From the Archives: Woodland

From the Archives: Woodland

Author: BBC Radio 4 October 10, 2025 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 Time archives to unearth timeless wisdom on gardening in woodland conditions.

Drawing on decades of expertise, GQT panellists and chairs - past and present - offer trusted advice for every green-fingered challenge. From ethical ways to tackle moss and effective methods to control alder beetles, to planting schemes that gently deter unwanted wildlife, the team’s knowledge is as deep-rooted as the trees themselves.

Later, grow-your-own guru Bob Flowerdew rounds off our autumn feature series with a comprehensive guide to allotment tasks that will help ensure a plentiful harvest.

Producer: Rahnee Prescod

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: 76

Gardeners' Question Time
Podcast Episodes
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…
Wrexham County Borough: Rose Cuttings, Begonias and Hydrangeas [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:03
Is there a foolproof way to take rose cuttings? Why have my hydrangeas turned from blue to pink? And do begonias have a lifespan limit?Kathy Clugston is in the vibrant Wrexham County Borough, where an enthusiastic audien…
Dundee: Amaryllis, Monkey Puzzles and Australian Plants [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:41
What is the best way to take cuttings of a monkey puzzle tree? What plants that are grown in Australia and would thrive in Dundee? Why hasn’t my Amaryllis flowered? Kathy Clugston brings together a perfectly curated pane…