Perton Staffs: Used Compost, Angry Peonies and Ant-tics

Perton Staffs: Used Compost, Angry Peonies and Ant-tics

Author: BBC Radio 4 June 13, 2025 Duration: 42:47

What's the best way to revive a dying bonsai tree? Do Peonies hate being moved? I am inundated with ants – how do I get rid of them?

Kathy Clugston hosts BBC Radio 4's Gardeners' Question Time, joined by a panel of esteemed plant and gardening experts in Perton, Staffordshire. Sharing their horticultural wisdom are the passionate plantsman Matthew Biggs, head gardener Marcus Chilton-Jones, and renowned plantswoman Christine Walkden.

Later in the programme, Matthew Biggs has a chat with David Austen Jr to explore his father’s remarkable legacy in rose breeding at their prestigious nursery. He also gets an exclusive glimpse at some of their latest, most exquisite varieties.

Senior Producer: Daniel Cocker Junior Producer: Rahnee Prescod Executive Producer: Carly Maile

Plant List Questions and timecodes are below. Where applicable, plant names have been provided.

Q – What colour would you paint a garden fence to best show off and compliment the plants in it? (01’32”)

Q – Why have my Peonies stopped blooming? Is it because I’ve moved them? (05’03”)

Q –   Which plants would the panel recommend covering a roof of five feet by 10 feet with a depth of two and a half inches? (08’07”)

Matthew Biggs – Thymus vulgaris, common thyme Thymus serpyllum 'Russetings', creeping thyme 'Russetings' Campanula, bellflower Campanula portenschlagiana, wall bellflower

Christine Walkden Sempervivum, houseleek Hylotelephium, sedum Mentha requienii, corsican mint

Marcus Chilton Jones – Puschkinia Allium schoenoprasum, chives Ajuga repens, bugle

Q – What are the panel's thoughts on reusing compost that's been used in pots for summer annuals? (10’53”)

Feature – Matt Biggs speaks with David Austen Jr about his father’s legacy in breeding unique roses (15’01)

Q – I wondered what was the best way to revive a dying bonsai tree? (19’26”)

Q – How hard should I cut back our Ceanothus? (23’59”)

Q – What can the panel recommend that's low maintenance and won't prickle anyone that I could plant in a two foot wide plot? (28’10”)

Christine Walkden – Cyclamen hederifolium, ivy-leaved cyclamen Ajugas Lamiums Heucheras Thalamus Aquilegia Veronica, gentian speedwell

Matthew Biggs – Hedera (ivy)

Marcus Chilton-Jones – Lonicera, honeysuckle Dryopteris, wood fern Nettles

Q – I am inundated with ants – how do I get rid of them? (33’49”)

Q – How do I stop bugs from getting into my plums? (37’25”)


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
Braintree: Indoor Gardening, Rich Compost and Propagating [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:05
What would be your top tips for creating compost? What's the best way to propagate Lamine raspberries? What could I grow in very dry soil? Kathy Clugston and a panel of plant and gardening experts return to Ridgewell, Es…
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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
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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…
Walsall Arboretum: Bonsai Trees, Shrub Roses & Favourite Plants [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:44
How do you keep a bonsai tree thriving? Should you risk moving a well-established shrub rose? And what’s the one plant you simply couldn’t live without?Kathy Clugston and the GQT team are back in Walsall, ready to tackle…
Walsall: Rainwater v Tap Water, Caffeinated Ants and Daffodil Diaries [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:56
How do we get rid of red ants? Rainwater or tap water? How can I stay motivated in the garden when it's wet and windy?Kathy Clugston and her team of gardening gurus visit Walsall to solve some horticultural problems. Joi…