Chaldon

Chaldon

Author: BBC Radio 4 February 20, 2026 Duration: 42:07

Peter Gibbs and the GQT team are in Chaldon.

Peter's joined by Anne Swithinbank, Pippa Greenwood and Matthew Pottage.

This week the panel take on a wide range of gardening dilemmas, from how to reach into borders without treading on emerging plants, to which colourful plants thrive in shady, chalky soil. When it comes to growing veg, the team also has answers on whether leaving weeds in place can help crops during extreme heat, and tips on non‑chemical approaches to protecting cabbages and sprouts from hungry pests.

The panellists also discuss how their plant recommendations have changed over the years, and which plants they now avoid altogether!

Later in the show, we hear from Peter’s visit to RHS Wisley where he spoke with RHS Chief Horticultural Advisor, Guy Barter, and Botanist and Taxonomist, Dr Kálmán Könyves to follow up on last year’s Daffodil diaries scheme.

Producer: Matthew Smith

Assistant Producer: William Norton

A 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.


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.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 74

Gardeners' Question Time
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