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 garden designer Juliet Sargeant.

Later in the programme, Bob Flowerdew wraps up our Edible Essentials series with a fool proof guide to feeding and watering your crops - ensuring a rich and rewarding harvest.

Producer: Matthew Smith

Plant List

Q – My Ficus Ginseng has lost most of its leaves, what am I doing wrong? (01’35”)

Q – What do the team think about using crocs at the bottom of pots? (06’41”)

Q – Can the panel suggest shrubs that will flower late spring, early summer and thrive in chalky soil? (10’57”)

Juliet Sargeant –

Pippa Greenwood –

James Wong –

Feature – Bob Flowerdew’s Edible Essential guide to watering and feeding crops (16’56)

Q – What causes onions to bolt? (21’19”)

Q – Can the panel advise on what I can plant on a north facing one-and-a-half-meter border adjacent my mixed hedge? (25’37”)

Juliet Sargeant –

James Wong –

Pippa Greenwood –

Q – How should I go about pruning my lilac tree? (31’48”)

Q – What plants would the panel take from your current gardens if you were moving to a much smaller garden with very poor soil and lots of builder’s rubble in it? (35’23”)

James Wong –

Juliet Sargeant –

Pippa Greenwood –