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Minstead: Colourful Borders, Resilient Brambles and Parched Plants

Kathy Clugston and the GQT panel answer questions on drought-tolerant planting, climbing roses for dry shade, alternatives to traditional lawns, and much more.

Kathy Clugston chairs Gardeners鈥� Question Time from Minstead Village Hall in the heart of the New Forest.

Joining Kathy are 鈥妏lant pathologist Pippa Greenwood, head gardener at Birmingham Botanical Gardens Bethan Collerton, and garden writer and designer Matthew Wilson. As well as being surrounded by roaming wild ponies, the panellists answer questions on drought-tolerant planting, climbing roses for dry shade, alternatives to traditional lawns and whether mulching still makes sense after an exceptionally dry summer.

They also suggest bedding and perennial planting combinations for a sunny farm shop border, discuss why weeds and brambles seem to thrive when other plants struggle, and reflect on the garden successes and failures that this year鈥檚 hot weather has revealed.

Also, Matthew Wilson鈥� visits the site of one of the New Forest鈥檚 recent wildfires to meet Leanne Sargeant from Forestry England to talk about the impact the fires have had on the environment.

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.

Tickets are available for the 麻豆社 Radio 4 Gardeners' Question Time Summer Party 2026 held at RHS Garden Wisley on Saturday 5th September.
Information and ticket details can be accessed via: https://www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley/whats-on/gardeners-question-time-summer-garden-party

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42 minutes

Last on

Sun 6 Sep 2026 14:00
麻豆社 Radio 4

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Plant List

Q1 鈥� 鈥淲hy do brambles and weeds grow so well in a drought when other plants wither?鈥� (01鈥�51鈥�)

Pippa Greenwood

鈥� Rubus fruticosus agg., bramble

Matthew Wilson

鈥� Aegopodium podagraria, ground elder鈥� Petroselinum crispum, parsley鈥� Convolvulus arvensis, bindweed鈥� Rubus fruticosus agg., bramble

Bethan Collerton

鈥� Rubus cultivars, ornamental bramble鈥� Buddleja spp., buddleia鈥� Urtica dioica, common nettle听

Q2 鈥� 鈥溾�奍've got a fruits and flowers theme to my garden. Can you suggest a floriferous climbing shrub for a shady border beneath oak trees? (鈥�06鈥�48鈥�)

Question Context

鈥� Rosa 鈥楳ary Delany鈥� ('Ausorts')鈥� Oak (Quercus spp.)

Matthew Wilson

鈥� Rosa 鈥楳ary Delany鈥欌�� Rosa 鈥楶aul's Himalayan Musk鈥欌�� Rosa 鈥楽eagull鈥欌�� Rosa 鈥楻ambling Rector鈥欌�� Laurus nobilis, Bay tree

Bethan Collerton

鈥� Rosa 鈥楻ambling Rector鈥欌�� Rosa 鈥楶aul's Himalayan Musk鈥�

Pippa Greenwood

鈥� Bare-root roses (Rosa cultivars)听

Feature 鈥� Matthew Wilson meets Leanne Sargeant 鈥奛ature Recovery Manager at Forestry England, to discuss the New Forest Wildfire Recovery following the recent wildfires (12鈥�11鈥�)

Leanne Sargeant

鈥� Molinia spp., purple moor grass鈥� (Calluna and Erica spp.) Heather听鈥� Ulex spp., Gorse听鈥� Quercus robur, Oak听鈥� Fagus sylvatica, Beech听

Q3 鈥� 鈥淲ould a yarrow lawn be a good alternative to grass?鈥� (18鈥�43鈥�)

Question Context

鈥� Achillea spp., yarrow

Bethan Collerton

鈥� Achillea millefolium., common yarrow鈥� Trifolium spp., Clover听鈥� Chamaemelum nobile, chamomile听鈥� Grass spp.

Pippa Greenwood

鈥� Trifolium spp., Clover听鈥� Lotus corniculatus, bird鈥檚-foot trefoil鈥� Ajuga reptans., bugle鈥� Thymus serpyllum L.., wild thyme听

Q4 鈥� 鈥淭o mulch or not to mulch?鈥� (23鈥�05鈥�)

听

Q5 鈥� 鈥淲hat summer bedding plants would you recommend for a west-facing border in front of a farm shop?鈥� (26鈥�25鈥�)

Question Context

鈥� Cosmos spp., Cosmos鈥� Impatiens walleriana, Busy Lizzie听

Pippa Greenwood

鈥� Pelargonium cultivars, pelargonium鈥� Osteospermum spp., osteospermum鈥� Gazania spp., gazania/ treasure flower鈥� Cosmos spp.鈥� Scaevola aemula, scaevola

Matthew Wilson

鈥� Artemisia schmidtiana 鈥楴ana鈥�, dwarf Schmidt wormwood鈥� Nepeta 鈥榃alker鈥檚 Low鈥�, catmint 鈥榃alker鈥檚 Low鈥欌�� Oenothera lindheimeri 鈥楻osy Jane鈥�, Gaura 鈥楻osy Jane鈥櫶�� Salvia 鈥楴achtvlinder鈥�, sage Nachtvlinder鈥欌�� Ceratostigma willmottianum, Chinese plumbago鈥� Calamagrostis brachytricha, Korean feather reed grass鈥� Narcissus spp, Daffodil听鈥� Tulipa spp, Tulip听鈥� Tulipa 鈥楺ueen of Night鈥欌�� Tulipa 鈥榃hite Triumphator鈥�

Bethan Collerton

鈥� Tagetes spp., Marigold鈥� Dark-leaved begonia (Begonia cultivars)鈥� Jacobaea maritima (syn.Senecio cineraria), Cineraria鈥� Canna cultivars, Canna听鈥� Red-leaved banana (Musa cultivars)鈥� Hardy aloes (Aloe spp.)鈥� Sempervivum spp., houseleek鈥� Succulents (various species)鈥� Cacti (various species)听

Q6 鈥� 鈥淲hat would be your garden gold medal and wooden spoon this year?鈥� (35鈥�05鈥�)

Question Context

鈥� Olea europaea, olive

Bethan Collerton

Wooden Spoon

鈥� Hydrangea spp, Hydrangea听鈥� Hydrangea arborescens 鈥楢nnabelle鈥�, Hydrangea 鈥楢nnabelle鈥欌�� Hydrangea seemannii, Ivy-leaved hydrangea听

Gold Medal

鈥� Trees (various species)

Matthew Wilson

Wooden Spoon

鈥� Viburnum plicatum f. tomentosum 鈥楳ariesii鈥�, Japanese snowball 'Mariesii'鈥� Cornus controversa 'Variegata', wedding cake tree

Gold Medal

鈥� Ficus carica, fig鈥� Rose (Rosa cultivars)

Pippa Greenwood

Gold Medal

鈥� Solanum melongena, aubergine鈥� Capsicum spp., pepper鈥� Zea mays, sweetcorn

Wooden Spoon

鈥� Cucurbita pepo, courgette


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  • Fri 4 Sep 2026 15:00
    麻豆社 Radio 4
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    麻豆社 Radio 4

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