Norwich

Questions and timecodes are below. Where applicable, plant names have been provided.

Q – Can an alstroemeria be divided to revive a large plant? It’s about a foot (30.5cm) tall at the moment.

(3 minutes 22 seconds)

Anne -

Peruvian alstroemeria

Q – How can me and my ten year old son encourage his cactus collection to flower?

(6 minutes 25 seconds)

Anne –

Rebutia

Mammillaria bocasana

Q – I’ve got a Scots pine in a large pot that’s been really healthy up to now, but since the summer it’s become covered with tiny, lozenge shaped black dots, and the needles have also started to drop off.

(9 minutes 23 seconds)

Feature – For 75 years the people of Norway have given Londoners the gift of a Christmas Tree – a Norwegian spruce. Matt Biggs and producer Dan Cocker went to see this year’s lights being switched on in Trafalgar Square and to find out the story behind this.

(14 minutes 02 seconds)

Q – Do the panel have a favourite Christmas Tree and why?

(21 minutes 30 seconds)

Bob –

Asparagus

Anne –

Norway Spruce

Matthew –

Traditional tree

Picea albertiana 'Conica’

Picea omorika

Q – I would welcome some suggestions for suitable plants for a dull, north facing corner. As a hint, acid loving plants enjoy my new garden. I’d like something that’s fairly easy maintenance, and adds some brightness.

(26 minutes 32 seconds) 

Matthew –

Sarcococca confuse, sweet box

Carex

Carex oshimensis

Carex muskingumensis

Deschampsia 'Goldtau'

Bob –

Rhododendron

Camellia

Foxglove

Anne –

Hardy fuchsia

Actaea

Rhododendron ‘Nugget’

Q – Can the panel please suggest an architectural, branching, small tree suited to a hot area in my new courtyard garden? There’s not a lot of topsoil and the subsoil is solid sand. I’m keen not to have a ‘lollipop’ tree.

(31 minutes 22 seconds) 

Matthew –

Colletia paradoxa

Bob -

Poncirus 

 'Buddha's Hand' citron

Eriobotrya, Loquat

Anne –

Colletia armata

Elaeagnus 'Quicksilver'

Cercis siliquastrum, Judas tree

Albizia julibrissin

Arbutus unedo, strawberry tree

Q – My musician husband, whilst not being a gardener, does appreciate the garden. What can the panel suggest I can plant to bring more musicality to the garden?

(37 minutes 45 seconds)