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Summer Garden Party RHS Wisley: Show 1

Kathy Clugston is joined by James Wong, Matthew Pottage, Pippa Greenwood and Frances Tophill at RHS Garden Wisley for a Gardeners’ Question Time Summer Garden Party special.

Kathy Clugston hosts the first of two Gardeners’ Question Time Summer Garden Party specials from RHS Garden Wisley.

Joined by James Wong, Matthew Pottage, Pippa Greenwood and Frances Tophill, Kathy takes questions from a packed marquee audience at the RHS’s flagship garden.

Surrounded by the horticultural hubub amongst the garden's flower show, the panel discusses how to encourage flowers lower down a climbing rose, choosing plants for a recycled boat planter exposed to sea spray, and growing blueberries on alkaline soil.

Plus, the panel investigate an unusually shaped butternut squash and reflect on the plants, gardens and memories they have found hardest to leave behind, and the opportunities that came from moving on.

Producer: Matt 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.

Available now

42 minutes

Last on

Last Sunday14:00
BBC Radio 4

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Plant List

Q1 – “How do I encourage flowers lower down on a climbing rose growing around my front door?” (04’16”)

Frances Tophill

• Climbing rose (Rosa cultivars)

James Wong

• Fan-trained fruit trees

Matthew Pottage

• Climbing rose (Rosa cultivars)• Hydrangea hydrangeoides (syn. schizophragma hydrangeoides), Japanese hydrangea vine• Climbing hydrangea (Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris) 

Q2 – “What low-maintenance plants would suit a recycled boat hull in a coastal garden exposed to sea spray and wind?” (08’23”)

Pippa Greenwood

• Armeria maritima, thrift• Valerian (Centranthus ruber)

Frances Tophill

• Sea holly (Eryngium spp.)• Poppy (Papaver spp.)• Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus)• Rock samphire (Crithmum maritimum)• Tamarisk (Tamarix spp.)• Echium vulgare, Viper’s bugloss

Q3 – “How can I grow blueberries successfully on alkaline soil without continually buying ericaceous compost?”(11’34”)

Matthew Pottage

• Vaccinium spp., Blueberry• Pinus spp., Pine • Rhododendron spp., Rhododendron • Pteridium aquilinum, Bracken 

James Wong

• Conifers (various species) 

Q4 – “How can I build up shallow soil without over-feeding plants that prefer poor conditions?” (17’20”)

Question Context

• Rose (Rosa cultivars)• Dahlia (Dahlia cultivars)• Sedum (Hylotelephium spp.)• Ornamental grasses (various species)

Matthew Pottage

• Pteridium aquilinum, Bracken

Q5 – “How can I prevent caterpillars getting into the fruit on my espalier fruit trees?” (23’03”)

Question Context

• Apple (Malus domestica)• Pear (Pyrus communis)• Plum (Prunus domestica)

Pests Mentioned

• Codling moth (Cydia pomonella)• Plum moth (Grapholita funebrana)• Beneficial nematodes (various species) 

Q6 – “Why has my butternut squash produced dark green, rough-skinned fruits?” (26’46”)

Question Context

• Cucurbita moschata ‘Butternut Rugosa’, ’Butternut squash 

James Wong

• Cucurbita moschata, Butternut squash • Cucurbita pepo, Acorn squash Group• Cucurbita spp, Ornamental squashes

Q7 – “Can I grow a Bramley apple if I only have room for one tree?” (31’19”)

Frances Tophill

• Malus domestica ‘Bramley Seedling’, Bramley apple • Malus domestica, Step-over apples • Prunus domestica, Plum• Prunus avium, Cherry cultivars

Pippa Greenwood

• Malus spp., Crab apple

Q8 – “Which plant or garden have you found hardest to leave behind?” (33’47”)

James Wong

• Primula spp., Primula • Hyacinthus orientalis, Hyacinth • Gladiolus spp., Gladiolus • Lilium spp., Lily • Petunia spp, Petunia.• Narcissus spp., Daffodil• Palm (various species)

Pippa Greenwood

• Magnolia stellata, star magnolia

Broadcasts

  • Last Friday15:00
    BBC Radio 4
  • Last Sunday14:00
    BBC Radio 4

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