Crowthorne: Caterpillars, Rusty Spots and Up-Cycled Objects

Crowthorne: Caterpillars, Rusty Spots and Up-Cycled Objects

Author: BBC Radio 4 June 6, 2025 Duration: 42:58

Why do my ferns have rusty spots? Any tips for stopping caterpillars eating my cabbages? Have you upcycled any objects in the garden?

Peter Gibbs and a panel of plant and gardening experts are in Crowthorne, Berkshire and offer advice to an audience of keen gardeners. Joining Peter are pest and disease expert Pippa Greenwood, head gardener Matthew Pottage and proud plantswoman Christine Walkden.

Later in the programme, house plant expert James Wong visits the Of The Oak exhibition at The Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, which celebrates the Lucombe oak and oak trees as a vital hub of biodiversity. He's joined by visual artist Ersin Han Ersin and arborist Cecily Withall.

Senior Producer: Daniel Cocker Junior Producer: Rahnee Prescod Executive Producer: Carly Maile

Plant List Questions and timecodes are below. Where applicable, plant names have been provided.

Q – The council have recently cleared a raised flowerbed at the front of the Morgan Centre. It previously had in it a giant prickly pyracantha. What would the panel suggest? (02'02")

Matthew Smith – Callistemon rigidus, stiff bottlebrush Alstroemeria Indian Summer ('Tesronto'PBR) (Summer Paradise - Summer Series), Peruvian lily [Indian summer] Salvia nemorosa 'Caradonna', Balkan clary 'Caradonna' Salvia rosmarinus Prostrata Group (Ro), rosemary Prostrata Group

Q - Why have my ferns developed rusty looking spots – is it caused by a disease? (06'31")

Q – Any tips on growing miss Willmott's ghost? (09'08")

Q – I have a bank of mature Heathers. Can I prune them as they're quite tall now or do I need to replace them as they get straggly? (13'13")

Q- How do I stop caterpillars from eating my cabbages? (17’05")

Feature – James Wong visits the 'Of the Oak' at The Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, which celebrates the Lucombe oak. He's joined by Ersin Han Ersin and Cecily Withal (21’28”)

Q - How do we encourage our Camellia to flower? (25'56")

Q – I would like to plant some other more interesting climbing plants in a shady spot – what do the panel recommend? (29'13")

Matthew Pottage – Hydrangea petiolaris, climbing hydrangea Hydrangea petiolaris 'Silver Lining'PBR hydrangea 'Silver Linng' Hedera colchica 'Dentata Variegata' (v), ivy 'Dentata Variegata'

Christine Walkden – Ampelopsis quinquefolia, Virginia creeper Dactylicapnos scandens, yellow bleeding heart vine

Pippa Greenwood – Lonicera, honeysuckle

Q – How often do Clematis Clematis’ flower? (34'02")

Q – Can the panel recommend any other ways to repurpose objects? (36'26")

Q – I’d like you to recommend plants for a red hot, south facing gravel garden? (36'25")


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

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