Diss: Gravel Gardens, Camellia Care and Ways to Weather Drought
6/5/202642 min
Peter Gibbs and the Gardeners’ Question Time panel visit Diss, on the Norfolk–Suffolk border, where heavy clay soils meet some of the driest conditions in the country; a combination that keeps gardeners firmly on their toes.
Peter is joined by Bob Flowerdew on his home turf, alongside Christine Walkden and Bunny Guinness as they answer questions from a live audience. They advise on improving your strike rate with cuttings, diagnosing sooty mould on camellias, and deciding whether a bay tree is best kept in a pot, or given room to roam.
Along the way, the panel also explore how to turn a tired lawn into a stylish, drought‑resistant gravel garden, debate whether lavender really needs feeding, and suggest small spring‑flowering trees that can deliver a real seasonal show.
Later in the show, Bob shares hard‑won lessons from gardening in East Anglia, offering practical tips on coping with drought and making the most of every drop of water.
Producer: Matt Smith 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. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qp2f/episodes/guide
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsPeter Gibbs· Host0:00
Hello, and welcome to Gardener's Question Time with me, Peter Gibbs. This week, we've come to Diss, a handsome market town sitting right on the border between Norfolk and Suffolk. Right at the heart of the town lies one of the largest natural meres in lowland England. Six acres of open water fringed by willows and bulrushes, alive with wildfowl, and entirely unbothered by the centuries of activity on its banks. The word Diss itself comes from the Old English for standing water, so you could say this is a town that was named after its most interesting garden feature. The soil is largely heavy boulder clay, the kind that clings to your spade in March and then sets like concrete in July. Uh, fertile, yes, but forgiving, less so. And Diss also sits in one of the driest corners of England, so anyone gardening here has had to learn the art of making every drop count. And of course, Diss is also home to one of our very own panelists, fruit and veg champion, GQT stalwart, Bob Flowerdew has his plot right here in Norfolk, so today he's very much on home turf. We expect no mercy when it comes to local knowledge. And the good news for Bob is that today he's not facing that East Anglian clay alone. He's flanked by two old friends. Please welcome horticulturalist and broadcaster Christine Wharton and garden designer Bunny Guinness, your Gardener's Question Time panel.
Unknown speaker1:24
[audience clapping]