As one of the UK’s most well-known gardeners, Alan Titchmarsh has been instrumental in shaping a number of horticultural trends – but some have been less well received
Renowned gardening guru Alan Titchmarsh has revealed his personal list of horticultural ‘dos and don’ts’, including a trend he kick-started that has since drawn flak.
As one of Britain’s most cherished green-fingered experts, Titchmarsh has been at the forefront of many gardening trends, some of which he admits have come back to haunt him.
“I get it in the neck all the time for decking,” Alan admitted to The Times. “When I started doing Ground Force, B&Q’s annual sales totalled £9,000. A year [later] that reached £8 million. It earned me a place in Quentin Letts’s book 50 People Who Buggered Up Britain.”
In response, the former Gardeners’ World presenter compiled a list of gardening faux pas, inspired by socialite Nicky Hallam who annually shares his list of things he considers “common.”
Alan’s own list includes Gladioli, which he deems ‘fit only for church decoration,’ and Pampas grass, which “have a certain significance”. He also takes aim at Petunias, “large cyclamen in window-boxes, golden conifers in window-boxes and quite a lot in window boxes actually”.
The TV personality shows little love for shiny new garden tools, preferring their well-worn counterparts, stating: “Old ones have silky smooth handles and blades and prongs that have been sharpened by years of wear and yet still have more life in them.”
Alan has been quite outspoken about his views on current gardening trends, revealing a particular aversion to artificial turf and the widespread use of plastic in gardens. He’s even gone as far as to amusingly label log-roll edging, commonly used to define different areas such as flower beds and paths, as “exquisitely naff.”
But it’s not all negative from Alan; he offers some relief for the more relaxed gardeners among us, advising against overzealous digging with a simple command: “Don’t.”
His scepticism doesn’t end there; he questions the rewilding movement’s effectiveness for wildlife conservation.
He told The Times: “Anybody who’s studied ecology knows the ‘natural’ state of this country is covered in oak trees or brambles,” and argued that a return to such a state isn’t necessarily good for biodiversity. Instead, he believes that “with gardeners who garden responsibly, it doesn’t matter which country flowers come from, the bees and the butterflies want nectar”.
Fans of Alan can catch him on his programme Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh today (Sunday, February 9) at 9.30am on ITV.