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Postbag Edition: Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh

Where have all the worms gone in my garden? How do I use a glasshouse? Can plants survive without being watered for a month? Kathy and the panel answer your gardening questions.

Where have all the worms gone in my garden? How do I use a glasshouse? Can plants survive without being watered for a month?

Kathy Clugston and a team of gardening experts explore the 70 acres of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, all while digging the GQT postbag to answer your gardening grievances.

Joining Kathy on this extensive tour are ethnobotanist James Wong, garden designer Neil Porteous, and Head of Gardens at Balmoral Kirsty Wilson. They're led around the garden by Head of Collections, David Knott.

Producer: Bethany Hocken
Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod
Executive Producer: Carly Maile

A Somethin' Else production for 麻豆社 Radio 4

Available now

42 minutes

Plant List

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

Q 鈥 Can plants survive without being watered for a month? (04鈥06鈥)

Q 鈥 My soil lacks worms 鈥 why is this? And how can I repopulate the soil with them? (07鈥05鈥)

Q 鈥 What Mediterranean plans would survive in the rocky mountains of Colorado? (10鈥41鈥)

James Wong 鈥

Opuntia, prickly pear

Neil Porteous 鈥

Yucca aloifolia, yucca

Yuccarostrata, beaked yucca

Puyas

Q 鈥 A Tropaeolum speciosum I planted years ago has taken over my garden! How do I get rid of it? (13鈥29鈥)

Feature 鈥 Discussion on glasshouses and maintenance (18鈥08)

Neil Portoeus 鈥

Cycas, sago

Encephalartos

James Wong 鈥

Agave attenuate, foxtail agave

Q 鈥 How do I use a glasshouse? Can I grow tomatoes and cucumbers in it? (20鈥28鈥)

Kirsty Wilson 鈥

Lathyrus odoratus, sweet peas (annuals)

Narcissus, daffodils

Neil Porteous 鈥

Perpetual strawberries

Q 鈥 I can鈥檛 seem to grow curry leaves. Could you offer some tips and tricks? (24鈥34鈥)

James Wong 鈥

Murraya koenigii, curry tree

Q 鈥 The roots of my ash tree keep invading my crops. What can I do to stop it? (28鈥02鈥)

Kirsty Wilson 鈥

Lettuces

Rocket

Beetroot

Feature 鈥 Kirsty Returns to the Queen鈥檚 Mother鈥檚 Garden which she helped to design whilst working at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh

David Knott 鈥

Rosa Gertrude Jekyll ('Ausbord'PBR) (S), rose [Gertrude Jekyll]

Kirsty Wilson 鈥

Rosa听Olivia Rose Austin听('Ausmixture'PBR) (S), rose [Olivia Rose Austin]

Q 鈥 What other plants could I include in my railway garden that will provide height and fulfil my other requests? (33鈥00鈥)

Neil Porteous 鈥

Veronica听'Pewter Dome' (H), hebe 'Pewter Dome'

Ophiopogonjaponicus, mondo grass

Liriopemuscari, big blue lilyturf

David Knott 鈥

Ilex crenata, Japanese holly

Taxus, yew

Salix听'Boydii' (f), willow 鈥楤oydii鈥

Salixherbacea, dwarf willow

James Wong 鈥

Pratia pedunculata

Kirsty Wilson 鈥

Cyclamen

Cyclamenhederifolium, ivy-leaved cyclamen

Cyclamencoum, eastern cyclamen

Galanthus, snowdrops

Scillas

Muscaris, grape hyacinth

Q 鈥 What should I do with my thriving Christmas cactus? Should I pot it up 鈥 if so, when? (37鈥50鈥)


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