Skip to main content

Ask RayNew Trends Ads Appearances Podcasts API

We value your privacy

We use cookies to understand how you use our platform and to improve your experience. Click “Accept All” to consent, or “Decline non-essential” to opt out of non-essential cookies. Read our Privacy Policy.

Gardeners' Question Time

Gardeners' Question Time

From the Archive: Halloween Special

Oct 30, 2026 · 45 min · 18 segments

Kathy Clugston dusts the cobwebs off the Gardeners’ Question Time archives for a spooky selection of supernatural gardening advice from the past 79 years of the program. This Halloween special is…

Kathy Clugston dusts the cobwebs off the Gardeners’ Question Time archives for a spooky selection of supernatural gardening advice from the past 79 years of the program. This Halloween special is packed with ghostly gardening tales, monstrous pumpkins, and poisonous plants. The panel share advice on encouraging bats into the garden, managing an invasion of spiders and revisit a compost bin so overrun with worms that it burst open. Along the way, Chris Beardshaw ventures into the infamous Poison Garden at Alnwick, home to over 100 toxic, intoxicating, and narcotic plants. Producer: Dulcie Whadcock Assistant Producer: Will 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.

Kathy Clugston dusts the cobwebs off the Gardeners’ Question Time archives for a spooky selection of supernatural gardening advice from the past 79 years of the program. This Halloween special is…

Top entities: Ronald Reagan×5 Chris Beardshaw×11 Casablanca×11 Kathy Clugston×7 Pippa Greenwood×7

Spotify Apple Podcasts YouTube Amazon Music Website

Speakers: Kathy ClugstonHostChris ThorogoodChris BeardshawPanelistEric RobsonHostBunny GuinnessPanelistMatthew BiggsPanelistMatthew PottagePanelistJames WongPanelistAnne SwithinbankPanelistPippa GreenwoodPanelistBob FlowerdewPanelistMatthew WilsonPanelistMarcus Chilton-JonesPanelistJohn CushniePanelistChristine WalkdenPanelistPeter GibbsHost

Show signals: SuitabilitySafePopularityVery Populartop 5%Audience≈30k followers

Growing Prizewinning Pumpkins1:06 – 5:32

Kathy ClugstonHost

1:06

In Boalsall in the West Midlands in 2024, audience member Katie asked the panel how to win a pumpkin growing competition without cheating.

K

Katie StanleyAudience

1:16

Hello, panel.

K

Katie StanleyAudience

1:17

I'm Katie Stanley from Balsall Common.

K

Katie StanleyAudience

1:20

I'm having a family competition to grow the biggest pumpkin.

K

Katie StanleyAudience

1:25

What secrets can you suggest to win the prize?

Kathy ClugstonHost

1:30

OK, secrets to the biggest pumpkin, Bunny Guinness.

Kathy ClugstonHost

1:33

Yeah.

Kathy ClugstonHost

1:34

Well, you need to set them off quite early.

Kathy ClugstonHost

1:36

So I would probably

Bunny GuinnessPanelist

1:37

do end of March.

Bunny GuinnessPanelist

1:38

I'm quite bold in that respect.

Bunny GuinnessPanelist

1:41

And then I would plant it, obviously, in a very fertile place.

Bunny GuinnessPanelist

1:44

Where do you think you're planting it? In lots of sun? I have got an

K

Katie StanleyAudience

1:46

allotment.

K

Katie StanleyAudience

1:48

So I've got a raised bed.

Bunny GuinnessPanelist

1:50

You see, the slight problem with raised beds and getting a big pumpkin is they do drain freer.

Bunny GuinnessPanelist

1:55

You know, if you think of a bed on the ground, the roots can go right out.

Bunny GuinnessPanelist

1:58

But in a raised bed, they get to the edge and that's it, mate.

K

Katie StanleyAudience

2:01

Yeah.

Bunny GuinnessPanelist

2:02

So I would make sure you water it more if it's in a raised bed for sure.

K

Katie StanleyAudience

2:06

Would it be bigger if it wasn't in a raised bed? I think

Bunny GuinnessPanelist

2:09

it would.

Bunny GuinnessPanelist

2:09

I think you definitely have less water available in a raised bed.

Bunny GuinnessPanelist

2:14

And then I would restrict the flowers.

Bunny GuinnessPanelist

2:18

When I saw one growing, I think I would just restrict it to one if you want to be really competitive.

