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Peter Gibbs and the GQT team answer your questions from Bath.

How can we prepare our green spaces for the next two decades of climate change? What is regenerative gardening? And is there a plant that causes disagreements in your household?

Joining Peter Gibbs on the panel in Bath this week are curator Matthew Pottage and garden designers Juliet Sargeant and Chris Beardshaw.

Also on the programme, we visit the calm and reassuring solitude of the potting shed, where Matt Biggs offers a masterclass in dividing a mint plant to guarantee you get the most out of those fragrant shoots.

Producer - Bethany Hocken
Assistant Producer - Aniya Das
Executive Producer - Louisa Field

A Somethin' Else production for Â鶹Éç Radio 4

Available now

42 minutes

Last on

Sun 18 Dec 2022 14:00

Plant List

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

Q – To clear or not to clear? We now read that it is important to leave some spent plants over the winter to benefit wildlife.
(3 minutes 08 seconds) 

Q – I can’t seem to get my Hippeastrum to flower. Do you have any advice?
(7 minutes 39 seconds) 

Q – We have a large sedum roof on top of our garden studios, measuring about 25 sq. metre and in a very exposed site with south westerly winds. Can you advise on its maintenance as we have some problems with some bare patches after a period with an amazing amount of flowers.
(11 minutes 10 seconds)

Juliet –
Iris
Crocus
Festuca

Matthew –
Delosperma
Echeveria
Sempervivum
Aloe aristata

Q – Our garden faces east, half of it slopes steeply, and little thrives as the ground is very stony. What drought tolerant, hardy plants would grow well in these conditions? The bank rarely sees the sun in winter.
(13 minutes 47 seconds)

Juliet –
Carex buchananii
Carex testacea

Chris –
Acanthus mollis
Trachystemon orientalis
Lamium orvala
Camassia
Cirsium

Feature – We join regular panellist Matt Biggs in his cosy potting shed for a master class in dividing your mint plant.
(17 minutes 23 seconds)

Q – How can I incorporate regenerative growing practises in to my 125 sq. metre allotment plot, that won’t allow weeds, grass, and snails to completely dominate? And are there any good winter covers that could help suppress weeds?
(22 minutes 00 seconds)

Q – If you were designing a garden now with the next couple of decades in mind, what would be planting? I live on a marina with imported soil on rock.
(26 minutes 09 seconds)

Juliet –
Koelreuteria paniculate
Eucalyptus FRANCE BLEU

Chris –
Iris foetidissima var. citrina
Abutilon vitifolium
Rosa ‘S±ð²¹²µ³Ü±ô±ô’

Q – In 2011, I planted a yellow peony. In 2021, a sea pod opened to show bright pink seeds. Or are they? This year, the seed pod opened not only with bright pink seeds but jet-black seeds the size of blackcurrants. If they are seeds and were planted, would they produce new peony plants?
(29 minutes 23 seconds)

Q – I’m looking to plant an open, interesting screen in a bed between my shed and the house. The space is very shady.
(32 minutes 54 seconds)

Chris –
Hydrangea petiolaris
Viburnum ‘Mariesii’
Matteuccia struthiopteris, Shuttlecock fern

Juliet –
Hydrangea seemannii
Pittosporum 'Golf Ball'
Skimmia ‘R³Ü²ú±ð±ô±ô²¹â€™
Sarcococca

Matthew –
x Fatshedera
Danae racemose
Aucuba omeiensis

Q – My wife and I disagree about a Rhus in our garden. Are there any disagreements about plants in the panellists’ households?
(37 minutes 04 seconds)

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