Gardeners' Question Time

Peter Gibbs hosts Gardeners’ Question Time from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.Joining Peter are Ashley Edwards, James Wong and Christine Walkden - a panel with strong Kew connections. They answer questions on when is the latest time you to take cuttings, how to identify male and female ginkgo trees, and how to make the most of winter containers.The panellists also explore the growing appeal of perennial vegetables, discuss indicator plants as guides to soil conditions, and share some of their favourite plant stories - from giant corpse flowers and monkey puzzle trees to the first spring buds of hawthorn.And James Wong goes behind the scenes at Kew’s iconic Palm House to discover how one of the world’s most important glasshouses is being prepared for its next chapter.Producer: Matt Smith Assistant Producer: William NortonA 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.

Is there a place for sawdust in the veg patch? How best should I trim a mimosa?  Can you share a remedy for my husband’s plant obsession?Peter Gibbs and the GQT team are in Sidmouth answering questions from an audience of keen gardeners. Joining Peter to share their tips, tricks and tales are  plantswoman Anne Swithinbank, pest and disease expert, Pippa Greenwood, and Head of Horticulture at the Royal Parks, Matthew Pottage. The experts discuss wedding cake trees, whether to keep or cull a rhododendron, and the reasons why houseplants may struggle to flower. Producer: Matt Smith Assistant Producer: Will Norton A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

Bunny Guinness, celebrated garden designer and writer, joins Bethan Collerton, Birmingham Botanical Gardens’ head gardener, and horticulturist Ashley Edwards at Bristol’s Redcatch Community Garden. They explore climate-resilient vegetables, lacklustre roses, and clever ways to make gardens accessible. The discussion also blooms into wellbeing, wildlife-friendly moon gardens, community cafés, and transforming neglected spaces.

Marcus Chilton-Jones, RHS horticulturist and curator; Matthew Wilson, garden designer and broadcaster; botanist Chris Thorogood; and practical gardening expert Pippa Greenwood answer questions at RHS Wisley. They explore lessons for beginners, citrus grown from supermarket pips, unusual pergola climbers, winter greenhouse crops, distorted cacti and hydrangea pests. The discussion ends with musical inspirations and garden soundscapes.

Frances Tophill, practical garden designer and presenter; Pippa Greenwood, plant-health expert; Matthew Pottage, Royal Parks horticultural strategist; and James Wong, ethnobotanist and science communicator, tackle lively questions from RHS Wisley. They explore training roses, salt-tolerant boat planters, blueberries in alkaline soil, moth control and mysterious squash hybrids. The panel also shares poignant stories about moving gardens, treasured plants and fresh opportunities.

Leanne Sargeant, Forestry England’s nature recovery manager, discusses wildfire recovery in the New Forest. Garden writer Matthew Wilson, Birmingham Botanical Gardens head gardener Bethan Collerton and plant pathologist Pippa Greenwood explore drought-tolerant planting, colourful sunny borders, dry-shade climbers, lawn alternatives and why brambles thrive when other plants fail.

From The Donkey Sanctuary in Devon, Matthew Pottage, Royal Parks horticulture chief; Pippa Greenwood, plant health specialist; and Anne Swithinbank, plantswoman and writer, tackle gardening through drought and change. They explore greening concrete, building a resilient allotment, reviving kiwi, magnolia and hibiscus, sowing wildflower meadows, planting heavy clay, and championing nettles, dandelions and knotweed.

Matthew Pottage, garden curator and broadcaster; Pippa Greenwood, plant health expert; Chris Beardshaw, landscape designer; and James Wong, plant science communicator, explore Britain’s surprising microclimates. From subtropical Cornwall and St Michael’s Mount to London’s heat islands, dry East Anglia and a chilly frost pocket, they discuss exotic plants, coastal gardens, street trees, shade, drought and sweetcorn.

Kirsty Wilson, Balmoral’s Head of Gardens, offers late-summer pruning tips. Bethan Collerton, Head Gardener at Birmingham Botanical Gardens, shares hands-on growing tricks. James Wong, botanist and ethnobotanist, explains plant physiology. They cover overwintering anemone corms, shaded-site planting, peaches in an unheated greenhouse, mysterious houseplant weeping, Japanese maple decline, nasturtiums with leaves but no flowers, and which small trees suit pots.

Kirsty Wilson, Balmoral’s head of gardens, shares practical maintenance tips. Paula Murdoch, head gardener at The Hidden Gardens, recounts the site’s tramworks-to-oasis transformation. James Wong, botanist and communicator, explains wildlife-friendly planting. Bethan Collerton, Birmingham Botanical Gardens’ head gardener, covers meadow and green roof ideas. They discuss narrow-tree choices, sensory school planting, wildlife ponds and leafcutter bees.