Chat Ed : Matt James is The City Gardener . With Matt's help the most neglected city garden can become a stunning extension to a home, adding thousands to its value, without any need for green fingers or a fat wallet. And he’s here with us now!

Matt James : Hello everyone this is Matt here....

Lucie Dave : Hi Mate
Nathan : hello
campertastic : hi there Matt, love the show, although my husband gets upset cos I ignore him every Tuesday night!!!
Tom Barton Garden G : wot was it that first inspired u into gardening

Matt James giggles at campertastic.
Matt James : I think that around the age of 16 I got into it. I went to work at a market garden and was doing a course one day a week at the same time and I just loved it. I loved being outside it was just great. My Mum was a keen gardener too. I didn't want to be in an office, I like nature and plants and being outside.

cunkyboy : what's it like being the most fanciable man on TV?
Melanie : what's your garden like?

Matt James : Well as far as the most fanciable man goes I didn't realise I was and you have really made me blush! As for my garden, I have a full balcony and a fairly large allotment and so I get my kicks from both I suppose. My balcony is full of lilies and I've got loads of bedding going on. My allotment is just full of my favourite plants. It's very weedy though so I've got a lot of work to do over the weekend!

lainey : yey lillies - my fave too!!
Ed Portrush : Matt, we live on the extreme northern coast of Northern Ireland approximately 100 yards from the sea - can you suggest a few plants that would first of all survive and secondly add some colour to our garden

Matt James : Ooh if you're that close to the sea then the best thing to do is to get some sort of wind break going - you could use Olearia or Laurels. Staple, plush evergreen plants are all ideal for a bit of windbreak Many Clematis tolerate salt air and you can grow sage, cotton lavender, morning glory will give a really good splash of colour too. Perennial sweet pea, which won’t mind the salt, might work too. Forsythia is a very tough plant and lilacs, at this time of year, are lovely. Viburnum Tinus would be good too - they do need sun but will tolerate some salt spray too. The list goes on!

Lisa : I never realised so many plants could resist such harsh conditions.

Matt James : There’s a great book actually called “Seaside Gardening” - I think it's an American book.

Question : What plants would you recommend indoors? Preferably something low maintenance :)

Matt James : Aah! Low maintenance....Aeonium - that's very low maintenance. Money plants are easy to care for as are scented Geraniums, which will thrive indoors. I'm just looking around my house now to see what I have…Mother-in-Laws Tongue is very tough too. For ultra low maintenance though go for a cactus or an Aloe Vera.

joe : Matt, we live in London and don't have any outside space but we do have loads of light from huge windows. Can you recommend any alternatives to a couple of parlour palms and a cheese plant!

Matt James : joe - you can grow some of the bigger houseplants like Ficus and the weeping fig. Ficus Elastica is a very fat-leafed thing. Also you can grow very big Birds of Paradise too. Philodendron are good - those are quite tough - you grow them on large moss poles.

katie28 : would just like to say....love your show!
christine : I’ve just bought a house with a small bright neglected courtyard, but I’m not moving in till June what can I plant to give an instant loveliness!!

Matt James : Most importantly you need to identify it's aspect - is it south or north facing and then you need to identify the orientation of each wall. In courtyards it's a good idea to take advantage of the vertical space. So once you have done that you can then use that to go to the garden centre and choose your plants with their help.

dulwichlad : loveliness....get a BIG pic of matt!!
Lisa : I live in a student house, therefore we have very little money to spend on the garden. How can we make the garden look nice for a small price?

Matt James : Containers! Grow your stuff in containers then you can take them with you when you move. You can grow masses of annuals and bedding plants are very cheap these days. You can get old oil drums to use as containers or rubber tyres - they are very cheap. As far as putting stuff in the ground - look for cheap basic shrubs and go from there.

Mat : Hey Matt. The music on your program is cool. Do you select it yourself. Can I get hold of a play list?
carla : are they only submitting 'gardening' questions to you? who chooses your music for the show?

Matt James : I didn’t select it for this series, the director did. I don't know of a play list anywhere, you may need to try the production company for that. It's all music that we like - the ones that are selected are all tunes that we listen to.

CrAiG : We foolishly covered our garden in large white gravel a couple of years ago and its unwieldy....... we simply now want a nice lawn (We are not major gardeners) so what’s the easiest way of getting all this gravel up... is there a tip?

