Gardeners' Question Time

Peter Gibbs and the GQT panel visit the charming village of Harmondsworth, just moments from the bustle of Heathrow.

Peter is joined by James Wong, Frances Tophill and Bunny Guinness as they tackle horticultural conundrums, submitted by an audience of local gardeners. From growing citrus trees from supermarket fruit pips to distinguishing wild geums from their cultivated cousins, the panel share practical advice and horticultural insight.

There’s guidance on reusing compost, choosing hydrangeas for tricky shady spots and selecting the right planting choices to create year-round impact on a patio.

Later in the show, Frances explores the benefits of horticultural therapy with a local practitioner, Hardip Singh Lawana MBE, uncovering how gardening can support wellbeing and bring people together.

And to finish, the panel reveal which weeds they’d be, with answers ranging from charming to mischievous.

Producer: Dan Cocker, Rahnee Prescod and Alison Vernon-Smith

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.

Peter Gibbs and the Gardeners’ Question Time panel visit Diss, on the Norfolk–Suffolk border, where heavy clay soils meet some of the driest conditions in the country; a combination that keeps gardeners firmly on their toes.

Peter is joined by Bob Flowerdew on his home turf, alongside Christine Walkden and Bunny Guinness as they answer questions from a live audience. They advise on improving your strike rate with cuttings, diagnosing sooty mould on camellias, and deciding whether a bay tree is best kept in a pot, or given room to roam.

Along the way, the panel also explore how to turn a tired lawn into a stylish, drought‑resistant gravel garden, debate whether lavender really needs feeding, and suggest small spring‑flowering trees that can deliver a real seasonal show.

Later in the show, Bob shares hard‑won lessons from gardening in East Anglia, offering practical tips on coping with drought and making the most of every drop of water.

Producer: Matt Smith


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.

Gardeners’ Question Time returns to the iconic RHS Chelsea Flower Show Bandstand.

Recorded in the dappled shade of plane trees and surrounded by colour and spectacle, Kathy Clugston is joined by Bunny Guinness, Matthew Pottage and Dr Chris Thorogood to tackle questions taken live from the audience, as well as a few familiar voices spotted among the Chelsea crowds.

Topics include how to recreate the Chelsea Show Garden look on a modest budget, how to rescue a struggling acer and which plants will thrive on an exposed rooftop terrace.

The panellists also offer practical advice on reviving an unhappy olive tree, planting for waterlogged ground and supporting pollinators with the best bee‑friendly plants.

Along the way, there are design tips on balancing bold colour schemes and plenty of inspiration drawn straight from the show gardens themselves. Expect expert guidance, seasonal know‑how and lively horticultural debate — all set against one of gardening’s most celebrated backdrops.

Producers: 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.

Kathy Clugston and Peter Gibbs are at the Chelsea Flower Show for a special postbag episode of Gardeners' Question Time.

From the showground of the world’s most celebrated horticultural event, they're joined by a stellar panel - former Chelsea exhibitor and medal-winning designer Matthew Wilson, one of the world's leading authorities on plant pests and diseases, Pippa Greenwood, and making her press-day debut at Chelsea with GQT, Head Gardener at Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Bethan Collerton.

As Kathy and the panel roam the show gardens answering questions submitted by listeners, they catch up with several garden designers behind this year’s show, including Frances Tophill (The RHS and The King’s Foundation Curious Garden), Sarah Fisher and Janice Molyneux (The Sightsavers Garden) and Patrick Clarke (The Children’s Society Garden). They explore the ideas, craftsmanship and planting inspiration behind their Chelsea creations, from sensory container gardens to spaces designed for well-being and connection.

Meanwhile, Peter takes the roving reporter mic inside the Great Pavilion, discovering the science behind our gardens, speaking to exhibitors, and uncovering the latest innovations in horticulture and biodiversity research.

The panel tackles everything from gardening in challenging coastal conditions, to choosing the right trees for privacy and produce, as well as tips on drying flowers for wedding confetti, and solving the mysteries of struggling container plants and stubborn succulents.

Producers: Dan Cocker, Matt Smith and Rahnee Prescod

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.

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.

The programme also features a generous and brave final appearance from GQT panellist Matt Biggs.

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

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.

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

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.