East Renfrewshire: Balcony Brilliance, Reluctant Camellias and Making The Most Of Moss
Kathy Clugston and the GQT panel visit Clarkston Halls in East Renfrewshire to discuss fragrant plants for a windswept balcony and transforming a shady moss-filled shared garden.
Kathy Clugston chairs this week鈥檚 Gardeners鈥� Question Time from Clarkston Halls in East Renfrewshire, home to one of Scotland鈥檚 oldest horticultural societies.
Joining Kathy are Balmoral鈥檚 Head of Gardens Kirsty Wilson, ethnobotanist James Wong, and Birmingham Botanical Gardens鈥� Head Gardener Bethan Collerton.
The panel tackles questions on reluctant camellias, fragrant planting for a windswept balcony, and how to transform a shady, moss-filled shared garden.
Along the way, Bethan visits Glasgow Botanic Gardens鈥� magnificent Kibble Palace, where she joins Robert Jamieson to explore botanical links across the Commonwealth, from the Australian tea tree and towering tree ferns to remarkable araucarias from the South Pacific.
Back in Clarkston, the team shares advice on improving the quality of greenhouse-grown grapes, caring for carnivorous pitcher plants, and choosing easy, quick-growing seeds for young gardeners.
Producer: Alison Vernon-Smith
Assistant Producer: William Norton
A Somethin' Else production for 麻豆社 Radio 4
* If listening on 麻豆社 Sounds and you wish to view the plant list, please go to the Gardeners' Question Time website and open this week's episode page.
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Plant List
Q1 鈥� 鈥淲hy do I only ever get one flower on my camellia?鈥� (01鈥�23鈥�)
Q2 鈥� 鈥淚've moved from a house to a flat with a west-facing balcony. What fragrant rose and evergreen would you recommend?鈥� (04鈥�04鈥�)
James Wong
鈥� Trachelospermum jasminoides, star jasmineKirsty Wilson
鈥� Rosa 鈥楪ertrude Jekyll鈥� ('Ausbord'PBR) (S), rose 鈥楪ertrude Jekyll鈥欌�� Rosa 鈥極livia Rose Austin鈥� ('Ausmixture'PBR) (S), rose 鈥極livia Rose Austin鈥欌�� Rosa 鈥楺ueen of Sweden鈥� ('Austiger'PBR) (S), rose 鈥楺ueen of Sweden鈥欌�� Rosa 鈥楥utie Pie鈥�, rose 鈥楥utie Pie鈥欌�� Salvia rosmarinus (syn. Rosmarinus officinalis), rosemary鈥� Laurus nobilis, bayBethan Collerton
鈥� Fatsia japonica, Japanese aralia鈥� Ficus carica, fig听Q3 鈥� 鈥淲hat can I do with a mossy, shady, neglected shared garden?鈥� (10鈥�01鈥�)
Question context
鈥� Common ferns鈥� Sambucus spp., elder鈥� Viburnum spp., viburnum鈥� Camellia spp., camellia鈥� Berberis spp., barberry鈥� Ligustrum spp., privetBethan Collerton
鈥� Brunnera macrophylla 鈥楯ack Frost鈥�, Siberian bugloss 鈥楯ack Frost鈥欌�� Myosotis spp., forget-me-not (comparison)鈥� Astilbe spp., astilbe鈥� Viburnum tinus, laurustinusJames Wong
鈥� Mosses (general)鈥� Erigeron karvinskianus, Mexican fleabane鈥� Pratia pedunculata (syn. Lobelia pedunculata), pratia/ blue star creeper鈥� Meconopsis spp., Himalayan blue poppyKirsty Wilson
鈥� Cardiocrinum giganteum, giant Himalayan lily鈥� Narcissus spp., daffodil鈥� Tulipa spp., tulip鈥� Camassia spp., camas鈥� Allium spp., ornamental onion鈥� Acer palmatum cultivars, Japanese maple鈥� Hardy geraniums (Geranium spp.)鈥� Geranium 鈥楽plish Splash鈥�, hardy geranium 鈥楽plish Splash鈥欌�� Geum 鈥楾otally Tangerine鈥�, avens 鈥楾otally Tangerine鈥欌�� Geum 鈥楽carlet Tempest鈥�, avens 鈥楽carlet Tempest鈥櫶�Feature 鈥� Commonwealth Plants at Glasgow Botanic Gardens (Bethan Collerton with Robert Jamieson)(18鈥�53鈥�)
Australian collection
鈥� Melaleuca alternifolia, tea treeTree fern collection
鈥� Tree ferns (various species)Araucaria collection
鈥� Araucaria columnaris, Cook pine/ New Caledonian pine鈥� Araucaria heterophylla, Norfolk Island pine听Q4 鈥� 鈥淥ur greenhouse grapevine has prolific leaves but produces small, bitter grapes. How can we improve the fruit?鈥� (24鈥�37鈥�)
Bethan Collerton
鈥� Vitis spp., grapevineJames Wong
鈥� Vitis 鈥楩ragola鈥� grape, grape 'Fragola'鈥� Vitis vinifera, European grape鈥� Vitis labrusca, fox grape鈥� Concord grape听Q5 鈥� 鈥淚 have two pitcher plants in my kitchen that keep dying. How can I keep them healthy?鈥� (32鈥�15鈥�)
James Wong
鈥� Sarracenia spp., trumpet pitcher plant鈥� Nepenthes spp., tropical pitcher plant听Q6 鈥� 鈥淲hich seeds can eight to ten year olds grow indoors that will germinate and grow quickly with only weekly watering?鈥� (36鈥�40鈥�)
Kirsty Wilson
鈥� Tropaeolum majus, garden nasturtium鈥� Vicia faba, broad bean鈥� Pisum sativum, garden pea鈥� Helianthus annuus, common sunflowerBethan Collerton
鈥� Cosmos spp., cosmos鈥� Cobaea scandens, cup-and-saucer vineJames Wong
鈥� Zea mays var. everta, popcorn maize听
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- Friday 15:00麻豆社 Radio 4
- Sunday 14:00麻豆社 Radio 4
Join us at RHS Garden Wisley and be part of the show as we host the 麻豆社 Radio 4 Gardeners鈥� Question Time Summer Garden Party
Find out more about how to get tickets to this event.
Six of GQT鈥檚 naughtiest gardening innuendos
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