Gardeners' Question Time - RHS Chelsea Bandstand Show

How do I take care of a kokedama? How do you take care of a sedum living roof? Why won't my trollius flower?

For the first time ever, GQT sets up shop at the heart of the iconic RHS Chelsea Flower Show, broadcasting from the charming bandstand. Kathy Clugston is joined by a panel of horticultural heavyweights, including Bunny Guinness, Matthew Wilson, and James Wong.

Keep your ears pricked up for some familiar voices - among the questioners are none other than Scott Mills, David Tennant and Zoe Ball, each bringing their own garden problems to the table.

Later, Peter Gibbs takes a tranquil detour to the stunning Songbird Survival Garden on Main Avenue. There, he chats with designer Nicola Oakey and dedicated volunteer Bee about how we can turn our outdoor spaces into welcoming sanctuaries for Britain’s beleaguered songbirds.

Producer: Daniel Cocker
Producer: Dominic Tyerman
Producer: Matthew Smith
Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod
Assistant Producer: Suhaar Ali
Executive Producer: Carly Maile

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

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

Q – I’ve got a floppy snake plant – is this because I’ve overwatered it? (01'17")

Q - Why do the flower buds fall off my chameleon each year? (02'38")

Q - Hello, it's David Tennant here. I've been gifted a beautiful kokedama. How do I water this? How do I not kill it? (05'26")

Q – Could you recommend some pretty and low maintenance for flowers for window boxes? (07'34")

Bunny Guinness –
Verbena officinalis 'Bampton', vervain ‘Bampton’
Polystichum setiferum, soft shield fern
Salvia rosmarinus (Ro), rosemary

Matthew Wilson –
Thymus vulgaris, common thyme
Thymus praecox

James Wong –
Portulaca, porcelain
Mesembryanthemum
Delosperma.

Q- My trollius hasn’t flowered this year. What am I doing wrong? (12’58")

Feature – Peter Gibbs visits the ‘Songbird Survival Garden” on main avenue, where he meets with designer Nicola Oakey and volunteer Bee (17’22”)

Q - We've got a garden room with a sedum living roof – how do we look after it? (22'20")

Q – Hello! Zoe Ball here! How do I stop squirrels from eating all my plants? (32'06")

Q - My trachycarpus and dicksonia antarctica. They're getting thinner and thinner each year – how do I appropriately thin them out? (28'54")

Q – Hi GQT, it’s Scott Mills. How do I stop my dog’s pee from ruining my lawn? (28'54")

Q – I’d like you to recommend plants for a red hot, south facing gravel garden? (36'25")

James Wong –
Hardy aloes
Aloe polyphylla
Eschscholzia californica, california poppy
Bunny Guinness –
Salvia confertiflora, sabra spike sage

Matthew Wilson –
Rosa 'Sally Holmes' (S), rose 'Sally Holmes'
Dasylirion wheeleri, spoon flower
Aloiampelos striatula, striped-stemmed aloe
Beschorneria yuccoides, yucca-leaved beschorneria

Published on Friday, 30th May 2025.

Available Podcasts from Gardeners' Question Time

Subscribe to Gardeners' Question Time

We are not the BBC, we only list available podcasts. To find out more about the programme including episodes available on BBC iPlayer, go to the Gardeners' Question Time webpage.