TODAY’S RADIO

James Wong’s Alternative Country Garden

11AM, RADIO 4 The garden designer and TV presenter James Wong thinks it’s high time that the traditional English country garden, with its contrived informality, was put out to pasture. James believes we should drastically rethink how we design our gardens, and should look to Singapore – the ‘city in a garden’ – for inspiration for our horticultural planning. He explains his innovative green thinking this morning.

The Other Simenon

2.15PM, RADIO 4 Emile is a dutiful man who has worked hard to give his wife and son a good life. Emile, who has been able to convince himself he is happy, moves his family to a new apartment on the outskirts of Paris. The apartment looks nice enough, but the walls are paper-thin. Emile can hear everything that his dubious nextdoor neighbours get up to, and what he hears makes him question how he has lived his life. Jamie Glover, Sam Alexander and Robin Weaver star in this dramatisation of a novella by Georges Simenon.

Desmond Carrington

7PM, RADIO 2 That nice Mr Carrington presents another selection of old and new tracks from his extensive archive. Today’s selection of music is on the theme of changes.

Friday Night Is Music Night

8PM, RADIO 2 Joe Stilgoe and Louise Dearman join the BBC Concert Orchestra, conducted by Michael England, for this concert presented by Leo Green. They’ll be performing some of the great film themes from the 1950s, including extracts from Rozsa’s epic Ben-Hur score and songs from the musical comedy The Band Wagon.

The Essay

10.45PM, RADIO 3 Daisies are the most common flower in the world, and are found in some form the world over. They have many medicinal uses, and are thought to be good for backache – except when you’re trying to pull them up. In this week-long series on our best-known and best-loved flowers, Fiona Stafford sings the praises of daisies.

James Wong (11am, Radio 4)