Clandeboye Estate

Gardeners' Question Time

BBC

Leisure, Home & Garden

4.6 • 1K Ratings

🗓️ 14 March 2025

⏱️ 43 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

What’s soil type works best in terrariums? Want plants could I use to absorb the damp patches in my garden? Which unloved flower has a place in your garden?

Kathy Clugston and her team of gardening experts visit the Clandeboye estate in Bangor, where they tackle some head scratching gardening dilemmas. Joining her are ethnobotanist James Wong, garden designer Neil Porteous, and Head of Gardens at Balmoral Kirsty Wilson.

Later in the programme, Neil Porteous takes us on a fascinating journey through the Belfast Botanic Gardens, uncovering the rich history of the shamrock. From ancient legends to its deep connection with St Patrick’s Day, discover how this little green plant became one of Ireland’s most powerful symbols.

Producer: Bethany Hocken Assistant Producer: Dulcie Whadcock Executive Producer: Carly Maile

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello, you're about to listen to a BBC podcast, so I'd like to tell you where you'll find more just like it.
0:05.5	I'm Izzy Lee Poulton, an assistant commissioner for BBC Sounds, which means I'm involved in the whole podcast making process.
0:12.0	Whether that's developing fresh formats or facilitating eye-catching artwork, I helped project manage all the details that make our podcast stand out.
0:19.0	At the BBC, we've got access to
0:21.4	storytellers and experts across a huge range of subjects. It could be psychologists, comedians,
0:27.2	celebrities or journalists. No podcasts or day looks the same here. So no matter what you like,
0:32.8	check out BBC Sounds. There's probably another podcast on there that you're absolutely love.
0:39.2	BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts.
0:44.0	Hello, I'm Cathy Clugston and this is Gardner's Question Time from BBC Radio 4.
0:49.4	So grab those secateurs or sit back and relax however you like to listen and enjoy the next 45 minutes of great tips advice and dubious horticultural humour.
1:01.8	Hello and welcome to Gardner's Question Time. We're at the magnificent Clandiboy Estate near Bangor in Northern Ireland.
1:09.4	Set in 2,000 acres of rolling parkland, Clandiboy has been home to a
1:13.8	remarkable cast of characters, each leaving their mark on the land. Among them, Lady Dufferin,
1:19.7	known to many as Lindy, artist, poet, conservationist and force of nature. Before her passing in 2020,
1:27.0	she championed woodland conservation,
1:29.3	welcomed environmental groups onto the estate, and ensured that Clandiboy remained a flourishing
1:34.0	green haven in the heart of County Down. Today, the estate continues to thrive as a hub of
1:39.5	horticultural and environmental activity. It's home to the regional headquarters of the Woodland Trust,
1:45.7	who are leading rewilding projects to promote biodiversity. And Clandy Boy's famous dairy herd
1:51.6	guarantees a steady supply of that GQT essential, top quality well-rotted manure, as well of some
1:58.0	of Northern Ireland's finest yogurt, which, which like our panel is cultured, full of
2:02.5	goodness and slightly acidic. Let's head inside and read them.
	...

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