Postbag Edition: Regents Park
Peter Gibbs and the GQT panel visit the Queen Elizabeth II Garden in Regent’s Park, London, tackling gardening challenges in tough conditions.
Peter Gibbs and the GQT panel visit the Queen Elizabeth II Garden in Regent’s Park, London, tackling gardening challenges in tough conditions.
Pippa Greenwood, Matthew Pottage, Bunny Guinness and Head Gardener of Regents Park Fiona Packe answer questions on creating a sensory hedge in rubble, choosing resilient perennials, and finding long-flowering wildflowers for shade. They also offer advice on rescuing a struggling lavender hedge and planting to support bats.
Plus, the panel discuss managing unseasonal growth in perennials and diagnose a problem with a young monstera sharing practical tips for gardeners indoors and out.
Producer: Dan Cocker Alison Vernon-Smith and Matthew Smith
Assistant Producer: William Norton
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4
*If listening on BBC Sounds and you wish to view the plant list, please go to the Gardeners' Question Time website and open this week's episode page. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002xpc6
Last on
Featured
-
.
Plant List
Q – What could we plant to create a sensory hedge in a playground that will thrive in rubble? (03’26”)
Fiona Pack –
Santolina chamaecyparissus, lavender cotton
Lavendula, Lavendar
Salvia rosmarinus (Ro), rosemary
Bunny Guinness –
Carpinus betulus, common hornbeam
Crataegus, Hawthorn
Evergreen oak
Salix eleagnos, hoary willow
Pippa Greenwood –
Buddleja, butterfly bush
Matthew Pottage –
Philadelphus, mock orange
Philadelphus maculatus 'Sweet Clare', mock orange 'Sweet Clare'
Osmanthus
Elaeagnus
Q – Can the team recommend any exciting perennials that would thrive in extreme conditions? (08’44”)
Bunny Guinness –
Salvia, sage
Euphorbia, spurge
Salvia Mellifera, California black sage
Acanthus mollis, bear's breech
Amistad
Rosa Windflower ('Auscross') (S), rose [Windflower]
Pippa Greenwood –
Lupins
Crocosmia
Fiona Pack –
Salvia uliginosa, bog sage
Helianthus 'Lemon Queen', sunflower 'Lemon Queen'
Amsonia, Bluestar
Matthew Pottage –
Iris sibirica, siberian flag
Acanthus spinosus Spinosissimus Group, spiny bear's breech Spinosissimus Group
Kniphofia, red hot poker
Agapanthus, African Lily
Crocosmia × crocosmiiflora 'Emily McKenzie', montbretia 'Emily McKenzie'
Q – I would like to plant shade-loving wildflower seeds that will flower for several months. What do you suggest? (19’22”)
Bunny Guinness –
Polystichum setiferum, soft shield fern
Digitalis, Foxgloves
Galium odoratum, sweet woodruff
Fiona Pack –
Digitalis purpurea, common foxglove
Silene dioica, red campion
Eupatorium
Pippa Greenwood –
Erythronium
Matthew Pottage –
Erythronium 'Pagoda', dog's tooth violet 'Pagoda'
Hydrangeas
Q – Should I leave my north facing lavender hedge to grow in the wrong spot or clear the bed and start over? (23’16”)
Q – Is there anything I could plant that are Bat friendly? (29’30”)
Pippa Greenwood –
Nicotiana sylvestris, woodland tobacco plant
Bunny Guinness –
Crataegus, hawthorn
Alders
Q – Would cutting back the unseasonable winter growth actually preserve the energy of my Perennials? (32’00”)
Fiona Pack –
Baptisia australis, blue false indigo
Acanthus, Bear's breeches
Bunny Guinness –
Begeonias
Matthew Pottage –
chrysanthemums, mums
Aconitum napellus, monk's hood
Hesperantha coccinea, crimson flag lily
Aster
Kniphofias, red hot poker
Q – What’s happened to my 18-month-old monstera plant? (37’39”)
Broadcasts
- Fri 19 Jun 2026 15:00BBC Radio 4
- Sun 21 Jun 2026 14:00BBC Radio 4
Join us at RHS Garden Wisley and be part of the show as we host the BBC Radio 4 Gardeners’ Question Time Summer Garden Party
Find out more about how to get tickets to this event.
Six of GQT’s naughtiest gardening innuendos
When Gardeners' Question Time got mucky.
Podcast
-
![]()
Gardeners' Question Time
Horticultural programme featuring a group of gardening experts
