Clara Vale

Clara Vale

Author: BBC Radio 4 February 4, 2026 Duration: 42:24

How can I lighten my orchids? Is there a reliable mix of weed suppressants and fertilisers for growing edibles? Why have the leaves of my Camelia started turning yellow?

This week on Gardeners’ Question Time, Kathy Clugston and a hand‑picked panel of horticultural experts head to Clara Vale to tackle the green‑fingered queries of a live audience.

Joining Kathy are garden designer Matthew Wilson, botanist Dr Chris Thorogood, and allotmenteer Bethan Collerton, who bring their combined expertise, practical know‑how and good humour to the discussion.

Later in the programme, Peter Gibbs visits the renowned Snowdrop Collection at RHS Wisley, where he meets fellow Galanthaphile and Snowdrops expert Jessica Jansdotter.

Producer: Dan Cocker Junior Producer: Suhaar Ali

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4


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
Podcast Episodes
Edgworth & District [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:07
Kathy Clugston and the Gardeners' Question Time panel visit the picturesque Lancashire village of Edgworth, nestled on the edge of the West Pennine Moors.This week, the team are being hosted by the Edgworth and District…
Postbag Edition: Mary Berry's House [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:36
Peter Gibbs and the GQT panel have traded parks and community gardens for a visit to the Oxfordshire home of Dame Mary Berry. On this week's panel are Matthew Pottage, Christine Walkden and Bunny Guinness.Among today’s q…
Vale of Glamorgan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:32
Kathy Clugston is joined in the Vale of Glamorgan by Bethan Collerton, Anne Swithinbank and Chris Beardshaw, where they tackle horticultural conundrums from a live audience. inspired by the region’s famously fertile land…
From the Archives: Water [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:31
Kathy Clugston steers the ship through the deep waters of the GQT archive where a variety of panellists, old and new, discuss solutions to a variety of water related gardening challenges.They debate the question of rainw…
Sully & District: Blooming Cacti, Shallow Depth and Signs of Spring [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:17
What climbing plants thrive in shallow soil? How can you coax your Christmas cacti into a dazzling display? What’s your favourite first sign of spring? Kathy Clugston brings a hand‑picked panel of horticultural experts t…
Hertfordshire [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:44
This week, the GQT team are in North Hertfordshire, where Peter Gibbs is joined by Bunny Guinness, Juliet Sargeant and Bob Flowerdew to tackle a fresh crop of horticultural conundrums. The panellists delve into the chall…
Postbag Edition: Ninewells Community Garden [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:07
Kathy Clugston and GQT team have packed their wellies for a trip to the Ninewells Community Garden in Dundee.Kathy is joined by Matthew Pottage, Neil Porteous and Kirsty Wilson to explore the grounds whilst delving into…
Chaldon [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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 t…
Tyne Valley [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:14
Kathy Clugston and the GQT team are in Tyne Valley, Newcastle.Kathy's joined by Dr Chris Thorogood, Bethan Collerton and Matthew Wilson, who tackle a variety of questions from troubled Aspidistra, yellowing Choisya and p…
Kimpton [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:45
Peter Gibbs and the GQT team are in Kimpton, Hertfordshire.He's joined by Bob Flowerdew, Bunny Guinness and Juliet Sargeant.With questions submitted from the local audience in Kimpton Memorial Hall, the panel take on a w…