meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Gardeners' Question Time

Chaldon

Gardeners' Question Time

BBC

Leisure, Home & Garden

4.51.1K Ratings

🗓️ 20 February 2026

⏱️ 43 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Peter Gibbs and the GQT team are in Chaldon.

Peter's joined by Anne Swithinbank, Pippa Greenwood and Matthew Pottage.

This week the panel take on a wide range of gardening dilemmas, from how to reach into borders without treading on emerging plants, to which colourful plants thrive in shady, chalky soil. When it comes to growing veg, the team also has answers on whether leaving weeds in place can help crops during extreme heat, and tips on non‑chemical approaches to protecting cabbages and sprouts from hungry pests.

The panellists also discuss how their plant recommendations have changed over the years, and which plants they now avoid altogether!

Later in the show, we hear from Peter’s visit to RHS Wisley where he spoke with RHS Chief Horticultural Advisor, Guy Barter, and Botanist and Taxonomist, Dr Kálmán Könyves to follow up on last year’s Daffodil diaries scheme.

Producer: 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.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

BBC Sounds, Music, Radio Podcasts.

0:05.6

Oh, hello. You have chosen a BBC podcast, but before you listen to it, we thought you might like our podcast too.

0:12.1

You might. You might. It is called Sightraught with me, Nick Grimshaw.

0:15.2

And me, Annie Mack. And we talk about the week in music.

0:18.2

All the news, all the cultural happenings in the UK and beyond,

0:22.2

and great guests. And it's on BBC Sounds. Yes, where you can also enjoy lots of

0:27.1

playlists, music mixes and live radio, everything from my six music breakfast show to Radio

0:33.2

3 Unwind. But obviously start with our our podcast sidetrack. Obviously. Obviously.

0:40.1

So if you like music, listen on BBC Sans.

0:44.0

Hello and welcome to Gardner's question time with me, Peter Gibbs.

0:49.8

Today we're in Chalden, a village that sits high on the north downs in Surrey.

0:56.0

So high in flat, I've heard some locals have nicknamed it Little Switzerland, claiming that snowfall is always heavier here than in other parts of the region during winter cold snaps due to the microclimate.

1:03.0

So if you hear the distant sound of cowbells and yodeling, you'll know why.

1:08.0

While lacking the grandeur of Switzerland, the open fields, ancient hedgerows and big

1:13.8

skies give Chalden a sense of space that locals quietly cherish. Chaulden common nearby is one of the

1:21.5

largest areas of open chalk grassland in Surrey, rich in wildflowers and butterflies through the summer months. It's land that

1:29.8

looks simple at first glance, but is full of quiet complexity, much like a good garden. A fitting

1:37.0

place then to talk about patience, soil and stewardship values that definitely sit at the heart

1:43.1

of this program.

1:46.7

As does, of course, sound gardening advice.

1:49.1

And with that in mind, let's meet today's panel.

1:53.4

Please welcome horticulturist, writer and broadcaster, and Swithvenbank,

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from BBC, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of BBC and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.