From the Archives: Water

From the Archives: Water

Author: BBC Radio 4 March 20, 2026 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 rainwater vs tap water for plants, restoring waterlogged clay soil and alternatives to water butts in narrow terrace gardens. There's also advice on flood‑damaged garden recovery and recommendations for trees for flood‑prone & drought‑prone parkland.

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: 74

Gardeners' Question Time
Podcast Episodes
St Mary's Walthamstow [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:20
Kathy Clugston and an esteemed panel of gardening experts are in St Mary's Church in Walthamstow to answer the questions of a green fingered audience.Joining Kathy on the panel are garden designers, botanists and alotmen…
Postbag Edition: Bicton Park Botanical Gardens [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:10
What’s the optimal size for a new greenhouse? How do I get cedar of Lebanon seeds to germinate? How do I revive a dried out compost heap? Kathy Clugston and a panel of passionate horticulturalists are outside Exeter to s…
Phyllis Court: White Fly, River Thames and Favourite Gardens [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:26
Might our otherwise polluted River Thames have a positive impact on my garden? Why has there been so much whitefly this year? Do the panel have a favourite garden they’ve visited?Peter Gibbs and a panel of green-fingered…
Two Dales [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:33
Which seeds would you take to a desert island? How can I improve my success planting bulbs? Which easy-to-grow plants have you managed to kill?Peter Gibbs and a panel of gardening experts are in Two Dales to share their…
Postbag Edition: RHS Wisley Greening Skills Garden [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:39
Peter Gibbs and the Gardeners Question Time panel visit the RHS Wisley Greening Skills Garden in Woking, an exciting new project designed to inspire and equip the next generation of horticulturists. No postbag edition is…
From the Archives: Woodland [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:48
Is it possible to grow mushrooms on a living log? How do we control the spread of alder beetles in our garden? How can I remove wild garlic from a woodland garden?Kathy Clugston delves into the rich Gardeners’ Question T…
Darley Dale: Flood Proof Plants, Hangry Heathers and Fast Climbers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:22
What trees are flood and arid proof that will still be here in a hundred years? How can I rejuvenate my gappy Heathers? What fast growing plants could we plant to hide a wall?Peter Gibbs and a proud panel of gardening ex…
St Austell: Kiwis, Proud Plants and Frozen Seeds [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:17
When do kiwis produce fruit in the UK? What plant cuttings are the panel most proud of propagating? Should we freeze our seeds in water before planting them in the ground?Kathy Clugston and a powerhouse panel of gardenin…
Elmbridge: Friendly Fungi, Sticky Leaves and Stunted Sweet Peas [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:10
Why do indoor cyclamen develop sticky leaves? What’s the secret to growing taller sweet peas? And how can we make our gardens more fungi-friendly?This week, Kathy Clugston and the Gardeners’ Question Time panel return to…
Summer Garden Party: Potting Shed [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:41
What is this mysterious vegetable growing in my vegetable patch? Can you identify this mysterious plum? How can I make my cottage garden look full of life?Kathy Clugston hosts a lively Potting Shed edition of Gardeners’…