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The GQT team are in the Norfolk Fens for this week's horticultural programme.

Can you keep geraniums through the winter without a greenhouse? What berries grow best in the shade? And can an aspidistra survive outside?

Joining Kathy Clugston to answer these questions in front of a live audience in the Norfolk Fens are horticulturist Christine Walkden, garden designer Bunny Guinness and passionate plantsman Matt Biggs.

Also on the programme, producer Dan Cocker visits Professor Monique Simmonds at Kew's Jodrell lab to find out why plants smell.

Producer - Daniel Cocker
Assistant Producer - Bethany Hocken
Executive Producer - Louisa Field

A Somethin' Else production for Â鶹Éç Radio 4

Available now

42 minutes

Last on

Sun 15 Jan 2023 14:00

Plant List

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

Ìý

Q – How to overwinter geraniums without a greenhouse?

(1 minutes 54 seconds)Ìý

Ìý

Matt –

Pelargonium

Ìý

Q – I’ve had my tree fern for about five years. I know they’re slow growers but mine doesn’t seem to have moved at all. Anything to help, please!

(5 minutes 17 seconds)Ìý

Ìý

Q – I have a blue bell creeper, planted this year in a border. Does it need frost protection? And what level of cold will it take?

(7 minutes 57 seconds)

Ìý

Q – We’ve got a small orchard with a number of apple trees, and I’m wondering what I should be doing in terms of pruning. I also want to know what to do with the windfalls; should they be cleared, or can I leave them?Ìý

(10 minutes 17 seconds)

Ìý

Q – I wonder if there are any berries that grow well in shade?

(13 minutes 27 seconds)

Ìý

Bunny –

Gooseberry

Ìý

Matt –

Gooseberry, ‘Hinnonmäki Green’

Gooseberry, ‘Hinnonmäki Yellow’

Gooseberry, ‘Hinnonmäki Red’

‘B´Ç²â²õ±ð²Ô²ú±ð°ù°ù²â’

Redcurrant

White currant

Pink currant

Ìý

Christine –

Blueberry

Ìý

Feature – Producer Dan Cocker went to meet Professor Monique Simmonds at the Royal Botanic Garden Kew’s Jodrell lab to find out why it is that plants smell.

(16 minutes 29 seconds)

Ìý

Matt –

Camellia sasanqua

Ìý

Christine –

Dracunculus vulgaris, dragon arum

Ìý

Bunny –

Daphne odora

Sarcococca

Ìý

Q – I have sorbus vilmorinii that loses its leaves in the summer. The tree never seems to flourish and produce berries. Can you please tell me what is going wrong, please?

(25 minutes 50 seconds)

Ìý

Q – I’ve had an aspidistra that is now 63 years. It’s about 5.5 feet in diameter, and about 4 foot high. In the summer I take it outside, in the winter I bring it in. I am now going to have to repot it in the spring, and I think this will be the last time I’m going to physically be able to move it. Dare I risk leaving it outside all the time?

(30 minutes 01 seconds)

Ìý

Q – I manage to get some ginger growing, but it started looking a bit sad during the cold. Is there any way to recover it?

(32 minutes 58 seconds)

Ìý

Q – I’ve got a new gravel garden that I’m hoping to plant up in the spring. Can you suggest some unusual plants to put in it?

(36 minutes 28 seconds)

Ìý

Bunny –

Globe artichoke

Fennel

Nerine

Ìý

Matt –

Genista aetnensis, Mount Etna broom

Echium pininana

Echium wildpretii

Ìý

Christine –

Stipa tenuissima

Libertia peregrinans

Origanum

Teucrium chamaedrys (x lucidrys), Dwarf Germander

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