Ronald ReaganPerson40th U.S. President
99%5 mentions
Chris BeardshawPersonBritish garden designer
98%11 mentions
CasablancaMovie1942 film
96%11 mentions
Kathy ClugstonPersonPresenter
95%7 mentions
Pippa GreenwoodPersonPathologist and TV show host
94%7 mentions
Gardeners' Question TimeBroadcast Service
92%12 mentions
LathraeaEntityPlant
91%1 mention
Bunny GuinnessPersonBritish landscape architect and journalist
89%9 mentions
AlnwickCityTown in England
88%2 mentions
Poison GardenPlace
87%3 mentions
BBCCompanyBroadcasting company
85%10 mentions
In Our TimeBroadcast Service
84%7 mentions
NorthumberlandAdministrative AreaCeremonial county in England
82%4 mentions
Eric RobsonPersonAuthor and TV show host
81%6 mentions
James WongPersonBritish ethnobotanist and TV show host
80%4 mentions
Peter GibbsPerson
78%5 mentions
Danny RobinsPersonBritish comedy writer
77%4 mentions
University of Oxford Botanic GardenEntityGarden in Oxford, England
75%2 mentions
Horniman Museum and GardensMuseumMuseum in London, England
74%2 mentions
Rose rosette virusEntity
73%2 mentions
RedclawsEntityPlant
71%1 mention
Common medlarEntityPlant
70%2 mentions
Giant pumpkinEntity
68%2 mentions
Christine WalkdenPersonBritish television presenter
67%3 mentions
Will NortonPerson
65%1 mention
BBC SoundsSoftware ApplicationWebsite
64%1 mention
World War IIEventWar
63%1 mention
HollywoodAdministrative AreaNeighborhood in Los Angeles, California
61%3 mentions
Northern VirginiaPlaceRegion in Virginia
60%1 mention
United KingdomCountryCountry in Europe
58%7 mentions
Blenheim PalaceResidenceCastle in England
57%2 mentions
BBC Radio 4Radio StationRadio station
56%2 mentions
United StatesCountryCountry in North America
54%2 mentions
West MidlandsAdministrative AreaCeremonial county in England
53%2 mentions
TaxusEntityPlant
51%2 mentions
Balsall CommonCityVillage in England
50%1 mention
East MidlandsAdministrative AreaRegions of England
49%1 mention
Matthew BiggsPersonBritish radio personality and gardener
47%5 mentions
East Riding of YorkshirePlaceCeremonial county in England
46%2 mentions
East LondonCityArea in England
44%2 mentions
LondonCityCapital of England
43%2 mentions
The Canterbury TalesBookBook by Geoffrey Chaucer
42%1 mention
ChristmasEntityCelebration
40%1 mention
AlbaniaCountryCountry in Europe
39%1 mention
Arum LiliesEntityPlant
35%1 mention
BoxEntityPlant
35%1 mention
ColumbineEntityPlant
35%1 mention
HollyEntityPlant
35%1 mention
Bob FlowerdewPersonGardener and TV show host
32%1 mention
Victorian eraEvent
30%1 mention

Toxic PlantsNature > Plants
Vegetable GardeningAgriculture > Horticulture
Garden WildlifeAnimals
Giant Pumpkin CultivationAgriculture > Horticulture > Vegetable Gardening
Atlantic Giant Pumpkin CompetitionAgriculture > Horticulture > Vegetable Gardening > Giant Pumpkin Cultivation
Poison Garden SafetyNature > Plants > Toxic Plants
Identifying and Handling Poisonous Garden PlantsNature > Plants > Toxic Plants > Poison Garden Safety
Rose DiseasesAgriculture > Horticulture > Ornamental Gardening
Rose Rosette Disease and Resistant ReplacementsAgriculture > Horticulture > Ornamental Gardening > Rose Diseases
Wildlife GardeningAnimals > Garden Wildlife
Beneficial Garden AnimalsAnimals > Garden Wildlife > Wildlife Gardening
Edible and Soil-Care GardeningAgriculture > Horticulture
Garlic, Medlar, and Compost ManagementAgriculture > Horticulture > Edible and Soil-Care Gardening
HorticultureAgriculture
Ornamental GardeningAgriculture > Horticulture
Agriculture
Nature
Animals
PlantsNature

Growing Prizewinning Pumpkins1:06 – 5:32

Kathy ClugstonHost

1:06

In Boalsall in the West Midlands in 2024, audience member Katie asked the panel how to win a pumpkin growing competition without cheating.

K

Katie StanleyAudience

1:16

Hello, panel.

K

Katie StanleyAudience

1:17

I'm Katie Stanley from Balsall Common.

K

Katie StanleyAudience

1:20

I'm having a family competition to grow the biggest pumpkin.

K

Katie StanleyAudience

1:25

What secrets can you suggest to win the prize?

Kathy ClugstonHost

1:30

OK, secrets to the biggest pumpkin, Bunny Guinness.

Kathy ClugstonHost

1:33

Yeah.

Kathy ClugstonHost

1:34

Well, you need to set them off quite early.

Kathy ClugstonHost

1:36

So I would probably

Bunny GuinnessPanelist

1:37

do end of March.

Bunny GuinnessPanelist

1:38

I'm quite bold in that respect.

Bunny GuinnessPanelist

1:41

And then I would plant it, obviously, in a very fertile place.

Bunny GuinnessPanelist

1:44

Where do you think you're planting it? In lots of sun? I have got an

K

Katie StanleyAudience

1:46

allotment.

K

Katie StanleyAudience

1:48

So I've got a raised bed.

Bunny GuinnessPanelist

1:50

You see, the slight problem with raised beds and getting a big pumpkin is they do drain freer.

Bunny GuinnessPanelist

1:55

You know, if you think of a bed on the ground, the roots can go right out.

Bunny GuinnessPanelist

1:58

But in a raised bed, they get to the edge and that's it, mate.

K

Katie StanleyAudience

2:01

Yeah.

Bunny GuinnessPanelist

2:02

So I would make sure you water it more if it's in a raised bed for sure.

K

Katie StanleyAudience

2:06

Would it be bigger if it wasn't in a raised bed? I think

Bunny GuinnessPanelist

2:09

it would.

Bunny GuinnessPanelist

2:09

I think you definitely have less water available in a raised bed.

Bunny GuinnessPanelist

2:14

And then I would restrict the flowers.

Bunny GuinnessPanelist

2:18

When I saw one growing, I think I would just restrict it to one if you want to be really competitive.

Sign up to see more

The rest of this transcript — segmented and speaker-labeled, so you land on the exact moment something was said
Search every transcript — by keyword, by phrase, or by meaning, across every show Radar indexes
Trends — what is surging across podcasts, measured against its own baseline
Alerts — when a name you follow appears in a newly indexed episode

Create an account Already have an account? Log in

No account is needed to search Radar.