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Country File Live at Blenheim Palace

Peter Gibbs chairs the show at Country File Live at Blenheim Palace.

Peter Gibbs chairs the show at Country File Live at Blenheim Palace. Christine Walkden, Bob Flowerdew and James Wong answer this week's questions from budding gardeners.

This week, the panellists discuss the best tree to plant in a pot, why parsnip seeds are so temperamental, and whether or not it is viable to grow turmeric in the UK.

Head of Gardens for Blenheim Palace Hilary Wood gives Peter a tour of the gardens.

Producer: Darby Dorras
Assistant Producer: Jemima Rathbone

A Somethin' Else production for ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio 4

Available now

42 minutes

Last on

Sun 11 Aug 2019 14:00

Plant List

Questions and time codes are below

Where applicable plant names are listed

Ìý

Q – I have read a lot recently about no dig horticulture – do you have any feelings on no dig horticulture? (3 minutes 55)

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Q – I am growing broad beans for the first time ever – how do I know when to pick them? (6 minutes 10)

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Q – We have a small cottage garden and we would like to plant a tree in a pot to give ourselves and our neighbours a little more privacy? It is a fairly breezy spot – can you recommend anything that is likely to flourish? (8 minutes 15)

Ìý

Sorbus (‘Rowan’ / ‘Mountain Ash’)

Cercis siliquastrum ‘Judas Tree’

Amelanchier alnifolia ‘Obelisk’ / Amelanchier Canadensis ‘³§±ð°ù±¹¾±³¦±ð²ú±ð°ù°ù²â’

Ìý

Conservation on climate change (15 minutes 40)

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Ceratostigma

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Q – I like growing interesting things in pots, at the end of last year I got a small pomegranate in a 6inch pot I have overwintered it in the conservatory and the beginning of the year it put on lots of new spindly growth so I decided to repot it and put it outside. Since then it has done nothing – what have I done wrong? (18 minutes 15)

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Q – Can you explain why parsnip seeds are so temperamental? (21 minutes 05)

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Q – Is it viable to grow turmeric in this country? (23 minutes 05)

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Siam tulip (Curcuma alismatifolia)

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Q - We have a growing population of Roman snails – do we need to worry about them? (28 minutes 55)

Ìý

Q – I have very dark shade in a small north-facing front garden. It is very green- I don’t have any colour. Is there anything I can do for floral colour? (30 minutes 55)

Skimmia

Pernettya

Vaccinium

Gaultheria

Autumn Bulbs

Ìý

Q – I have quite a bit of south facing wall I am wondering in the change of climate – do I stand a chance of growing apricots? (32 minutes 50)

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Q – I am a very keen vegetable grower and I have a large allotment which this year has infested with flea beetle. I have been told that ethanol mixed with washing up liquid with water is one way of getting rid of them – would this be classed as organic and would it work? (37 minutes 50)

Broadcasts

  • Fri 9 Aug 2019 15:00
  • Sun 11 Aug 2019 14:00

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