Gardeners' Question Time - TopPodcast.com

Latest Episodes:

Serge Hill Project May 15, 2026

Show notes

In a special Gardeners’ Question Time episode to mark Mental Health Awareness Week, the programme is at the Serge Hill Project, an inspirational garden that promotes working with nature to radically transform people's health and well-being. Renowned landscape architect Tom Stuart-Smith, and Tom’s partner, psychiatrist, and psychotherapist Sue Stuart-Smith, join regular panellists Pippa Greenwood, Christine Walkden, and Anne Swithinbank to answer listener questions.

The programme also features a generous and brave final appearance from GQT panellist Matt Biggs. Matt has been a GQT panellist since 1994, and has been battling cancer for six years. Tragically, Matt’s cancer has now entered its end-stage. Matt wanted to record this programme, knowing it would be his last appearance on Gardeners’ Question Time, surrounded by his longtime friends and GQT colleagues. Listeners will hear questions answered by the GQT panel of gardening experts, but they will also hear about Matt’s journey from initial diagnosis to his current mental and physical condition. At times Matt’s words are upsetting, raw, and honest, however it is Matt’s wish that his story is told partly as advice for other sufferers and also to serve as inspiration to all listeners. Producers: Dan Cocker, Matt Smith and Rahnee Prescod Assistant Producer: William Norton A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4 * If listening on BBC Sounds and you wish to view the plant list, please go to the Gardeners' Question Time website and open this week's episode page.

Pulham Market May 08, 2026

Show notes

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 buckets, and share suggestions for gardening activities that are accessible and engaging for people with limited mobility.

Also, James Wong visits Kew Gardens to witness the spectacular (and pungent!) flowering of the Titan Arum, one of the rarest and most extraordinary plants in cultivation.

There are also practical tips for sowing carrots successfully and advice on whether a well‑travelled oleander can finally be planted out.

Producer: Matt Smith Assistant Producer: William Norton

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

* If listening on BBC Sounds and you wish to view the plant list, please go to the Gardeners' Question Time website and open this week's episode page. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qp2f/episodes/guide

From The Archives: Summer Colour May 01, 2026

Show notes

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, compost mixes for long-lasting displays, and the surprising relationships between insects and plants. So if you're anti-Ant, hear how Dr Chris Thorogood gives some positive PR to these charming creatures often mislabelled as 'pests'.

Producer: Rahnee Prescod Assistant Producer: William Norton

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

The Great Barn: Chillies, Camellias and Consciousness Apr 24, 2026

Show notes

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 might humans take to grow on another planet?

Along the way, there’s practical advice on organic ways to keep vine weevils at bay, how to dry lilac flowers, and what to grow in pots in a narrow alleyway with limited light.

Later in the show Chris Beardshaw talks all things pruning - why, when and how.

Producer: Dan Cocker Assistant Producer: William Norton

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

Bolton Apr 17, 2026

Show notes

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 shady clay areas beneath mature beech trees.

Other questions cover planting for waterlogged borders, homemade foliar feeds for seedlings, and opening a wildlife-focused garden for the National Garden Scheme.

Later in the programme, Bunny Guinness shares spring propagation tips, including softwood and basal cuttings and using an aeroponic propagator.

Producer: Rahnee Prescod Assistant Producer: William Norton

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

Edgworth & District Apr 10, 2026

Show notes

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 practical advice on topics from choosing the best potatoes to grow for chips, to bee‑friendly planting in boggy conditions, and share reflections on the sentimental value of well‑loved gardening tools.

Later in the programme, Matthew Pottage delivers a timely spring masterclass on dividing grasses and perennials.

Producer: Rahnee Prescod Assistant Producer: William Norton

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

Postbag Edition: Mary Berry's House Apr 03, 2026

Show notes

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 listener planning a late‑August wedding by suggesting plants that peak at the tail end of summer.

Later in the programme, Mary shares her own gardening triumphs, from peaches ripened under winter covers, to treasured raised beds of herbs, strawberries and asparagus.

Producer: Dan Cocker Assistant Producer: William Norton Producer: Matt Smith

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

Vale of Glamorgan Mar 27, 2026

Show notes

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 shares practical advice on reviving a neglected greenhouse, caring for a long‑loved pot‑bound rhododendron, and encouraging lemons and limes to ripen in coastal South Wales.

Later in the show, Pippa Greenwood offers timely spring guidance on staying ahead of slugs and other emerging pests, helping gardeners protect tender new growth as the season gets underway.

Producer: Rahnee Prescod

Assistant Producer: William Norton

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

From the Archives: Water Mar 20, 2026

Show notes

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 recommendations for trees for flood‑prone & drought‑prone parkland.

Producer: Rahnee Prescod Assistant Producer: William Norton

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

Sully & District: Blooming Cacti, Shallow Depth and Signs of Spring Mar 13, 2026

Show notes

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, houseplant specialist Anne Swithinbank, and Bethan Collerton, head gardener at Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Together, they share their practical know‑how, creative ideas, and passion for all things green.

Pippa Greenwood meets Samantha Smith from the Horticultural Trades Association to explore the new Simpler Recycling initiative, and what it means for clearing out old pots, containers, and other garden clutter.

Producer: Rahnee Prescod Junior Producer: William Norton

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

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