Chaldon
2/20/202642 min
Peter Gibbs and the GQT team are in Chaldon.
Peter's joined by Anne Swithinbank, Pippa Greenwood and Matthew Pottage.
This week the panel take on a wide range of gardening dilemmas, from how to reach into borders without treading on emerging plants, to which colourful plants thrive in shady, chalky soil. When it comes to growing veg, the team also has answers on whether leaving weeds in place can help crops during extreme heat, and tips on non‑chemical approaches to protecting cabbages and sprouts from hungry pests.
The panellists also discuss how th...
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First 90 secondsPeter Gibbs· Host0:00
Hello, and welcome to Gardeners' Question Time with me, Peter Gibbs. Today we're in Chaldon, a village that sits high on the North Downs in Surrey. So high, in fact, I've heard some locals have nicknamed it Little Switzerland, claiming that snowfall is always heavier here than in other parts of the region during winter cold snaps due to the microclimate. So if you hear the distant sound of cowbells and yodeling, you'll know why. While lacking the grandeur of Switzerland, the open fields, ancient hedgerows, and big skies give Chaldon a sense of space that locals quietly cherish. Chaldon Common nearby is one of the largest areas of open chalk grassland in Surrey, rich in wildflowers and butterflies through the summer months. It's land that looks simple at first glance but is full of quiet complexity, much like a good garden. A fitting place then to talk about patience, soil, and stewardship, values that definitely sit at the heart of this program. As does, of course, sound gardening advice. And with that in mind, let's meet today's panel. Please welcome horticulturist, writer, and broadcaster Anne Swithinbank; plant pathologist Pippa Greenwood; and head of horticulture and landscape strategy for the Royal Parks, Matthew Pottage. Your Gardeners' Question Time panel.
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