Gardeners' Question Time Two Dales
Oct 24, 2025
Join garden designer Bunny Guinness, RHS curator Marcus Chilton-Jones, and alpine specialist Bethan Collerton as they dive into humorous plant mishaps and survival tips. They discuss the art of bulb planting success, share favorite low-maintenance plants, and reveal which seeds they'd take to a desert island. Marcus also chats about the fascinating history of camellias at Chatsworth House. With practical advice and lively banter, this trio offers a treasure trove of horticultural insights!
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Houseplant Mishaps And Recovery
- Marcus Chilton-Jones admits he's killed many houseplants in a drafty old house and lists cacti, Swiss cheese plants and mother-in-law's tongue among them.
- Bethan Collerton also recounts nearly killing a gorse shrub at Birmingham Botanical Gardens and seeing it recover, illustrating trial-and-error learning.
Inspect And Propagate Prickly Pears
- Inspect prickly pear pads closely next season to spot larger pests because mealybug/scale absence suggests something bigger is nibbling new growth.
- Propagate healthy new pads by laying them on sand to root as a backup rather than keeping an overlarge parent plant.
Warm An Unheated Greenhouse Cheaply
- Use insulated boxes lined with polystyrene and add internal heat (candles or hot-water bottles) to protect tender potted plants in an unheated greenhouse.
- Add fleece and bubble wrap to greenhouse interiors for extra frost protection and consider supplementary light if growth is weak in winter.