From The Archives: Summer Colour

From The Archives: Summer Colour

Author: BBC Radio 4 May 1, 2026 Duration: 42:35

Kathy Clugston guides us through the GQT archives to hear how our panellists and experts, old and new, advise on delivering dazzling displays of summer colour.

Along the way, the gardeners explore how thoughtful structural planting underpins great colour all season long, explain why deadheading matters, and reveal the origins of the Chelsea chop.

They also advise on watering in hot weather, compost mixes for long-lasting displays, and the surprising relationships between insects and plants. So if you're anti-Ant, hear how Dr Chris Thorogood gives some positive PR to these charming creatures often mislabelled as 'pests'.

Producer: Rahnee Prescod Assistant Producer: William Norton

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: 79

Gardeners' Question Time
Podcast Episodes
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…
Postbag Edition: Seaton Delaval Hall [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:47
Kathy Clugston and the GQT team visit the Seaton Delaval Hall in Newcastle, to answer questions from the GQT postbag.Today, the panel helps choose roses for a shaded memorial bed, investigates the sudden collapse of a on…
Clara Vale [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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 Clugst…
Caterham [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:35
Is it too late to plant daffodil and tulip bulbs? What are the best ideas for planting under a shaded tree? How to maintain a lawn that is regularly used for football? This week on Gardeners’ Question Time, Peter Gibbs a…
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]

Duration: 42:26
How do I maintain a hot compost bin? Do Begonias have a finite life? How do I successfully grow a pineapple?Kathy Clugston and a panel of hearty horticulturalists venture to the Sefton Park Palm House in Liverpool, while…
From The Archives: Seasons Greetings [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:36
How do you remove mistletoe? How can you protect plants from frost damage? And why do brassicas develop clubbed roots?Kathy Clugston delves into the Gardeners’ Question Time archives to uncover timeless festive gardening…