From The Archives: Seasons Greetings
Gardeners' Question Time
BBC
4.5 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 26 December 2025
⏱️ 43 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
How do you remove mistletoe? How can you protect plants from frost damage? And why do brassicas develop clubbed roots?
Kathy Clugston delves into the Gardeners’ Question Time archives to uncover timeless festive gardening wisdom.
Drawing on decades of horticultural expertise, GQT panellists and chairs — past and present — share trusted, practical advice for every green-fingered dilemma. From tackling mistletoe to safeguarding plants against winter cold, their knowledge is as enduring and deep-rooted as the gardens they tend.
Producer: Rahnee Prescod
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, Podcasts. |
| 0:07.0 | Hello, Greg Jenner here, host of You're Dead to Me, the comedy podcast that takes history seriously and then laughs at it. |
| 0:13.4 | This Christmas, forget about socks. We've got the best present of all. |
| 0:17.2 | Dead people! |
| 0:18.2 | All that sounds like zombies. Sorry, it's not zombies. Let me start again. |
| 0:21.8 | In our new family-friendly podcast series, dead funny history, historical figures come back to life |
| 0:26.8 | but just long enough to argue with me, tell their life stories and sometimes get on my nerves. |
| 0:31.8 | You're dead to me. |
| 0:32.8 | Dead funny history. |
| 0:34.1 | Listen on BBC Sounds. |
| 0:37.3 | Hello and welcome to Gardner's Question Time with me, Cathy Clugston. |
| 0:41.6 | For our Christmas edition, we're delving into the GQT archives for a bundle of festive treats. |
| 0:48.0 | As our panellists take a well-earned rest until the new planting year, I'm going to take you |
| 0:52.9 | on a tour of more than 70 years' worth |
| 0:55.2 | of Christmas conundrums. We're going to start with a couple of questions about an evergreen |
| 1:00.4 | plant often associated with Christmas tradition, mistletoe. This symbol of love and romance is actually |
| 1:07.1 | a parasite. It grows on the branches of trees, drawing water and nutrients from its host. |
| 1:13.2 | This question was put to the panel back in 1961 |
| 1:16.1 | when Franklin Engelman was the chair. |
| 1:19.5 | Your question now, please, and your name, first of all, am I tell? |
| 1:22.3 | Mr. Parker. |
| 1:23.1 | Right, Mr. Parker. |
... |
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