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Highclere Castle: Correspondence Edition

Peter Gibbs and the panel are at Highclere Castle for a correspondence edition of the show.

Peter Gibbs and the panel are at Highclere Castle for a correspondence edition of the show. Chris Beardshaw, Pippa Greenwood and Matt Biggs answer questions sent in by post, email and social media.

This week, the panellists tackle questions on a mysterious Brussel Sprout killer, re-potting a large cactus, and an unusually colourful Wisteria. They also recommend climbing plants for a conservatory and discuss how to create a green driveway.

In among the questions, the team wanders through the gardens of Highclere Castle with Lady Carnarvon and head gardener, Paul Barker.

Producer: Darby Dorras
Assistant Producer: Rosie Merotra

A Somethin' Else production for Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú Radio 4

Available now

42 minutes

Last on

Sun 29 Sep 2019 14:00

Plant List

Questions and times codes are below. Where applicable plant names are listed.

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Q – We removed a Leylandii hedge 2 years ago, and now need a low maintenance hedge (3-4ft / 0.9-1.2m high) as a border for our garden but I’d really like a strip of wild-flower meadow – can we do both hedge and wild-flowers?

(4 minutes 12 seconds)

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Matt – Hawthorn hedge

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Q – My 80-year-old mother wants to remodel the garden to be extremely low maintenance (10x20m / 32x65ft). She can’t use a mower and the patio is now weed-ridden. Please could you suggest some ground cover alternatives, which would still allow her to walk and sit on it – no gravel please!

(9 minutes)

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Chris – Corsican mint (Mentha requienii)

Leptinella

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Pippa – Chamomile

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Q – I’d like to make a green driveway; could the panel recommend plants I could use which would take trampling from feet, and occasionally having the car shading them.

(12 minutes 26 seconds)

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Matt – grasses and bulbs

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Chris – ferns: Adiantum, Polypodium, Polystichum

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Q – We have a south-west facing conservatory, we’d like to train some climbing plants to provide some shade and would thrive directly under the glass – have the panel any suggestions?

(14 minutes 39 seconds)

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Chris – Passion flower – Passiflora quadrangularis

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Matt – Petrea volubilis

Thumbergia mysorensis

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Q – I have a potted cactus with one larger branch and two smaller. It recently flowered and has grown much bigger – what should I do with it? Can I repot is, and if so, how?

(18 minutes 37 seconds)

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Q – Having asked other local Wiltshire gardeners, I find I’m not alone in having my healthily growing Brussel Sprout crop wiped out overnight in July, as if sprayed with weed-killer – what is causing this?

(22 minutes 41 seconds)

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Q – I’m growing pepper plants and some of the fruit is falling off whilst still green. I have discovered a green caterpillar in some of the fallen fruit. The plant itself is healthy; what might this problem be?

(26 minutes 40 seconds)

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Q – I’ve trained a Wisteria to grow through a small cherry tree, this year the Wisteria produced white flowers during spring but at the end of August it flowered again, and the flowers are lilac – have you ever come across this?

(30 minutes 53 seconds)

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Q – I’m very keen to conserve water for my garden and want to buy a water butt, however I live in a narrow terraced house with no downpipe – is it possible to buy a freestanding water butt which will capture rain water?

(36 minutes 56 seconds)

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Broadcasts

  • Fri 27 Sep 2019 15:00
  • Sun 29 Sep 2019 14:00

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