Gardeners' Question Time

Kathy Clugston delves into the GQT archive to explore one of Britain’s most intriguing gardening phenomena: microclimates.
Travelling across the British Isles, the programme uncovers how local conditions shape what gardeners can grow.
We’ll hear stories from the subtropical gardens of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, to the urban heat islands of London and the dry conditions of East Anglia before ending up in one gardener's rather chilly frost pocket.
Along the way, the panel suggests plants for coastal walls, city streets and challenging shade, explore exotic species thriving in unexpected places, and offer advice on everything from tropical-style planting to sweetcorn cultivation.
Plus, a visit to St Michael’s Mount, and Derek Jarman's garden in Dungeness.
Producer: 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.
Tickets are available for the BBC Radio 4 Gardeners' Question Time Summer Party 2026 held at RHS Garden Wisley on Saturday 5th September.
Information and ticket details can be accessed via: https://www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley/whats-on/gardeners-question-time-summer-garden-party

Kathy Clugston and the panel visit Clarkston Halls near Glasgow.
Joining Kathy are botanist James Wong, Birmingham Botanical Gardens’ Head Gardener Bethan Collerton, and Balmoral’s Head of Gardens Kirsty Wilson.
The panel answers questions on overwintering anemone corms, revitalising a gloomy shaded corner beneath mature lime trees, and whether an unheated Scottish greenhouse is suitable for growing peaches.
They also discuss a mysteriously weeping houseplant, what might be causing a Japanese maple to decline, and why healthy nasturtiums can sometimes produce plenty of leaves but no flowers.
Plus, Kirsty shares some late-summer pruning tips, and the panel reveal the gardening advice they would give to anyone just starting out.
Producer: Alison Vernon-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.
Tickets are available for the BBC Radio 4 Gardeners' Question Time Summer Party 2026 held at RHS Garden Wisley on Saturday 5th September.
Information and ticket details can be accessed via: https://www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley/whats-on/gardeners-question-time-summer-garden-party

Kathy Clugston hosts another Gardeners’ Question Time Postbag episode from The Hidden Gardens in Glasgow, a remarkable community green space created on a former industrial site in the heart of the city.
Joining Kathy to delve into your questions are Birmingham Botanical Gardens’ head gardener Bethan Collerton, Balmoral’s head of gardens Kirsty Wilson, and botanist James Wong.
As they explore this aptly named urban oasis, the panel considers how gardeners can make the most of even the most challenging spaces, from creating green roofs to choosing the right trees for compact gardens. They also weigh up the balance between encouraging wildlife and protecting prized plants, in a lively discussion sparked by a rose-munching garden visitor.
Along the way, head gardener Paula Murdoch reveals how The Hidden Gardens has evolved from a former tramworks site into a haven for people, plants and wildlife, with wildflower meadows, sensory planting and inventive habitat features woven through the garden.
Also, there's advice on designing a sensory school garden, creating a wildlife-friendly pond in the smallest of spaces, and why some plants refuse to behave as the gardening books suggest.
Producer: Alison Vernon-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.
Tickets are available for the BBC Radio 4 Gardeners' Question Time Summer Party 2026 held at RHS Garden Wisley on Saturday 5th September.
Information and ticket details can be accessed via: https://www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley/whats-on/gardeners-question-time-summer-garden-party

Peter Gibbs and the Gardeners’ Question Time panel visit the Lincolnshire village of Pinchbeck, a fenland landscape shaped by waterways and a long history of horticulture.
On the panel are plantswoman Christine Walkden and garden designers Matthew Wilson and Bunny Guinness.
The team tackles questions on choosing pond plants to support dragonflies, finding colourful plants for exposed, windy gardens, and why some gardeners struggle to grow much-loved astrantias. They also offer practical advice on improving courgette crops, planting around hydrangeas, and dealing with troublesome vine weevil.
Water is a recurring theme throughout the programme. Bethan Collerton visits Winterbourne House and Garden to meet plant scientist Professor Jeremy Pritchard and uncover the remarkable ways plants depend on water, from photosynthesis and cooling to the internal hydraulic systems that keep them upright and growing.
Back in Pinchbeck, the panel turns to a question many gardeners face during a heatwave - how often should we water our gardens? Christine shares her advice on watering deeply and effectively to help plants withstand dry conditions.
Producer: 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.
Tickets are available for the BBC Radio 4 Gardeners' Question Time Summer Party 2026 held at RHS Garden Wisley on Saturday 5th September.
Information and ticket details can be accessed via: https://www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley/whats-on/gardeners-question-time-summer-garden-party

Kathy Clugston chairs this week’s Gardeners’ Question Time from Clarkston Halls in East Renfrewshire, home to one of Scotland’s oldest horticultural societies.
Joining Kathy are Balmoral’s Head of Gardens Kirsty Wilson, ethnobotanist James Wong, and Birmingham Botanical Gardens’ Head Gardener Bethan Collerton.
The panel tackles questions on reluctant camellias, fragrant planting for a windswept balcony, and how to transform a shady, moss-filled shared garden.
Along the way, Bethan visits Glasgow Botanic Gardens’ magnificent Kibble Palace, where she joins Robert Jamieson to explore botanical links across the Commonwealth, from the Australian tea tree and towering tree ferns to remarkable araucarias from the South Pacific.
Back in Clarkston, the team shares advice on improving the quality of greenhouse-grown grapes, caring for carnivorous pitcher plants, and choosing easy, quick-growing seeds for young gardeners.
Producer: Alison Vernon-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.