen hederifolium, ivy-leaved cyclamen Ajugas Lamiums Heucheras Thalamus Aquilegia Veronica, gentian speedwellMatthew Biggs – Hedera (ivy)Marcus Chilton-Jones – Lonicera, honeysuckle Dryopteris, wood fern Nettles Q – I am inundated with ants – how do I get rid of them? (33’49”) Q – How do I stop bugs from getting into my plums? (37’25”)
-
Folge vom 06.06.2025Crowthorne: Caterpillars, Rusty Spots and Up-Cycled ObjectsWhy do my ferns have rusty spots? Any tips for stopping caterpillars eating my cabbages? Have you upcycled any objects in the garden?Peter Gibbs and a panel of plant and gardening experts are in Crowthorne, Berkshire and offer advice to an audience of keen gardeners. Joining Peter are pest and disease expert Pippa Greenwood, head gardener Matthew Pottage and proud plantswoman Christine Walkden.Later in the programme, house plant expert James Wong visits the Of The Oak exhibition at The Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, which celebrates the Lucombe oak and oak trees as a vital hub of biodiversity. He's joined by visual artist Ersin Han Ersin and arborist Cecily Withall.Senior Producer: Daniel Cocker Junior Producer: Rahnee Prescod Executive Producer: Carly MailePlant List Questions and timecodes are below. Where applicable, plant names have been provided. Q – The council have recently cleared a raised flowerbed at the front of the Morgan Centre. It previously had in it a giant prickly pyracantha. What would the panel suggest? (02'02")Matthew Smith – Callistemon rigidus, stiff bottlebrush Alstroemeria Indian Summer ('Tesronto'PBR) (Summer Paradise - Summer Series), Peruvian lily [Indian summer] Salvia nemorosa 'Caradonna', Balkan clary 'Caradonna' Salvia rosmarinus Prostrata Group (Ro), rosemary Prostrata GroupQ - Why have my ferns developed rusty looking spots – is it caused by a disease? (06'31") Q – Any tips on growing miss Willmott's ghost? (09'08")Q – I have a bank of mature Heathers. Can I prune them as they're quite tall now or do I need to replace them as they get straggly? (13'13")Q- How do I stop caterpillars from eating my cabbages? (17’05")Feature – James Wong visits the 'Of the Oak' at The Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, which celebrates the Lucombe oak. He's joined by Ersin Han Ersin and Cecily Withal (21’28”)Q - How do we encourage our Camellia to flower? (25'56")Q – I would like to plant some other more interesting climbing plants in a shady spot – what do the panel recommend? (29'13")Matthew Pottage – Hydrangea petiolaris, climbing hydrangea Hydrangea petiolaris 'Silver Lining'PBR hydrangea 'Silver Linng' Hedera colchica 'Dentata Variegata' (v), ivy 'Dentata Variegata'Christine Walkden – Ampelopsis quinquefolia, Virginia creeper Dactylicapnos scandens, yellow bleeding heart vinePippa Greenwood – Lonicera, honeysuckleQ – How often do Clematis Clematis’ flower? (34'02")Q – Can the panel recommend any other ways to repurpose objects? (36'26")Q – I’d like you to recommend plants for a red hot, south facing gravel garden? (36'25")