GQT at 91Èȱ¬: Unseasonal Flowers and Leaves with Power
Horticultural programme featuring a group of gardening experts.
Horticultural programme featuring a group of gardening experts. Kathy Clugston is joined by Kirsty Wilson, Matthew Pottage, and Anne Swithinbank. Together, they answer your gardening queries.
As the climate warms, more and more plants are flowering unseasonably early or else staying in flower for much longer. This week the panel tackles all sorts of untimely blooms, from a climbing rose to a woody rosemary plant.
To investigate the issue further, Peter Gibbs speaks to University of Cambridge researcher Ulf Büntgen who explains why the climate crisis is having this effect on plants.
Meanwhile at Oxford Botanic Garden, Chris Thorogood and a team of researchers have uncovered the secrets of the Giant Amazonian Waterlily, and Chris explains how important this knowledge will be for the future of construction and design.
Producer - Hannah Newton
Assistant Producer - Aniya Das
A Somethin' Else production for 91Èȱ¬ Radio 4
Last on
Plant List
Questions and timecodes are below. Where applicable, plant names have been provided.
Ìý
Q – I have
a Venus fly trap which I keep on a cool north-facing windowsill. Last year it
didn’t die back, and it hasn’t this year either. I’d like to divide it in the
spring but because it hasn’t been dormant for over two years I’m worried it
will be too stressed.
(1 minute 15 seconds)
Ìý
Q – Three
years ago we planted 500 crocuses in our back lawn. For the first two years we
had wonderful displays but this year only 30 have come up. We don’t want to
fertilise the lawn. Could this be the problem?
(5 minutes 5 seconds)
Ìý
Matthew –
CrocusÌýtommasinianus
Ìý
Q – I live next to a noisy main road. I have a fence and hedge between my garden and the road which deflects some of the noise. Can the panel suggest any noise reducing techniques – planting or structures – to reduce the noise?
(8 minutes 25 seconds)
Ìý
Kirsty –
Holly
Yew
Bamboo
Hypericum
Miscanthus sinensis
Ìý
Matthew –
Miscanthus sinensis ‘R´Ç±ô²¹²Ô»å’
Ìý
Q – My String of Hearts houseplant has developed some hard, bead like structures along its stem. I’m assuming these are seed heads, is it possible to propagate new plants from these, or should I remove them for the benefit of the original plant?
(11 minutes 35 seconds)
Ìý
Matthew –
CeropegiaÌýwoodiiÌý'Variegata'
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Feature – Peter Gibbs speaks to researcher Ulf Büntgen about the why the warming climate is making plants flower unseasonable early.
(15 minutes)
Ìý
Q – I have rosemary plants that are getting big and woody. I would usually trim them back after the flowers have gone, but last year to now, it hasn’t stopped flowering. When is the best time to cut it back?
(20 minutes 20 seconds)
Q – I’ve got a ClematisÌýnapaulensis. Will this grow successfully through an established Stella cherry tree. It’s in a sheltered, south-facing garden but it can sometimes be windy.
(23 minutes)
Ìý
Q – Last year my potted Pelargonium put on a brilliant display, and they are still flowering. What should I do with them?
(28 minutes 16 seconds)
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Feature – Chris Thorogood uncovers the secrets of one of nature’s most incredible feats of engineering, the Giant Amazonian Waterlily.
(30 minutes 45 seconds)
Ìý
Q – I’m struggling to prune my Rosa mutabilis. It isn’t strictly a climber but I’ve had it successfully climb up both houses I’ve lived in. It doesn’t seem to regenerate from lower stems, and not always from cuts made. When should I prune, as it always seems to be in flower?
(34 minutes 10 minutes)
Ìý
Q – I’ve recently started cooking with curry leaves but to grow they seem to be very hard to come by, hard to keep alive and expensive. Can the panel suggest what the best growing conditions are, where I might find one, and why they’re so expensive?
(37 minutes 26 seconds)
Ìý
Broadcasts
- Fri 4 Mar 2022 15:0091Èȱ¬ Radio 4
- Sun 6 Mar 2022 14:0091Èȱ¬ Radio 4
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Podcast
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Gardeners' Question Time
Horticultural programme featuring a group of gardening experts