Getting a garden wedding ready, plants to cut down on the strimming, and Adam Frost’s shrub of the month

BBC - Podcasts and Downloads - Gardeners' Corner -

What do you do when your son says he forgot to booking a venue for his wedding ceremony? You offer your garden of course and call in the Gardeners’ Corner experts for a bit of help. This week presenter David Maxwell and garden expert Rosie Maye get their gardening kit and head to Bangor to help mum and dad, Nicola and Sheldon Hinds, get their garden wedding ready. Also on the programme, how can plants help you with those awkward lawn edges and cut down on the need for strimming. What can Sandra do to stop the wasps devouring her apple harvest and Adam Frost chooses his shrub of the month. (Sambucus nigra f. porphyrophylla 'Thundercloud') In studio David is joined by Brendan Little who has seasonal inspiration, plenty of humour and the answers to listeners’ gardening questions. Email the programme at gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

Summer Garden Party

Gardeners' Question Time | BBC -

Kathy Clugston and a crack team of top horticultural experts celebrate the return of the GQT Summer Garden Party in style — this year set against the stunning backdrop of RHS Garden Hyde Hall in the heart of Essex.

Kathy is joined by an all-star panel, including visionary garden designers Matthew Wilson and Bunny Guinness, RHS head gardener Matthew Pottage, and the king of all things edible, Bob Flowerdew. Together, they tackle a lively mix of questions from an enthusiastic audience of budding green thumbs, sharing expert tips, clever tricks, and plenty of inspiration to get your garden growing.

Senior Producer: Dan Cocker Assistant Producer: Rocky Cocker Assistant Producer: Suhaar Ali Junior Producer: Rahnee Prescod

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

Postbag Edition: Finsbury Circus Gardens

Gardeners' Question Time | BBC -

Are there any indoor plants that give out more moisture than others? How long does an average “short-lived” perennial live? What plants are resistant to shot hole disease?

This week, Peter Gibbs and a panel of gardening experts visit the beautifully restored Finsbury Circus Gardens – a green oasis in the heart of London, with roots stretching back to Roman times and now reopened to the public.

Joining Peter are garden designer Bunny Guinness, botanist Dr Chris Thorogood, and grow-your-own guru Bob Flowerdew. They're also joined by members of the City Gardens Management Team – Jake Tibbetts, Jessica Beatty, and Ed Freeman – to explore the newly renovated grounds and celebrate the space’s rich horticultural history.

The panel tackles a thorny crop of questions from the GQT postbag, offering expert tips on topics including how to prevent shot hole disease, successful techniques for growing Pak Choi, and the fascinating science behind a fern’s life cycle.

Senior Producer: Matthew Smith Junior Producer: Rahnee Prescod Executive Producer: Carly Maile

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

Plant List Questions and timecodes are below. Where applicable, plant names have been provided.

Q – What plants are resistant to shot hole disease? (04’09”)

Jake Tibbetts – Pinus parviflora 'Zelkova' Zelkova serrata, japanese zelkova Toona sinensis, chinese cedar

Chris Thorogood – Styphnolobium Aesculus parviflora, bottlebrush buckeye Stewartia

Q –    Can you recommend plants to go under and around the tree which has very dry soil? (07’25”)

Ed Freeman – Pachysandra Polystichum, shield fern Polypodium, polypody Asperula, woodruff Brunnera macrophylla, Siberian bugloss Asplenium scolopendrium, hart’s tongue fern

Bunny Guinness – Daphne laureola, spurge laurel Crinum × powellii, swamp lily

Q – Could the panel recommend fruit trees that are resilient and adaptable to the changing climate? (12’54”)

Bob Flowerdew – Prunus armeniaca, apricot

Bunny Guinness – Amelanchier alnifolia, alder-leaved serviceberry Apples

Jake Tibbetts – Mulberries Pears Pyrus communis (F), common pear

Q – How do you encourage ferns to germinate? (17’55”)

