Chelsea Flower Show 2026 - Postbag

Chelsea Flower Show 2026 - Postbag

Author: BBC Radio 4 May 22, 2026 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 panel - former Chelsea exhibitor and medal-winning designer Matthew Wilson, one of the world's leading authorities on plant pests and diseases, Pippa Greenwood, and making her press-day debut at Chelsea with GQT, Head Gardener at Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Bethan Collerton.

As Kathy and the panel roam the show gardens answering questions submitted by listeners, they catch up with several garden designers behind this year’s show, including Frances Tophill (The RHS and The King’s Foundation Curious Garden), Sarah Fisher and Janice Molyneux (The Sightsavers Garden) and Patrick Clarke (The Children’s Society Garden). They explore the ideas, craftsmanship and planting inspiration behind their Chelsea creations, from sensory container gardens to spaces designed for well-being and connection.

Meanwhile, Peter takes the roving reporter mic inside the Great Pavilion, discovering the science behind our gardens, speaking to exhibitors, and uncovering the latest innovations in horticulture and biodiversity research.

The panel tackles everything from gardening in challenging coastal conditions, to choosing the right trees for privacy and produce, as well as tips on drying flowers for wedding confetti, and solving the mysteries of struggling container plants and stubborn succulents.

Producers: Dan Cocker, Matt Smith and Rahnee Prescod 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: 82

Gardeners' Question Time
Podcast Episodes
Firth of Tay [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:19
Do the panel have any unusual gardening habits? Can I grow a Walnut tree in Dundee?Kathy Clugston heads to the stunning Firth of Tay with a hand-picked panel of gardening experts, ready to answer questions from an enthus…
Postbag Edition: Sefton Park Palm House [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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From The Archives: Seasons Greetings [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Wrexham County Borough: Rose Cuttings, Begonias and Hydrangeas [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:03
Is there a foolproof way to take rose cuttings? Why have my hydrangeas turned from blue to pink? And do begonias have a lifespan limit?Kathy Clugston is in the vibrant Wrexham County Borough, where an enthusiastic audien…
Dundee: Amaryllis, Monkey Puzzles and Australian Plants [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:41
What is the best way to take cuttings of a monkey puzzle tree? What plants that are grown in Australia and would thrive in Dundee? Why hasn’t my Amaryllis flowered? Kathy Clugston brings together a perfectly curated pane…
Waltham Forest: Coriander, Sow-By-Date and Perennials [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:28
How do you grow coriander successfully from seed? Do seeds have a sow-by-date? And will your treasured perennials thrive in the challenging Scottish climate?Kathy Clugston hosts from the beautiful St Mary’s Church in Wal…
Henley-on-Thames [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:28
What’s the strangest thing wildlife has whisked away from your garden? How can I prevent codling moth from spoiling apples? And how do I make reliably nutritious compost using horse manure?Peter Gibbs and a panel of gree…
Chirk: Pickled Onions, Tall Perennials and Picky Pests [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:46
Why are my herbaceous perennials growing so tall? What is the best type of onions to grow for pickling? Why do pests prefer my burgundy blooms over the rest?Kathy Clugston and an esteemed panel of gardening experts are i…
St Mary's Walthamstow [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:20
Kathy Clugston and an esteemed panel of gardening experts are in St Mary's Church in Walthamstow to answer the questions of a green fingered audience.Joining Kathy on the panel are garden designers, botanists and alotmen…
Postbag Edition: Bicton Park Botanical Gardens [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:10
What’s the optimal size for a new greenhouse? How do I get cedar of Lebanon seeds to germinate? How do I revive a dried out compost heap? Kathy Clugston and a panel of passionate horticulturalists are outside Exeter to s…