Matt James laughs
Matt James : Work out a bit and then do it by hand. There's no easy way! Spend a day with a few mates and a few beers and bribe them to give you a hand.

lainey : who's garden would you most love to design and why?
CrAiG : Thanks

Matt James : My girlfriend has just shouted out 'His own!' When I get a garden I want to really, really design my own. There's no one in particular that I think “Ooh I'd love to design a garden for him or her”, it depends whether or not we are in tune. Actually Jimi Hendrix would have been a cool one.

Helena : How do I get a contemporary look without it looking contrived, and something that won't look dated in 10 years?
Helena : Ooh and can I ask about lemon trees? I've heard they actually like cooler weather, but what varieties would you recommend? And should it go in a pot and be brought in through winter, or planted deep?

Matt James : Use simple, classy materials and avoid gimmicks. I'm not a great fan of crushed glass and things like that. I like well-chosen classy materials and don't clutter it too much. Keep it simple and take a lead from the house. I'm not a lemon expert I’m afraid - but certainly they should be brought inside over the Winter because they are quite frost-tender unless you live in Cornwall or Devon where it is milder. They need a hot south-facing wall, but when you bring them inside - no central heating. They need a cool, frost-free place to rest.

libby : would you please tell me how to plant foxgloves because they are my favourite plant

Matt James : In the first year Foxgloves germinate and put on growth, in the second year they flower and set in seed. The cheapest way is to grow them from seed. All you need is a good free-draining, moisture-retentive soil. Get a nice, crumbly finish to the soil - very fine, and follow the advice on the packet.

sophie : What's the smallest fruit tree. I have a small garden but desperately want to grow veg and fruit

Matt James : Grow Espaliers and Fans, they are fruit trees trained into flat shapes, which you can then grow directly on a wall. There are numerous types available. Morello cherries would grow on a north-facing wall and most apples would grow on a south-facing wall. Just make sure you go to a specialist to get a good one.

Eleanor : Hi, Any advice to save my new lawn from my husband, he insists it can be laid onto old turf. We're using your book as inspiration but he's adamant about laying it over the old grass and said I should ask you via chat?

Matt James : Rubbish! It's great to hear that the book is inspiring, but no, you can't lay turf over old turf because you'll potentially encourage disease. You need to rid yourself of the old turf - hire a turf lifter maybe. Whip it off, fork it over, level it out, consolidate it by walking over it and then rake it out again so it's got a very fine finish and then you can lay your turf in a brickwork pattern i.e. stagger the joints. Lastly always work off a board, never stand all over the turf as you'll put holes in it.

Martin : Hi Matt, do you have any suggestion for suitable plants to replace/hide 120 yds of fencing of a south facing garden but not poisonous to dogs

Matt James : Goodness me! 120 yards! Quite a vigorous climber - maybe Wisteria or Potato Vine, which is quite rampant, or Passion Flower. Or get a Boston Ivy which will tolerate north-facing but it will cling to the fence without you having to put up any type of support. If you choose Wisteria you'll need a sturdy support especially on that length of fence.

Phil G : Matt, Ive got moles that keep nacking my garden up - how do persuade them to bugger off next door

Matt James chuckles
Matt James : You can actually get a mole deterrent which is like a sonic pole that you put in the ground and it emits a sonic sound and discourages the moles.

markt : Matt, Mark and Carole from Selling houses asks how to take cutting from catkin tree. Also where is the book promised.

Matt James : Hi! I hope you're well. I wanted to ring you and congratulate you on selling your house. Usually by grafting, which is tricky. I'm sure you could get away with trying a semi-ripe cutting in about a month's time though.

Gary Mancini : Look forward to the next series !!
Margaret Ian : Thanks for the chance to chat..all the best.
cunkyboy : Thanks Matt for keeping us entertained. Keep up the good work! Don't forget your're the most fanciable man on tv!
campertastic : Matt, If you were a plant, what would you be?

Matt James : If I was a plant I'd be something simple and uncomplicated - a regal lilly. Or maybe a tree! A grumpy, old, oak tree.

doddy : do you think your program would be more popular if you swore like Gorden Ramsey?

Matt James laughs at doddy! Potentially, yes!

Chat Ed : That's it! Thanks for coming and talking to us Matt!

paula : Matt, congrats on the show, hope there is another series after this one!
Mr Cynds : Toodles Mr Matt, Take Care!

Matt James : Thanks very much indeed. I'm glad you all like the show. We'll see you for a third series which we start filming in about a month's time, which will be on your TVs next spring!

sophie : thankyou!!!!
Lisa : till next time
MattWoberts : Bye!
Liz : by Matt...keep up the good work
Vince : bye...
Claire_C : roll on next Tuesdays episode
Titan : bye
Sue7170 : Take Care x

Matt James leaves the room