Gardeners' Question Time

This is possibly the longest-running Q and A show in broadcasting history — it started on BBC radio in 1947 and has been going strong ever since. The format hasn’t changed much because it doesn’t need to: a panel of horticultural experts travels to a different location each week and takes gardening questions from a live audience. Kathy Clugston hosts most episodes, with Peter Gibbs stepping in occasionally. The panel rotates, but you’ll hear regulars who clearly know their stuff and genuinely enjoy nerding out about soil pH or the best way to deal with box blight. What makes it work as a podcast (and not just a gardening show) is the audience interaction. People ask questions about their own specific gardens, and the experts have to think on the spot. Sometimes the questions are practical — when to prune a wisteria — and sometimes they get philosophical — is it ever okay to use pesticides? The live audience format gives it an energy that studio recordings can’t replicate. You can hear people laughing, groaning at bad plant puns, and occasionally gasping when an expert delivers a verdict on someone’s beloved but doomed hedge. Episodes run about 43 minutes and come out biweekly. With a 4.7-star rating from over 250 reviews, it has a loyal following. Even if you don’t garden, there’s something genuinely calming and charming about listening to people who care deeply about plants talk to other people who care deeply about plants.