Gardeners' Question Time

Gardeners' Question Time

Author: BBC Radio 4 Language: English Episodes: 50
For decades, Gardeners' Question Time has been a trusted companion for anyone with a patch of earth, a windowsill pot, or simply a curiosity about the natural world. Produced by BBC Radio 4, this enduring podcast brings together a rotating panel of seasoned horticulturalists, each with their own specialties and practical wisdom. The format is beautifully simple yet endlessly varied: a live audience, gathered in a different village hall, community garden, or nursery somewhere across the country each week, poses their real-life gardening dilemmas. What you’ll hear are unscripted, thoughtful, and often wonderfully anecdotal answers that tackle everything from stubborn lawn weeds and pruning perplexities to coaxing a better tomato harvest. The changing location means the advice is grounded in specific climates and conditions, offering relatable insights whether you're dealing with coastal winds, heavy clay, or a tiny urban balcony. It’s the conversational tone and the collective knowledge of the experts that makes this podcast feel like a friendly, invaluable chat with a knowledgeable neighbor. You get the sense of a shared gardening community, with all its trials, successes, and seasonal rhythms. Listening feels less like receiving a lecture and more like eavesdropping on a fascinating, problem-solving conversation that has been honed over seventy years on the air. The questions from the audience are always genuine, often urgent, and the answers are delivered with a blend of science, hands-on experience, and good humor. It is a direct line to practical help and inspiration for your own garden, whatever its size or style.
Episodes
Spalding: Ant Infestation, Pot-Bound Olive Tree and Watering Seedlings [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:24
Gardeners’ Question Time visits the stunning Springfields Festival Gardens in Spalding, 15 acres of beautifully designed and diverse planting, created for visitors of all ages to explore and enjoy.Peter Gibbs is joined b…
Winterbourne House and Garden: Tomatoes, Topiary and Japanese Gardens [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:59
Kathy Clugston and the panel are in Edgbaston at the University of Birmingham’s beautiful Winterbourne House and Garden, an Arts and Crafts era gem packed with horticultural interest.Joining Kathy to answer questions fro…
From the Archives: A Tribute to Matthew Biggs [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:58
In this special episode, Kathy Clugston and Peter Gibbs dip into the archives to celebrate the life and work of Matthew Biggs. Matt spent four decades doing what he loved most - sharing his extraordinary knowledge of the…
Postbag Edition: Regents Park [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:44
Peter Gibbs and the GQT panel visit the Queen Elizabeth II Garden in Regent’s Park, London, tackling gardening challenges in tough conditions.Pippa Greenwood, Matthew Pottage, Bunny Guinness and Head Gardener of Regents…
Harmondsworth - Citrus, Geums and Patio Planting [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:57
Peter Gibbs and the GQT panel visit the charming village of Harmondsworth, just moments from the bustle of Heathrow.Peter is joined by James Wong, Frances Tophill and Bunny Guinness as they tackle horticultural conundrum…
Diss: Gravel Gardens, Camellia Care and Ways to Weather Drought [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:23
Peter Gibbs and the Gardeners’ Question Time panel visit Diss, on the Norfolk–Suffolk border, where heavy clay soils meet some of the driest conditions in the country; a combination that keeps gardeners firmly on their t…
RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026 - At the Bandstand [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:56
Gardeners’ Question Time returns to the iconic RHS Chelsea Flower Show Bandstand.Recorded in the dappled shade of plane trees and surrounded by colour and spectacle, Kathy Clugston is joined by Bunny Guinness, Matthew Po…
Chelsea Flower Show 2026 - Postbag [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:39
Kathy Clugston and Peter Gibbs are at the Chelsea Flower Show for a special postbag episode of Gardeners' Question Time.From the showground of the world’s most celebrated horticultural event, they're joined by a stellar…
Serge Hill Project [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:31
In a special Gardeners’ Question Time episode to mark Mental Health Awareness Week, the programme is at the Serge Hill Project, an inspirational garden that promotes working with nature to radically transform people's he…
Pulham Market [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:27
Peter Gibbs and Gardeners’ Question Time panel visit visit Pulham Market.Peter is joined by Bob Flowerdew, Christine Walkden and Bunny Guinness to answer questions on growing fruit in pots and choosing shrubs for deep sh…