East and West Hanney

East and West Hanney

Author: BBC Radio 4 January 31, 2025 Duration: 42:31

Is gardening a solitary or a social activity? What could I grow up a garage wall? What do the panel expect to see in open gardens?

Kathy and a team of experts visit The Hanneys to solve gardeners' problems. Joining Kathy to answer the questions are fanatical plantswoman Christine Walkden, dedicated botanist Dr Chris Thorogood, and passionate plant expert Matthew Biggs.

Later in the programme, Matthew Pottage and GQT producer Dominic Tyerman visit the Sydney Botanic Gardens in Australia to understand the wide appeal of living wall gardens, as well as provide tips for making your own.

Producer: Dominic Tyerman Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod Executive Producer: Carly Maile

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
North Shropshire [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:44
What should I plant on the roof of my houseboat? Should I grow lilies in containers or flowerbeds? What is the worst gardening idea you’ve ever had?The GQT panellists are back in North Shropshire to answer these question…
GQT From The Archives: Sustainability Special [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:40
Peter Gibbs takes a look through the GQT archives for top tips on sustainable gardening.Over the years the GQT panellists have shared plenty of knowledge on how to be a green gardener. They look at everything from how to…
Herstmonceux Castle: Postbag Edition [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:04
Peter Gibbs and the team are at Herstmonceux Castle, East Sussex. Juliet Sargeant, Matt Biggs and Matthew Pottage are this weeks' panellists, ready to answer your gardening questions.Led by Herstmonceux's head gardener G…