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
From the Archives: Foliage Frenzy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Kathy Clugston prunes through the extensive GQT archive, which includes some much needed advice on all things Foliage.With 77 years of experience in providing ample advice, our various GQT panellists are more than equipp…
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Braintree: Indoor Gardening, Rich Compost and Propagating [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:05
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Postbag Edition: Belfast Botanic Garden [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:00
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Twyford: Blueberry Dieback, Anosmia and Itchy Fingers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:47
Why are my blueberry plants experiencing blueberry dieback? How can we prevent or treat an infestation of whitefly in an eco-friendly manner? Which plant have you been most tempted to steal and why?Peter Gibbs and a pane…
Ridgewell [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:13
How do I keep my gladioli coming back? Why are my hellebores covered in black spots? Why do my courgettes go mouldy so quickly?Kathy Clugston and a panel of plant and gardening experts are offering advice to an audience…
Bradford: Buddha's Hand, Yorkshire Climate & Upcycled Ginnels [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:48
What’s the best time to sow and harvest up north? Why won't my Buddha's hand plant produce fruit? Can nematodes get rid of codling moth? Kathy Clugston and the Gardeners’ Question Time team head to Bradford, the UK’s Cit…
Clandeboye Estate [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:25
What’s soil type works best in terrariums? Want plants could I use to absorb the damp patches in my garden? Which unloved flower has a place in your garden?Kathy Clugston and her team of gardening experts visit the Cland…