Gardeners' Question Time

If you could have a garden gnome what would it be doing? What tools should I have on my first allotment? Any tips on growing carrots on a sandy soil? Peter Gibbs and a panel of green-fingered gurus head to the lush landscapes of Bracknell Forest, where a lively audience of passionate gardeners awaits answers to their most pressing plant problems. Joining Peter are pest and disease specialist Pippa...

Why have my magnolia leaves turned brown? How do I care for a tamarisk?  Why is growing poppies so difficult? Kathy Clugston and the panel are in South Staffordshire offering their top gardening tips. Joining Kathy to share their best horticultural advice is plantswoman Christine Walkden,  RHS Bridgewater curator, Marcus Chilton-Jones and gardener Matthew Biggs. Meanwhile James Wong visits the Car...

How important is health and safety in the garden? What disease has been growing on my tomatoes? What would the panel say was their most overrated plant? Kathy Clugston hosts Gardeners' Question Time, recorded live at the Crossed Wires Podcast Festival. Joining her on the expert panel are botanist and broadcaster James Wong, award-winning garden designer Matthew Wilson, and alpine plant specialist...

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...

What 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 garde...

What'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 ren...

Why 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. L...

How do I take care of a kokedama? How do you take care of a sedum living roof? Why won't my trollius flower? For the first time ever, GQT sets up shop at the heart of the iconic RHS Chelsea Flower Show, broadcasting from the charming bandstand. Kathy Clugston is joined by a panel of horticultural heavyweights, including Bunny Guinness, Matthew Wilson, and James Wong. Keep your ears pricked up for...

Kathy Clugston and a panel of green-fingered gurus, Kirsty Wilson, Pippa Greenwood, and Dr Chris Thorogood, explore the spectacular Chelsea Flower Show! Meanwhile on the vibrant main avenue, roving reporter Peter Gibbs explores gardens shaped by climate challenges. He steps into the thought-provoking Save for a Rainy Day Garden to chat with designer Baz Granger about clever water-saving ideas. The...

Kathy Clugston prunes through the extensive GQT archive, which includes some much needed advice on all things Foliage. With 77 years of experience in providing ample advice, our various GQT panellists are more than equipped to solve your gardening conundrums. They provide tips on the best plants for a foliage border, banana plants that can withstand the winter, and plants for a bed that never sees...

How can you get a second season out of tulips grown in pots? What is the most natural and cost-effective way to add nutrients to my soil? How do you garden with hedgehogs in mind? Kathy Clugston and her team of gardening experts return to Bangor, Northern Ireland where they solve some gardening dilemmas. Joining her are ethnobotanist James Wong, garden designer Neil Porteous, and Head of Gardens a...

What's your recommended recipe for homemade seed compost? What makes a dog friendly garden? What is the most inappropriate piece of garden advice that you've received? Peter Gibbs and the panel offer advice to an audience of keen gardeners in the borough of Wokingham. Joining Peter are house plants expert Anne Swithinbank, garden designer Bunny Guinness, and proud plantsman Matthew Biggs. Later in...

What would be your top tips for creating compost? What's the best way to propagate Lamine raspberries? What could I grow in very dry soil? Kathy Clugston and a panel of plant and gardening experts return to Ridgewell, Essex and offer advice to an audience of keen gardeners. Joining Kathy are grow-your-own guru Bob Flowerdew, garden designer Bunny Guinness, and gardener Matthew Pottage. Later in th...

Why are my potatoes so floury? How do you banish lace bugs for good? And what mysterious plant has the panel stumped? Kathy Clugston and a team of gardening experts explore the various locations of Belfast Botanic Garden. All while digging into the GQT postbag to answer your gardening conundrums. On hand with their wisdom and wit are ethnobotanist James Wong, garden designer Neil Porteous, and Kir...

