Postbag Edition: Blenheim Palace - Mites, Bees and Powdery Mildew
How do I stop mites destroying my Schefflera? Why haven't we seen many bees this year? How do I remove fungus growing on a hawthorn? Peter Gibbs and the panel have all the answers.
What can I use to stop mites from destroying my nine foot Schefflera? Why haven't we seen many bees this year? How do I remove fungus growing on my hawthorn tree?
Peter Gibbs and his team of gardening gurus travel to Blenheim Palace in Woodstock for a postbag edition of GQT.
While Head Gardener Andy Mills leads Peter and the panel around the historic grounds, they also rake through the GQT inbox to answer your gardening queries. On the panel this week are garden designer Chris Beardshaw, house plants expert Anne Swithinbank and pest and disease expert Pippa Greenwood.
Later in the programme, the panellists receive a surprise question from English fashion and textile designer Dame Zandra Rhodes, who asks what she should do about her dying hydrangeas.
Senior Producer: Dan Cocker
Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod
Executive Producer: Carly Maile
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4
Last on
Plant list
Questions and timecodes are below. Where applicable, plant names have been provided.
Q – What can I do to cheer up my New Dawn rose that looks look dry and shrivelled? (03’14”)
Anne Swithinbank –
Lavandula, lavender
Phlomis russeliana, turkish sage
Q – My 60-year-old rambling roses keep developing powdery mildew – is there any chance of saving them or should I replace them? (07’19”)
Q – My nine-foot climbing umbrella plant is being attacked by tiny mites - how do I get rid of them? (10’38”)
Anne Swithinbank –
Schefflera, ivy plant
Q – How do I get rid of the fungus that’s growing on my hawthorn tree? (15’14”)
Q – My Hydrangeas have started dying – should I destroy them or is there still hope? (18’07”)
Q – Can the panel suggest plants that might survive dry soil, deep shade and rarely getting any direct sunlight? (23’31”)
Andy Mills –
Aucuba, japanese laurel
Chris Beardshaw –
Rhododendrons
Pernettya’s
Ferns
Phyllostachys
Galanthus, snowdrops
Hyacinthus, hyacinth
Narcissus, daffodils
Anne Swithinbank –
Corylus avellana 'Contorta', corkscrew hazel
Q – I’ve done everything can to stop my Laurel Hedge from dying – what am I doing wrong? (32’19”)
Q – Why do we keep being told that Agapanthus need root restriction to flower well? (36’43”)
Q – Please explain why it’s logical to backfill pots by scraping off the top few inches from the pot and replacing with new compost – rather than tackling the soil around the roots? (39’04”)
Broadcasts
- Fri 30 Aug 2024 15:00BBC Radio 4
- Sun 1 Sep 2024 14:00BBC Radio 4
Six of GQT’s naughtiest gardening innuendos
When Gardeners' Question Time got mucky.
Podcast
-
![]()
Gardeners' Question Time
Horticultural programme featuring a group of gardening experts