Q – How long does an average “short-lived” perennial live? (20’52”)

Dr Chris Thorogood – Arum italicum marmoratum, Italian arum 'Marmoratum'

Bunny Guinness – Matthiola incana, brompton stock

Q – Could you advise on how to fill a big dip in our lawn and some ideas on something more interesting? (23’13”)

Q – Why have the 50 bulbs I’ve planted failed to sprout any buds? (27’53”)

Dr Chris Thorogood – Angelica gigas, purple angelica

Jessica Beatty – Hyacinthoides non-scripta, bluebell Narcissus, daffodils Galanthus nivalis, snowdrops Crocus

Bunny Guiness – Allium 'Globemaster', allium 'Globemaster'

Q – How do I stop Pak Choi going to seed before they have hearted up? (33’06”)

Q – Are there any indoor plants that give out more moisture than others? (34’58”)

Bunny Guinness – Ficus pumila, creeping fig Rosa Basanti ('Ruicl0062a'PBR)

Bob Flowerdew – Plumbago, leadwort

Dr Chris Thorogood – Bromeliads

Q – Why haven’t my healthy 4-year-old bird of paradise hasn't flowered yet? (37’49”)

Bracknell Forest: Garden Gnomes, Carrots and Tools

Gardeners' Question Time | BBC -

If you could have a garden gnome what would it be doing? What tools should I have on my first allotment? Any tips on growing carrots on a sandy soil?

Peter Gibbs and a panel of green-fingered gurus head to the lush landscapes of Bracknell Forest, where a lively audience of passionate gardeners awaits answers to their most pressing plant problems.

Joining Peter are pest and disease specialist Pippa Greenwood, head gardener Matthew Pottage, and the ever-enthusiastic plantswoman Christine Walkden.

Later in the show, Pippa Greenwood takes us behind the scenes at Heathrow Airport, where she meets Kelvin Hughes from the Animal and Plant Health Agency. Together, they uncover the fascinating work being done to safeguard the UK’s biodiversity from invasive pests and diseases hidden in overseas plants and produce.

Senior Producer: Daniel Cocker Junior Producer: Rahnee Prescod

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

Plant List Questions and timecodes are below. Where applicable, plant names have been provided.

Q – If you were forced to have one garden gnome, what would that garden gnome be doing? (01’38”)

Q – Do the panel have any advice on growing carrots in sandy soil? (05’47”)

Q – Are the panel opposed to the use of decorative wood chips in borders? (07’56”)

Q – Can they explain how buddleia can grow in church roofs and railway sidings and not come to much in my garden? (11’36”)

Matthew Pottage – Buddleja davidii 'Black Knight', butterfly bush 'Black Knight'

Feature – Pippa Greenwood meets with Kelvin Hughes with the Animal and Plant Health Agency to discover how Heathrow Airport protect the UK's biodiversity from overseas produce and plants. (18’31”)

Q – What could we grow in our south-west facing garden that will provide vibrant colours during the summer? (24’06”)

Matthew Pottage – Aesculus Aesculus parviflora, bottlebrush buckeye Eucryphia Eucryphia lucida, leatherwood Eucryphia lucida 'Pink Cloud', leatherwood ‘Pink Cloud’ Hydrangea quercifolia, oak-leaved hydrangea Hydrangea quercifolia Snowflake ('Brido') (d), oak-leaved hydrangea [Snowflake] Hydrangea quercifolia Ice Crystal ('Hqopr010'PBR), oak-leaved hydrangea [Ice Crystal] Hydrangea quercifolia 'Harmony', oak-leaved hydrangea 'Harmony'

Christine Walkden – Desfontainia Osmanthus

Q – I’ve just taken on an allotment in the last year, and I'd like to know what are the top five low-cost items you'd recommend? (28’20”)

Q – Is there an aesthetically please alternative to steaks and pea netting that I could use whilst my plants establish? (31’14”)

