Winterbourne House and Garden: Tomatoes, Topiary and Japanese Gardens
Kathy Clugston and the panel are in Edgbaston at the University of Birmingham’s Winterbourne House and Garden, an Arts and Crafts-era gem packed with horticultural interest.
Kathy Clugston and the panel are in Edgbaston at the University of Birmingham’s beautiful Winterbourne House and Garden, an Arts and Crafts era gem packed with horticultural interest.
Joining Kathy to answer questions from a keen audience of local gardeners are Bethan Collerton, Marcus Chilton‑Jones and Dr Chris Thorogood. The team tackle everything from leggy tomatoes, to the challenge of designing a cohesive border that spans both sun and shade.
There’s practical advice for dealing with the devastation caused by box tree moth, creative planting ideas for Japanese‑inspired gardens using unusual and architectural plants.
Also, Bethan takes a walk around the Winterbourne grounds with head gardener Paul Cooke to discover how Gertrude Jekyll’s influence continues to shape the garden today.
Producers: Alison Vernon-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.
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Plant List
GQT Plant List Winterbourne House & Garden, Edgbaston
Q—
2 minutes, 0 seconds
Despite my best efforts, my tomato plants always grow too leggy. What can I do?
Marcus Chilton‑Jones
Tomato — Solanum lycopersicum
Tomato ‘Crimson Crush’ — Solanum lycopersicum ‘Crimson Crush’
Q—5 minutes, 52 seconds
I have an L‑shaped border (sun and shade, clay soil). What plants will work cohesively?
Dr Chris Thorogood
Hydrangea ‘Annabelle’ — Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’
Bethan Collerton
Oak‑leaved hydrangea — Hydrangea quercifolia
Barrenwort — Epimedium spp.
Marcus Chilton‑Jones
Flowering dogwood — Cornus kousa
Flowering dogwood ‘Norman Hadden’ — Cornus kousa ‘Norman Hadden’
Flowering dogwood ‘Miss Satomi’ — Cornus kousa ‘Miss Satomi’
Flowering dogwood ‘China Girl’ — Cornus kousa ‘China Girl’
Chinese redbud — Cercis chinensis
Siberian bugloss — Brunnera macrophylla
Columbine — Aquilegia spp.
Foamflower — Tiarella spp.
Comfrey — Symphytum spp.
Ferns — (various genera; RHS horticultural grouping)
Q—
11 minutes, 2 seconds
My topiarised box has been destroyed by box tree moth. Can it recover?
Bethan Collerton
Box — Buxus sempervirens
Yew — Taxus baccata
Marcus Chilton‑Jones
Box — Buxus sempervirens
Dr Chris Thorogood
Japanese holly — Ilex crenata
Q—
17 minutes, 0 seconds
How can I improve the health of two potted olive trees?
Dr Chris Thorogood
Olive — Olea europaea
Marcus Chilton‑Jones
Olive — Olea europaea
Q—
What unusual plants could I use in a Japanese‑style garden?
26 minutes, 44 seconds
Dr Chris Thorogood
Yellow wax bells — Kirengeshoma palmata
Toad lily — Tricyrtis spp.
Marcus Chilton‑Jones
Redvein enkianthus — Enkianthus campanulatus
Flowering dogwood — Cornus kousa
Japanese pagoda tree — Styphnolobium japonicum
Maidenhair tree — Ginkgo biloba
Maidenhair tree ‘Golden Globe’ — Ginkgo biloba ‘Golden Globe’ ⚠️
Maidenhair tree ‘Tit’ — Ginkgo biloba ‘Tit’ ⚠️
Bethan Collerton
Mondo grass — Ophiopogon spp.
Lilyturf — Liriope spp.
Podocarpus — Podocarpus spp.
Q—
What can I grow against a fence in deep shade with poor soil?
31 minutes, 45 seconds
Dr Chris Thorogood
Kiwi vine — Actinidia spp.
Sinofranchetia — Sinofranchetia chinensis ⚠️
Marcus Chilton‑Jones
Climbing hydrangea — Hydrangea petiolaris
Japanese hydrangea vine — Schizophragma hydrangeoides
Virginia creeper — Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Boston ivy — Parthenocissus tricuspidata
Chinese Virginia creeper — Parthenocissus henryana
Bethan Collerton
Ivy — Hedera helix
Q—
Are there plants that would be extinct without cultivation?
35 minutes, 50 seconds
Dr Chris Thorogood
Wollemi pine — Wollemia nobilis
Broadcasts
- Fri 3 Jul 202615:00BBC Radio 4
- Last Sunday14:00BBC Radio 4
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