Gardeners' Question Time

Peter Gibbs and Gardeners’ Question Time panel visit visit Pulham Market. Peter is joined by Bob Flowerdew, Christine Walkden and Bunny Guinness to answer questions on growing fruit in pots and choosing shrubs for deep shade, and discuss which farmyard manure is best to use on the allotment. Along the way, the panellists explore the challenges of quince blight, champion strawberries grown in bucke...

Kathy Clugston guides us through the GQT archives to hear how our panellists and experts, old and new, advise on delivering dazzling displays of summer colour. Along the way, the gardeners explore how thoughtful structural planting underpins great colour all season long, explain why deadheading matters, and reveal the origins of the Chelsea chop. They also advise on watering in hot weather, compos...

Peter and Gardeners’ Question Time panel visit the historic Great Barn in Harmondsworth. Beneath the medieval beams, Peter is joined by Bunny Guinness, Francis Tophill and James Wong as they tackle a wonderfully wide‑ranging set of questions from the audience that are as thought‑provoking as they are informative. Are plants conscious? Why do camellia buds turn brown and drop? And which plants migh...

Kathy Clugston and the Gardeners' Question Time panel visit the outskirts of Bolton in Lancashire. Kathy is joined by RHS Bridgewater Curator Marcus Chilton-Jones, Garden Designer Matthew Wilson and Plantswoman Christine Walkden. The panellists tackle what to do about an overwhelming stash of black plastic pots, advise on why a listener's new compost bin is lacking in worms, and suggest plants for...

Kathy Clugston and the Gardeners' Question Time panel visit the picturesque Lancashire village of Edgworth, nestled on the edge of the West Pennine Moors. This week, the team are being hosted by the Edgworth and District Horticultural Society. Kathy is joined by Matthew Wilson, Christine Walkden and Marcus Chilton‑Jones, answering questions from an enthusiastic local audience. The team shares prac...

Peter Gibbs and the GQT panel have traded parks and community gardens for a visit to the Oxfordshire home of Dame Mary Berry. On this week's panel are Matthew Pottage, Christine Walkden and Bunny Guinness. Among today’s questions, the panellists troubleshoot evergreen roses plagued by black spot, unravel the mystery of why clematis keep failing on one side of a small London garden, and help a list...

Kathy Clugston is joined in the Vale of Glamorgan by Bethan Collerton, Anne Swithinbank and Chris Beardshaw, where they tackle horticultural conundrums from a live audience. inspired by the region’s famously fertile landscape - from the mysteries of the old‑fashioned mangelwurzel, to advice for struggling houseplants, and recommendations on how to manage a towering six‑foot cactus. The team also s...

Kathy Clugston steers the ship through the deep waters of the GQT archive where a variety of panellists, old and new, discuss solutions to a variety of water related gardening challenges. They debate the question of rainwater vs tap water for plants, restoring waterlogged clay soil and alternatives to water butts in narrow terrace gardens. There's also advice on flood‑damaged garden recovery and r...

What climbing plants thrive in shallow soil? How can you coax your Christmas cacti into a dazzling display? What’s your favourite first sign of spring? Kathy Clugston brings a hand‑picked panel of horticultural experts to Sully, Wales, where they tackle a lively audience’s gardening questions with insight, warmth and plenty of good humour. Joining Kathy are garden designer Chris Beardshaw, housepl...

This week, the GQT team are in North Hertfordshire, where Peter Gibbs is joined by Bunny Guinness, Juliet Sargeant and Bob Flowerdew to tackle a fresh crop of horticultural conundrums. The panellists delve into the challenges of taming coarse grasses in would‑be meadows, ponder why one listener’s tomatoes are thriving better outdoors than under glass, and offer practical  approaches to managing so...

Kathy Clugston and GQT team have packed their wellies for a trip to the Ninewells Community Garden in Dundee. Kathy is joined by Matthew Pottage, Neil Porteous and Kirsty Wilson to explore the grounds whilst delving into the GQT Postbag together. Among todays questions, the panellists break down which leaves are better to compost than others, tackle a listener’s battle against tomatoes with tough...

Peter Gibbs and the GQT team are in Chaldon. Peter's joined by Anne Swithinbank, Pippa Greenwood and Matthew Pottage. This week the panel take on a wide range of gardening dilemmas, from how to reach into borders without treading on emerging plants, to which colourful plants thrive in shady, chalky soil. When it comes to growing veg, the team also has answers on whether leaving weeds in place can...

Kathy Clugston and the GQT team are in Tyne Valley, Newcastle. Kathy's joined by Dr Chris Thorogood, Bethan Collerton and Matthew Wilson, who tackle a variety of questions from troubled Aspidistra, yellowing Choisya and planting for winter colour. The team also discusses beech hedges, how to tackle the issue of invasive Japanese knotweed and unlikely exotics thriving in northern gardens. Later in...