Q – What plant would you like to be remembered by? (36’03”)

Christine Walkden – Soldanella hungarica

Matthew Pottage – Araucaria Araucana, monkey puzzle tree

Pippa Greenwood – Magnolia stellata, star magnolia

How to get golf worthy grass with The Open’s greenkeepers, Is there an Ash come back? Foraging for micro nutrients

BBC - Podcasts and Downloads - Gardeners' Corner -

With The Open championship taking place on County Antrim’s north coast, David Maxwell gets some top tips on grass keeping from those who prepared the Royal Portrush course for the world’s top golfers. With Ash dieback now present across the country, a question from a caller prompts the team to look at the latest research suggesting there may be some hope for our Ash trees. Kathryn Gaw reveals the hidden bounty of a forest within Belfast’s city limits when she takes David foraging. As well as discovering that nettles have a gender, there’s a surprising garden use for brambles. Adam Frost reveals his favourite shrub for July and Mary Doris joins David in studio to answer questions. Email the programme at gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

South Staffordshire

Gardeners' Question Time | BBC -

Why have my magnolia leaves turned brown? How do I care for a tamarisk?  Why is growing poppies so difficult? Kathy Clugston and the panel are in South Staffordshire offering their top gardening tips. Joining Kathy to share their best horticultural advice is plantswoman Christine Walkden,  RHS Bridgewater curator, Marcus Chilton-Jones and gardener Matthew Biggs. Meanwhile James Wong visits the Carbon Garden at Kew Gardens to learn about the importance of carbon in our ecosystem, low emission gardening and carbon-resilient trees.

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

Crossed Wires Podcast Festival: Back to Basics

Gardeners' Question Time | BBC -

How important is health and safety in the garden? What disease has been growing on my tomatoes? What would the panel say was their most overrated plant?

Kathy Clugston hosts Gardeners' Question Time, recorded live at the Crossed Wires Podcast Festival.

Joining her on the expert panel are botanist and broadcaster James Wong, award-winning garden designer Matthew Wilson, and alpine plant specialist Bethan Collerton. Together, they tackle a lively array of gardening questions from an enthusiastic audience.

Later in the programme, James Wong takes a trip to Sheffield’s Winter Garden, where he shares his top picks for easy-to-grow plants - perfect for beginners looking to cultivate greenery both indoors and out.

Producer: Dom Tyerman Junior Producer: Rahnee Prescod Executive Producer: Carly Maile

Plant List Questions and timecodes are below. Where applicable, plant names have been provided.

Q – How important is health and safety in the garden? (01’27”)

Q – What are the ideal conditions for growing wildflowers from seeds? (04’10”)

Q – What’s the best method for watering a very parched, dried out cacti? (07’57”)

Q – Why have my wisteria stopped flowering? (11’31”)

Feature – James Wong provides an essential list of plants you can grow indoors and outdoors. He’s visiting the Sheffield Winter Gardens (16’11”)

James Wong – Dichondra Strelitzia nicolai, white bird of paradise

Q – How do I stop slugs from eating my hostas? (24’05”)

Q – What would be your recommendations for plants that can survive harsh weather in coastal regions? (24’44”)

Bethan Collerton – Armeria maritima, thrift

Matthew Wilson – Griselinia littoralis, new zealand broadleaf Hippophae rhamnoides, sea buckthorne

James Wong Griselinia littoralis, new zealand broadleaf Quercus ilex, holm oak Tamarisk Trachycarpus fortune, chusan palm

Q – What disease has been growing on my tomatoes? (29’17”)

Q – I’d like to grow my Jasmine against a fence, do I hack it right back, start again or plant is as is? (32’44”)

Q – What would the panel say was their most overrated plant? (36’37”)

James Wong – Geranium Rozanne ('Gerwat'PBR), cranesbill [Rozanne]

Matthew Wilson – Heucheras

Pages