Alan Titchmarsh says his garden is unable to grow five plants, but they thrive in his daughters’ homes just eight miles away from his
Alan Titchmarsh has named five plants that he ‘simply can’t ever grow’ in his garden. The 76-year-old has become one of the leading names in gardening over the past five decades and even fronted shows such as BBC’s Ground Force and Gardeners’ World.
But Alan says there are some plants that, no matter how hard he tries, will not grow in his Hampshire garden. One such plant Alan says is the rhododendrons, which grows “like weeds” in his daughters’ plots just eight miles away in Surrey.
That is because the rhododendron, along with camellias, azaleas, pieris and some magnolias, struggle to grow in the alkaline soil of Alan’s plot. However his daughters boast a more acidic garden.
Writing in Countrylife magazine, Alan said: “I can only grow them in containers of ericaceous compost, thanks to the fact that my garden is overlying solid chalk. Planted out on my patch of earth, rhodies and azaleas sulk and turn yellow of leaf within a year or so.
“In sizeable lead tubs filled with ericaceous (lime-free) compost, they do survive for rather longer, but they stay relatively small and last for only a few years, in spite of regular feeding, before they have to be ousted and donated to a daughter with acid soil. You can almost hear them cheer on removal day.”
Alan recommends gardeners analyse the pH level of their soil before they start to plant. He also suggests buying a geological map, for around £6, to find out what type of soil is in your area.
He believes this will save gardeners “heartache” as well as a “considerable sum of money” by planting flowers that will thrive in their garden.
He says many gardeners will discover the make-up of their garden once they push a fork or spade into the ground.
Should they find their tools won’t go more than half an inch into the ground in the height of summer, then Alan says you are most likely to have a clay ground. While those with a sandy soil will find it easier to cultivate plants after heavy rain.
Alan says rarer areas may have “medium loam” soil. Medium loam is often considered a mix of sand, silt, clay, and organic matter.
Alan says the soil type is “rare and treasured”, joking that it can be found in areas such as Warwickshire and Bangladesh.
Alan will return to TV screens this morning with Love Your Weekend from 9.30am on ITV One.
Ben Miller and David Essex will be joining Alan at Manor Farm along with actress Thelma Barlow. Viewers will also see the grand opening of the show’s new chicken coop.