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Gardeners' Question Time

Postbag Edition: Belvoir Castle

Gardeners' Question Time

BBC

Leisure, Home & Garden

4.61K Ratings

🗓️ 27 June 2025

⏱️ 42 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

What is stunting the growth of my Japanese maple tree? My red tip Photinia keep falling and dying, what’s causing this? What's the best way to get rid of moss from a pond?

Peter Gibbs and the GQT panel take root in the historic grounds of Belvoir Castle, a site steeped in history since the Norman Conquest of 1066.

Joining Peter are garden designer Bunny Guinness, horticulturist Matthew Wilson, and Belvoir Castle’s Head Gardener, Andy Tudbury. Together, they tackle a thorny selection of questions from the GQT postbag.

This week, the panel shares expert advice on safely transplanting roses, taming an unruly Potentilla, and uncovering the reasons why some flowers lose their scent over time.

Senior Producer: Daniel Cocker Junior Producer: Rahnee Prescod 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 – My garden is filled with roses, but they’ve lost their scent, why is this? (03’31”)

Q – What’s the best way to transplant and plant from one environment to another? (06’24”)

Q – My garden has been completely taken over by Potentilla, how do I control it without using chemicals? (09’31”)

Q – My red tip Photinia keep falling and dying, what’s causing this? (11’49”)

Q – What is the problem with my Japanese maple tree? (17’40”)

Q – My 10-year-old rainwater pot pond in a black plastic barrel has become overgrown with moss – What’s the best way to get rid of it? (21’22”)

Q – Is it possible to cover the base of a 175-year-old copper beach tree with fallen moss? (24’19”)

Q – Can I use sawdust as a mulch? (25’49”)

Q – My mature Mahonia has flowered and ripened at two different time this year – what’s the reason for this? (31’20”)

Q – We have recently moved into a new property. We would like advice, please on where to position a new greenhouse. (35’11”)

Q – Could the panel suggest a way to keep our Melia azedarach whilst we’re away on holiday? (38’28”)

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Hello, podcast fan.

0:03.0

Consider this your invite to the UK's biggest podcasting party.

0:06.7

We're heading to Sheffield from the 4th to the 6th of July

0:09.0

for the BBC Sounds Fringe at the Crossed Wires Festival.

0:12.8

We'll be joined by some of the biggest names in podcasting,

0:15.3

including Sarah Cox, Charlie Hedges, Russell Kane,

0:18.4

and some bloke called Greg James doing his radio four show called Rewinder.

0:23.2

You can watch live shows of your favourite podcasts and the best part is free.

0:28.1

To book your free tickets, go to crossedwires.orgive forward slash fringe.

0:33.3

Hello and welcome to Gardner's Question Time with me, Peter Gibbs.

0:40.8

What can a thousand years of gardening do for a castle?

0:51.7

Well, in the case of today's recording location, the answer is plenty and then some. I'm at Beaver Castle, a stately home in Leicestershire, about six miles west of Grantham.

0:57.5

Now the house is impressive enough, beginning as a Norman fort, then a Tudor Manor, a country house,

1:03.5

and remodel with a bit knocking through and extensions in the 19th century in a Gothic revival style.

1:10.0

The building is imposing, it's striking on top of its hill, its central tower, a bit reminiscent of Windsor Castle.

1:12.8

But it's the gardens we've come to see today.

1:18.3

Now, we probably can't fit in all 15,000 acres of formal gardens and parkland during this one visit, but we're going to do our best to see the highlight.

1:21.6

And the person who looks after the greenery here is head gardener Andy Tudbury, who joins me now.

1:26.4

Hello, and how are you?

1:27.6

Very good, and nice to see the sunshine breaking through after a bit of rain.

1:31.3

Yeah, we had a lot of rain earlier, so it's just on cue for you.

1:34.9

Andy, let's get this sorted. Is it Bellevue as spelt or beaver?

...

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