Main content

GQT at Â鶹ԼÅÄ: Alliums, Geraniums, and Cardiocrinum giganteum

Peter Gibbs hosts this week's horticultural panel show.

Peter Gibbs hosts this week's horticultural panel show. Joining him from their homes to answer gardening questions are Humaira Ikram, James Wong and Matt Biggs.

This week, the panellists discuss leggy Alliums, give tips for a Sunflower competition, and reveal their gardening sins.

Away from the questions, Pippa Greenwood talks about the Big Butterfly Count and Kirsty Wilson tells us about the Himalayan Lily. For more information about the Big Butterfly Count visit: bigbutterflycount.butterfly-conservation.org/

Producer - Hannah Newton
Assistant Producer - Jemima Rathbone

A Somethin' Else production for Â鶹ԼÅÄ Radio 4.

Available now

42 minutes

Plant List

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

Ìý

Q – What are these six and half foot (198.12cm) Alliums? I have never seen this sort of behaviour before.

(1 minute 49 seconds)

Ìý

Humaira –

Allium ‘Summer Drummers’

Ìý

James –

Allium ampeloprasum

Ìý

Matt –

Foxglove

Ìý

Q – I have a cutting of hibiscus in water. Do I leave it in water and hope the roots will happen or do I try planting it when the flower have dropped off?

(5 minutes 58 seconds)

Ìý

Matt –

Hibiscus

Ìý

Q – For two years my son and I have entered into a sunflower growing competition with relatives who live on the South Coast last year, but neither sets of sunflowers grew well. We just chalked it up to one of those years. However, this year ours have barely grown at all. Any tips welcome!

(8 minutes 5 seconds)

Ìý

Humaira –

Sunflower ‘Black Magic’

Ìý

Matt –

Sunflower ‘Russian Giant’

Ìý

James –

Sunflower ‘Sunzilla’

Sunflower ‘Kong Hybrid’

Ìý

Q - I've recently moved into a new house called ‘Lilac Cottage’ and would like to plant some lilac on my property. There is, however, limited planting space, out the front, and it's north facing. All that I've read about lilac suggests it only thrives in full sun. Are there any forms of varieties of lilac I could plant?

(12 minutes 17 seconds)

Ìý

Matt –

‘Bloomerang’ Lilac

‘Josee’ Lilac

Syringa Laciniata

Syringa Meyeri ‘P²¹±ô²¹²ú¾±²Ô’

Clematis

Ìý

Humaira –

Pulmonaria

Liriope

Geranium ‘Rozanne’

Epimedium 'Lilafee'

Clematis ‘New Love’

Ìý

Ìý

Feature – Pippa Greenwood pays tribute to the Big Butterfly Count

(16 minutes 40 seconds)

Ìý

Ìý

Q - Does the moss I have collected from my patio, have any use in the garden? Can I add it to the flower or vegetable beds or add it to the compost heap or should I just put it into my brown recycling bin?

(20 minutes 55 seconds)

Ìý

James –

Bryum argenteum, Silver Moss

Bonsai trees

Ìý

Q - ÌýI would like to add a planted roof to my 10cm (3.94in) deep bin store. Can you suggest what plants I should be planting in?

(24 minutes 18 seconds)

Ìý

Humairi –

Sedum

Thyme

Chamomile

Wild Chives

Eschscholzia californica, Poppy

Ìý

James –

Cordyline

Ìý

Matt –

Sempervivum, House Leeks, Hens and Chicks

Sempervivum ‘P³Ü°ù»å²â’

Sempervivum ‘H²¹²â±ô¾±²Ô²µâ€™

Sempervivum arachnoideum

Ìý

Ìý

Feature - Kirsty Wilson pays tribute to the Himalayan Lily from Edinburgh

(29 minutes 49 seconds)

Ìý

Cardiocrinum giganteum, ‘Himalayan Lily’

Ìý

Q - My question concerns what to do with spent soil for the container gardener. Can it be dried out and rehabilitated and re-used for anything at all?

(33 minutes 37 seconds)

Ìý

Q - What gardening sins have the panel committed in the past?

(36 minutes 56 seconds)

Ìý

Peony

Dandelion

Broadcasts

  • Fri 9 Jul 2021 15:00
  • Sun 11 Jul 2021 14:00

Six of GQT’s naughtiest gardening innuendos

When Gardeners' Question Time got mucky.

Podcast