Postbag: The Hidden Gardens, Glasgow
Kathy Clugston hosts GQT from The Hidden Gardens in Glasgow and discusses how gardeners can make the most of even the most challenging spaces.
Kathy Clugston hosts another Gardeners’ Question Time Postbag episode from The Hidden Gardens in Glasgow, a remarkable community green space created on a former industrial site in the heart of the city.
Joining Kathy to delve into your questions are Birmingham Botanical Gardens’ head gardener Bethan Collerton, Balmoral’s head of gardens Kirsty Wilson, and botanist James Wong.
As they explore this aptly named urban oasis, the panel considers how gardeners can make the most of even the most challenging spaces, from creating green roofs to choosing the right trees for compact gardens. They also weigh up the balance between encouraging wildlife and protecting prized plants, in a lively discussion sparked by a rose-munching garden visitor.
Along the way, head gardener Paula Murdoch reveals how The Hidden Gardens has evolved from a former tramworks site into a haven for people, plants and wildlife, with wildflower meadows, sensory planting and inventive habitat features woven through the garden.
Also, there's advice on designing a sensory school garden, creating a wildlife-friendly pond in the smallest of spaces, and why some plants refuse to behave as the gardening books suggest.
Producer: Alison Vernon-Smith
Assistant producer: William Norton
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4
* If listening on BBC Sounds and you wish to view the plant list, please go to the Gardeners' Question Time website and open this week's episode page.
Tickets are available for the BBC Radio 4 Gardeners' Question Time Summer Party 2026 held at RHS Garden Wisley on Saturday 5th September.
Information and ticket details can be accessed via: https://www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley/whats-on/gardeners-question-time-summer-garden-party
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Plant List
Introduction and Garden Tour
• Ginkgo biloba, maidenhair tree• Lavandula spp., lavender• Papaver spp., poppy• Sorbus aucuparia, rowan• Sorbus cashmiriana Hedl., Kashmir rowanQ1 – “We have a small garden and want to make the most of every bit of it for plants and wildlife. We want to build a bin store with a living roof, what plants do you suggest?”
Question context
• Hibiscus spp., hibiscusJames Wong
• Sedum spp., stonecrop• Thymus spp. , thyme• Salvia officinalis, sage• Salvia rosmarinus, rosemary• Lavandula spp., lavender• Galanthus spp., snowdrop• Hardy orchids (various species)Bethan Collerton
• Sedum spp., stonecrop• Sempervivum spp., houseleek• Saxifraga spp., saxifragePaula Murdoch
• Ferns• Ajuga spp., bugleKirsty Wilson
• Hibiscus spp., hibiscusWildflower Meadow Feature (06’48”)
Plants mentioned by Paula Murdoch
• Bellis perennis, daisy• Prunella vulgaris, self-heal• Filipendula ulmaria, meadowsweet• Geranium pratense, meadow cranesbill• Cirsium heterophyllum, melancholy thistle• Leucanthemum vulgare, ox-eye daisy• Ranunculus spp., buttercup• Centaurea spp., knapweedQ2 – “What’s eating my roses like this?”(08’24”)
Q3 – “My Strelitzia is self-dividing. Should I separate and repot it?” (10’57”)
James Wong
• Strelitzia reginae, bird of paradiseKirsty Wilson
• Strelitzia reginae 'Mandela's GoldShady Meadow Feature (13’29”)
Original planting
• Miscanthus spp., silver grass• Stipa spp., feather grass• Achillea spp., yarrow• Kniphofia spp., red-hot pokerCurrent planting
• Ligularia 'The Rocket' , leopard plant 'The Rocket'• Dryopteris spp., wood fern• Osmunda regalis, royal fern• Osmanthus × burkwoodii, Burkwood osmanthusQ4 – “What can we grow in a shady sensory courtyard for SEN students?” (15’47”)
Paula Murdoch
• Ginger mint• Pineapple mint• Mentha suaveolens, apple mint• Mentha spicata, spearmint• Chocolate mintKirsty Wilson
• Mentha longifolia Buddleia Mint Group, horse mint buddleia mint group• Petroselinum crispum, parsley• Coriandrum sativum, corianderBethan Collerton
• Melissa officinalis, lemon balmJames Wong
• Hedera helix, ivyQ5 – “Can you recommend a slender tree for a small garden that will attract birds?” (19’32”)
Question context
• Eucalyptus spp., eucalyptusKirsty Wilson
• Sorbus spp., rowan• Sorbus ‘Olympic Flame’, rowan ‘Olympic Flame’Bethan Collerton
• Betula spp., birch• Silver birch cultivars and formsJames Wong
• Pyracantha spp., firethornPaula Murdoch
• Malus 'Evereste', crab apple 'Evereste'Plants Mentioned Around the Shady Meadow and Garden Infrastructure (23’57”)
Paula Murdoch
• Corylus avellana, hazel• Betula spp., birch• Salix spp., willowQ6 – “Why do my hollyhocks come back year after year?”
Bethan Collerton
• Alcea rosea, hollyhockQ7 – “Can I top up compost around existing plants in a raised bed?” (28’46”)
Question context
• Clematis ‘Madame Julia Correvon’, clematis ‘Madame Julia Correvon’• Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’, Siberian bugloss ‘Jack Frost’Q8 – “My Daphne odora ‘Marginata’ is healthy but never flowers. Why?” (33’25”)
Kirsty Wilson
• Daphne odora ‘Marginata’, winter daphne ‘Marginata’James Wong
• Daphne odora ‘Marginata’, winter daphne ‘Marginata’• Rhododendron spp., rhododendronBethan Collerton
• Daphne mezereum, mezereon• Daphne odora ‘Marginata’, winter daphne ‘Marginata’Q9 – “Which plants would you recommend for a wildlife pond made from an old bath?” (36’11”)
James Wong
• Nymphaea alba, white water lily• Nymphaea ‘Helvola’, water lily ‘Helvola’• Nymphaea ‘Perry's Baby Red’, water lily ‘Perry's Baby Red’• Nymphaea ‘Honey Cup’ (cultivar)Bethan Collerton
• Iris pseudacorus, yellow flag iris• Galium odoratum, sweet woodruffKirsty Wilson
• Iris ensata cultivars, Japanese water iris• Ceratophyllum demersum, hornwort• Gunnera magellanica, dwarf gunnera• Salix spp., willowBroadcasts
- Friday15:00BBC Radio 4
- Sunday14:00BBC Radio 4
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