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

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

Plant List

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 –

Juliet Sargeant –

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 –

James Wong –

Pippa Greenwood –

Feature – 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”)