Postbag Edition: Barbican

Questions and timecodes are below. Where applicable, plant names have been provided.

Q – What secret tips or inside knowledge do the panel have that AI could never know? (02’02”)

Q – How do I germinate my ginkgo fruit tree? (05’50”)

Q – Any suggestions for plants with a punkish attitude that could thrive in hot and humid room? (11’20”)

Matthew Pottage –

Yucca aloifolia, yucca

Juliet Sargeant –

Poncirus trifoliata, japanese bitter orange

Marta Lowcewicz –

Crassula ovata, jade plant

James Wong –

forest cacti

Q – Could you suggest some vegetables for me to grow, which aren't commonly grown in the UK? (13’38”)

James Wong –

Dahlias

Maize, sweet corn

Phaseolus coccineus, runner beans

Pumpkin

Juliet Sargeant –

Hosta, plantain lily

Fuchsia FuchsiaBerry (F), fuchsia [FuchsiaBerry]

Toona sinensis, chinese cedar

Matthew Pottage –

Toona sinensis 'Flamingo' (v), chinese cedar 'Flamingo'

Feature – The GQT panel discuss the brutalist architecture of the Barbican and how the gardening team have adapted the horticulture around it.

Q – I recently acquired some concrete planters from a neighbour? What do I need to know about gardening in the material (23’18”)

Matthew Pottage –

Juniperus procumbens 'Nana', decumbent juniper 'Nana'

Juliet Sargeant –

Pinus mugo, dwarf mountain pine

Calluna vulgaris, heather

Q – I’m struggling to grow phormium tenax, Any tips on how I can do this successfully? (25’36”)

Q – Something is infecting my almond tree – do the panel know what it is? (30’35”)

Q – Could a strawberry tree survive on a sandy soil and endure Scottish weather? (33’39”)

Matthew Pottage –

Arbutus × andrachnoides, hybrid strawberry tree

Arbutus unedo, strawberry tree

Q – is there a plant with an amazing structure or pattern that you think would make a great building? (33’39”)

Matthew Pottage –

Crassula 'Buddha's Temple'

James Wong –

Giant Water Lily

Marta Lowcewicz –

Carnegiea gigantea, saguaro