Wokingham Borough: Pet Friendly Gardens, Homemade Compost and Silly Advice
What's your recommended recipe for homemade seed compost? What makes a dog friendly garden? What is the most inappropriate piece of garden advice that you've received?
Peter Gibbs and the panel offer advice to an audience of keen gardeners in the borough of Wokingham. Joining Peter are house plants expert Anne Swithinbank, garden designer Bunny Guinness, and proud plantsman Matthew Biggs.
Later in the programme, for Plant Health Week, Kirsty Wilson visits the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh to meet biosecurity officer Matt Elliot and discover how new pests and diseases are threatening our gardens — and what we can do to fight back.
Producer: Matt SmithAssistant Producer: Rahnee PrescodExecutive Producer: Carly Maile
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4
Plant List Questions and timecodes are below. Where applicable, plant names have been provided.
Q - Do the panel have any favourite help or design features in their gardens made by their pets? (01'45")
Q- Could you give me some top tips on growing Dahlias? (05'40")
Q- How do you manage a wildflower area after the first year of flowering? (10’18")
Feature – Kirsty Wilson and Biosecurity Officer of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh discuss how we can protect our plants from new pests and diseases (14'20")
Q- My Fatsia Bush has flowered – do I prune it back or leave the fruits for the birds? (19'30")
Q - Which exciting new plants should we be looking forward to growing in the south-east of England?(22'31")
Bunny Guinness –Diospyros virginiana (F), common persimmonDiospyros 'Nikita's Gift' (F), Nikita’s Gift Persimmon.Salvia involucrata 'Hadspen', rosy-leaf sage ‘Hadspen’
Matthew Biggs –Salvia officinalis 'Bicolor', sage 'Bicolor'EchiumEchium wildpretii, tower of jewelsEchium pininana giant viper's bugloss
Anne Swithinbank –Leonotis Leonurus, lion's tailDictamnus albus, burning bushEriobotrya, loquat
Q - What is your recommended recipe for homemade seed compost? (28'00")
Q - I have a small starter allotment; can the panel advise me on how to make the most of my small plot? (32'10")
Bunny Guinness –OnionGarlicLettuce
Matthew Biggs –Lettuce,fresh beetroot, fresh carrots, finger carrotsBaby leafSpinachradishcourgettesFrench beans Runner beans
Anne Swithinbank –Foeniculum vulgare var. azoricum, florence fennel
Q - What is the most inappropriate piece of garden advice that you've received, and did you follow it? (37'24")
Gardeners' Question Time
A panel of horticultural experts answer gardening questions from a live audience. Recorded in a different location each week
- No. of episodes: 28
- Latest episode: 2025-05-16
- Leisure Home & Garden
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