Do eggshells really protect your plants from slugs? And what can you do about moles? Our gardening expert has the answers

As any gardener knows, we share our outdoor spaces with a vast array of creatures. This is mostly a wonderful and necessary thing. The majority of beasts are beneficial and ought to receive the warmest of welcomes. And given the biodiversity crisis, we must reconsider who we regard as a “pest”. Having said that, there are organisms whose presence can imperil our garden plans.

When I was studying the principles of growing food organically, I was taught a systems approach to dealing with so-called pests: choose your interventions carefully and opt for the least disruptive before considering more drastic measures.

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”)

Grown in a pot or with plenty of space in a bed, these blade-leafed corms will add hot reds and oranges to your planting schemes

As regular readers of this column may have noticed, I am no taxonomist. I’ve never quite got on board with Latin names, but have gardened long enough to grudgingly accept that they are quite useful. For all that common names can be poetic (love-in-a-mist), intriguing (bladder wrack) or plain entertaining (goat’s beard), they can lack specificity.

I’m not here to get into the weeds of determining whether one naming system is superior, and I use both interchangeably, but it is true that some Latin names have a certain panache. Crocosmia is among them.

Weapons and tools | Nigel Farage | Oracy in schools | Resomation | Voyaging’s not for me

I note that in the photo of King Charles visiting Scotland in your print edition (Monarch north of the glens, 29 July), he has a dagger tucked into his sock. How does this fit with the man arrested recently by armed police for carrying garden tools home from his allotment ? No doubt the king had armed police with him who took a different view of someone carrying a weapon in public.
Mike Lowcock
Sandbach, Cheshire

• Nigel Farage is surely right that lawlessness on the streets is being compounded by the arrival of “droves of unvetted men into our towns and cities” (Editorial, 29 July). Perhaps he could simply ask his supporters to stay at home.
David Pafford
Bowerhill, Wiltshire

Strangely, this plant benefits from mild stress and ‘benign neglect’. So limit the nutrients and watch it flower!

What’s the problem?
My Hoya carnosa cutting, taken from my father’s treasured plant, bloomed once, in 2022, but has not flowered since. How can I encourage it?

Diagnosis
Hoyas, often known as wax plants, have a reputation for thriving on “benign neglect”. They flower best when slightly stressed, as this triggers their reproductive mode. Regular watering and abundant nutrients will encourage leaf growth rather than blooms.

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

Instead of relentlessly weeding and trimming, take time to stop and stare – to marvel at the sheer beauty of nature

The growing season is at its peak. There have been harvests already and more to come. The boughs of our plum tree bend towards the ground, heaving with fruit, and there are new cucumbers and courgettes swelling with each warm summer day.

My season started late, and since the spring equinox I feel as if I’ve been stumbling while I try to catch up. My crops are being outpaced by the creeping buttercup, couch grass and nettles that sneak under the chicken-wire fence. Self-seeded lemon balm and teasels pop up wherever there’s a thumbnail’s worth of bare soil. While it’s a glorious time in the veg patch, all I seem to feel is overwhelm.

Heading off for summer? From self-watering pots to plant straws, these expert hacks will keep your plants hydrated and happy

• Beat the heat: expert tips for keeping cool in hot weather

Summer holidays are a joy for us, but not always such a thrill for our houseplants. Few things are worse than returning home to discover a horticultural graveyard. Plants can survive unsupervised during the winter, but heatwaves, a lack of ventilation, and no one around to water mean summer holidays are a recipe for disaster.

But fear not. A bit of planning and the right kit can make all the difference between a happy homecoming and a shrivelled mess. Whether you go full-tech or just trust in a good soak and a friend, there’s a holiday plant-care method for every budget and plant. Regardless of how long you’re going away for, here are some of the best tips and tricks to keep your houseplants alive, hydrated and happy in your absence.

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

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

Just like humans, plants benefit from cleanliness: sterilise your tools and pots, wipe down leaves to remove dust, and check for pests or disease

What’s the problem?
I’ve heard “plant hygiene” mentioned, but I’ve no idea what it actually means.

Diagnosis
Good plant hygiene is the gardening equivalent of washing your hands – simple, essential, yet often overlooked. Neglecting plant hygiene can lead to the spread of pests, diseases and infections. Using dirty scissors, pots or tools can transfer fungi, bacteria or pests from one plant to another. Similarly, letting dust build up on leaves can restrict photosynthesis.

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

These quintessential country flowers relish the dappled shade often cast in built-up areas – and there’s a variety for everyone

I’ve only ever gardened in cities, and I’ve lived in them for more than half my life, but my rural roots show when it comes to foxgloves. They are steeped in the lore of Beatrix Potter illustrations and the first warm walks of the year down country lanes. Because they typically bloom in May, it’s rare to see a Chelsea flower show without any, and it’s here I’ve learned that these quintessential cottage garden flowers work just as well in contemporary urban gardens, where some varieties can be cajoled into a container and relish the part-shade often found in built-up areas.

When I first started gardening, I was baffled by the distinction between annuals and perennials, and ashamed to say so. For the uninitiated, annuals begin and end their lifecycle (growing from seed, flowering, setting seed and dying) in a year, while perennials return in subsequent years, sometimes bulking up or waning, depending on their longevity and the growing conditions. Then there are biennials, which complete their lifecycle over two years, and this is the group most foxgloves belong to. That means that if you want flowers next year, you’re nearing your last chance to sow them. They will put down roots and create a rosette of green leaves by Christmas, before sending up flower spikes, blooming and setting seeds next summer.