Birmingham: Emotional Plants, Green Manure and Scents

Do plants have feelings? When should I plant green manure? Why do leaves drop more in autumn than any other time of the year?Kathy Clugston and a team of gardening experts visit Birmingham Botanical Gardens to solve the gardening issues of the audience. On the panel this week are ethnobotanist James Wong, proud plantsman Matthew Biggs and garden designer Juliet Sargeant.Later, James Wong and Birmingham Botanical Gardens' Senior Nursery Horticulturist Bethan Collerton discuss some useful tips and tricks on how to protect your tender or less hardy plants during the winter months. Senior Producer: Daniel Cocker Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod Assistant Producer: Suhaar Ali Executive Producer: Carly MaileA Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

Do the panel have any idea of who or what has stolen our apples? When is the best time to plant my Prunus Incisa? How do I successfully grow fennel?Peter Gibbs and his team of gardening experts visit The National Memorial Arboretum, to solve the gardening queries of the audience. On the panel this week are grow-your-own legend Bob Flowerdew, pest and disease expert Pippa Greenwood and garden designer Bunny Guinness.Later in the programme, Bunny discusses planting for remembrance with the National Memorial Arboretum's head of estates Andy Ansell, as they explore 150 acres of reflective spaces.Producer: Dan Cocker Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod Executive Producer: Carly MaileA Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

What plant have you killed the most? How do I encourage my pineapple lily to flower? What plant would you take with you to your island paradise?Kathy Clugston and her team of horticultural champions are in Hillingdon, to solve the gardening grievances of the audience. On the panel this week are proud plantsman Matthew Biggs, house plants expert Anne Swithinbank, and ethnobotanist James Wong.Later in the programme, Dr Chris Thorogood is on hand to sew the seeds of knowledge as he educates us on all things seedlings, tackling topics such as what they are, how they grow and how to encourage them to grow healthily.Producer: Bethany Hocken Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod Assistant Producer: Daniel Pearce Executive Producer: Carly MaileA Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

What plants would you recommend to entertain five to six year-olds? How do I successfully grow Japanese banana plants? Are rose fertilisers and tomato fertilisers the same thing? Kathy Clugston and her team of horticultural champions visit Birmingham Botanical Gardens to solve the gardening gripes of the audience. On the panel this week are proud plantsman Matthew Biggs, ethnobotanist James Wong and garden designer Juliet Sargeant.Later, Matt Biggs educates us on the life and legacy of renowned plant collector Ernest Wilson whose expeditions across Asia led to the introduction of over 2,000 plant species. Senior Producer: Daniel Cocker Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod Assistant Producer: Suhaar Ali Executive Producer: Carly MaileA Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

How do I stop badgers from eating my tulips? Any tips on changing a ripped pond liner? How do I effectively take cuttings from a plant? Kathy Clugston and her panel of horticultural heroes take a wander around Mires Beck Nursery in Hull, while dipping into the GQT postbag to answer your gardening grievances.Joining forces with Kathy are head gardener Matthew Pottage, garden designer Bunny Guinness and curator of RHS Bridgewater Marcus Chilton-Jones. The panellists are joined by various workers and volunteers from the nursery who share own tips and tricks on gardening challenges, such as planting trees from seed and planting native varieties.Producer: Dominic Tyerman Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod Executive Producer: Carly MaileClick here for the Plant List: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0023yg4A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

How do I get red cedar root balls to spread? What gardening task do the panel find daunting? What are the panel’s thoughts about composting organic materials?Kathy Clugston and her team of horticultural experts travel to the University of Exeter for a postbag edition of GQT. While Curator of Horticulture Anthony Cockell leads Kathy and the panel around the grounds, they also dig through the GQT inbox to answer your gardening queries. On the panel this week are garden designer Chris Beardshaw, grow your own guru Bob Flowerdew, and proud plantswoman Christine Walkden.Later in the programme, the panellists discuss the University of Exeter's national collection of Azaras, share tips on how they can add structure to the garden and provide a sensory experience.Senior Producer: Bethany Hocken Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod
 Executive Producer: Carly MaileA Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

My Fatsia plants had their stems nibbled by deer – will they recover, or should I buy new ones? Any tips on how I can get my eucalyptus plants to produce juvenile flowers? If you were building a scarecrow in your garden, what would you suggest dressing it in? Kathy Clugston and a panel of experts are in Cheshire West to answer queries from an audience of keen gardeners. On the panel are garden designer Bunny Guinness, houseplant expert Anne Swithinbank, and curator of RHS Bridgewater Marcus Chilton-Jones.Later, James Wong and head gardener of the Castlefield Viaduct Nancy Scheerhout discuss how the 'garden in the sky' was created, as well as how it's maintained.Producer: Bethany Hocken Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod Executive Producer: Carly MaileA Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

Will my blind daffodils ever flower again, or should I just discard them? Can I use old yule logs to line my plant beds or will the harvested fruit and veg become poisonous? How can I repel spiders from my garden without using chemicals? Peter Gibbs is joined by his enthusiastic team of horticultural experts as they dig through the GQT inbox and answer your gardening conundrums. On the panel this week are landscape architect Bunny Guinness, self proclaimed botanical geek James Wong and pest and disease expert Pippa Greenwood. They visit the Horniman Museum and Gardens in Forest Hill, where head of horticulture Errol Reuben Fernandes gives the team a tour of their historical and extensive gardens.Later, Peter and the panel discuss whether there are house plants that can produce enough oxygen to purify air or if this is just a myth.Senior Producer: Dan Cocker
 Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod
 Executive Producer: Carly MaileA Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

Kathy Clugston navigates the murky waters of the GQT archives in search of some Pond and Bog related advice throughout the years.Water is the giver of plant life and nourisher of wildlife, but how do we ensure that we’re using it correctly? The GQT team have sorted through the archives in search for some questions and answers from the past.The programme's horticultural experts share their knowledge on what to do if your pond liner breaks, how to remove bird poo from the surface of your pond, and what sort of plants you could plant in bogs and ponds to increase biodiversity? We also listen back to when pest and disease expert Pippa Greenwood visited the Exbury Gardens dragonfly pond to learn more about these little creatures. Producer: Dan Cocker
 Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod
 Executive Producer: Carly MaileA Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

Could the panel share some gardening tips for wheelchair users? How do I start growing mulukhiyah in my garden? Which hedges could I grow that are resistant to ermine moths and offer privacy? Peter Gibbs is joined by his eager team of horticultural experts as they dig through the GQT inbox and answer your gardening queries. On the panel this week are landscape architect Bunny Guinness, head gardener of Horatio’s Garden Ashley Edwards and curator of RHS Wisley Matthew Pottage. This week they visit Ham House and Garden in Richmond where head gardener John Myers gives them a tour of their unique horticultural treasure trove. Later, Peter and the panel discuss the fundamentals of a kitchen garden and give tips on non-typical fruit and vegetables you could grow in your garden.Senior Producer: Dominic Tyerman Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod Executive Producer: Carly MaileA Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4