Peter Gibbs and the GQT team are in Kimpton, Hertfordshire. He's joined by Bob Flowerdew, Bunny Guinness and Juliet Sargeant. With questions submitted from the local audience in Kimpton Memorial Hall, the panel take on a wide range of horticultural challenges, from alternatives to Valentine’s Day roses, to selecting shrubs for a north‑facing chalk‑clay garden and innovative ways of harvesting hors...

Kathy Clugston and the GQT team visit the Seaton Delaval Hall in Newcastle, to answer questions from the GQT postbag. Today, the panel helps choose roses for a shaded memorial bed, investigates the sudden collapse of a once‑glorious wisteria, and unpicks the mystery of a white flag iris that decided to flower again in autumn, but this time in blue. Kathy is joined by Matthew Wilson, Bethan Collert...

How can I lighten my orchids? Is there a reliable mix of weed suppressants and fertilisers for growing edibles? Why have the leaves of my Camelia started turning yellow? This week on Gardeners’ Question Time, Kathy Clugston and a hand‑picked panel of horticultural experts head to Clara Vale to tackle the green‑fingered queries of a live audience. Joining Kathy are garden designer Matthew Wilson, b...

Is it too late to plant daffodil and tulip bulbs? What are the best ideas for planting under a shaded tree? How to maintain a lawn that is regularly used for football? This week on Gardeners’ Question Time, Peter Gibbs and a hand‑picked panel of horticultural experts head to Caterham to tackle the green‑fingered queries of a live audience. Peter is joined by Pippa Greenwood, Matthew Pottage and An...

Do the panel have any unusual gardening habits? Can I grow a Walnut tree in Dundee? Kathy Clugston heads to the stunning Firth of Tay with a hand-picked panel of gardening experts, ready to answer questions from an enthusiastic, plant-loving audience. Joining Kathy are garden designers, botanists and allotmenteers Matthew Pottage, Kirsty Wilson and Neil Porteous, bringing their wealth of knowledge...

How do I maintain a hot compost bin? Do Begonias have a finite life? How do I successfully grow a pineapple? Kathy Clugston and a panel of hearty horticulturalists venture to the Sefton Park Palm House in Liverpool, while digging into the GQT postbag, to solve your trickiest gardening conundrums. Joining Kathy to explore this historic palm house are botanist James Wong, proud plantswoman Bethan Co...

How do you remove mistletoe? How can you protect plants from frost damage? And why do brassicas develop clubbed roots? Kathy Clugston delves into the Gardeners’ Question Time archives to uncover timeless festive gardening wisdom. Drawing on decades of horticultural expertise, GQT panellists and chairs — past and present — share trusted, practical advice for every green-fingered dilemma. From tackl...

Is there a foolproof way to take rose cuttings? Why have my hydrangeas turned from blue to pink? And do begonias have a lifespan limit? Kathy Clugston is in the vibrant Wrexham County Borough, where an enthusiastic audience puts their gardening dilemmas to an expert panel. Joining Kathy are celebrated garden designer and botanist James Wong, horticulturist Bethan Collerton, and Marcus Chilton-Jone...

What is the best way to take cuttings of a monkey puzzle tree? What plants that are grown in Australia and would thrive in Dundee? Why hasn’t my Amaryllis flowered? Kathy Clugston brings together a perfectly curated panel of gardening experts at the V&A Dundee to tackle these questions from an enthusiastic, plant-loving audience. Joining Kathy on the panel are garden designers, botanists and a...

How do you grow coriander successfully from seed? Do seeds have a sow-by-date? And will your treasured perennials thrive in the challenging Scottish climate? Kathy Clugston hosts from the beautiful St Mary’s Church in Walthamstow, where a lively audience puts their gardening dilemmas to an expert panel. Joining Kathy are renowned garden designer and botanist James Wong, horticulturalist Matthew Bi...

What’s the strangest thing wildlife has whisked away from your garden? How can I prevent codling moth from spoiling apples? And how do I make reliably nutritious compost using horse manure? Peter Gibbs and a panel of green-fingered experts return to Henley-on-Thames, where a lively audience of passionate gardeners awaits answers to their most pressing horticultural dilemmas. Joining Peter are pest...

Why are my herbaceous perennials growing so tall? What is the best type of onions to grow for pickling? Why do pests prefer my burgundy blooms over the rest? Kathy Clugston and an esteemed panel of gardening experts are in Wrexham to answer the questions of a green fingered audience. Joining Kathy on the panel are garden designers, botanists and alotmenteers Marcus Chilton-Jones, Bethan Collerton...