What unorthodox advice have you heard as a gardener? What fruit and veg can I grow in a sodden patch? If you could take one bag of seeds to a desert island, what would it be? Kathy Clugston and the Gardeners’ Question Time team return to Bradford, West Yorkshire, to unearth the answers to your gardening dilemmas. Kathy is joined by garden designers Marcus Chilton-Jones, Matthew Pottage and Juliet...

Why are my blueberry plants experiencing blueberry dieback? How can we prevent or treat an infestation of whitefly in an eco-friendly manner? Which plant have you been most tempted to steal and why? Peter Gibbs and a panel of plant and gardening gurus offer advice to an audience of keen gardeners in Twyford, Reading. Joining Peter are house plant expert Anne Swithinbank, garden designer Bunny Guin...

How do I keep my gladioli coming back?  Why are my hellebores covered in black spots? Why do my courgettes go mouldy so quickly? Kathy Clugston and a panel of plant and gardening experts are offering advice to an audience of keen gardeners in Ridgewell, Essex. Joining Kathy are grow-your-own guru Bob Flowerdew, garden designer Bunny Guinness, and gardener Matthew Pottage. Later in the programme, w...

What’s the best time to sow and harvest up north? Why won't my Buddha's hand plant produce fruit? Can nematodes get rid of codling moth? Kathy Clugston and the Gardeners’ Question Time team head to Bradford, the UK’s City of Culture 2025, to tackle your trickiest gardening dilemmas. Kathy is joined by garden designers Marcus Chilton-Jones, Matthew Pottage and Juliet Sargeant. Later in the programm...

What’s soil type works best in terrariums? Want plants could I use to absorb the damp patches in my garden? Which unloved flower has a place in your garden? Kathy Clugston and her team of gardening experts visit the Clandeboye estate in Bangor, where they tackle some head scratching gardening dilemmas. Joining her are ethnobotanist James Wong, garden designer Neil Porteous, and Head of Gardens at...

How do you keep a bonsai tree thriving? Should you risk moving a well-established shrub rose? And what’s the one plant you simply couldn’t live without? Kathy Clugston and the GQT team are back in Walsall, ready to tackle your most pressing horticultural dilemmas. Joining her are garden designers Bunny Guinness, Matthew Wilson and Marcus Chilton-Jones. Later in the programme, Marcus Chilton-Jones...

What’s the best way to propagate Heuchera? How do i minimise the growth of my Wisteria and maximise flowers? Are there any low skilled gardening jobs that I could do? Kathy and a team of experts return to The Hanneys where they solve more gardening problems. Joining Kathy to answer the questions are fanatical plantswoman Christine Walkden, dedicated botanist Dr Chris Thorogood, and passionate plan...

How do we get rid of red ants? Rainwater or tap water? How can I stay motivated in the garden when it's wet and windy? Kathy Clugston and her team of gardening gurus visit Walsall to solve some horticultural problems. Joining Kathy to answer the questions are garden designers Bunny Guinness, Marcus Chilton Jones and Matthew Wilson. Later in the programme, Peter Gibbs visits RHS Wisley where  princ...

Snowdrops - do you mulch, feed, or leave them alone? What's the difference between anaerobic digestion and aerobic digestion? How do I get rid of apple maggots? Peter Gibbs and the GQT team of experts return to Shepton Mallet to solve various gardening conundrums. On the panel this week are house plant guru Anne Swithinbank, pest and disease expert Pippa Greenwood, and garden designer Matthew Wils...

Peter Gibbs guides us through the GQT archive, which includes some much needed advice on how to make your garden more wildlife friendly. The GQT team have pruned through 77 years of questions and answers to reveal useful advice provided by our various horticultural experts. This includes tips on how to attract bats to the garden, advice on rabbit proof plants and the benefits of snakes in the gard...

Is gardening a solitary or a social activity? What could I grow up a garage wall? What do the panel expect to see in open gardens? Kathy and a team of experts visit The Hanneys to solve gardeners' problems. Joining Kathy to answer the questions are fanatical plantswoman Christine Walkden, dedicated botanist Dr Chris Thorogood, and passionate plant expert Matthew Biggs. Later in the programme, Matt...