Alan Titchmarsh’s latest career move comes amid the ITV gardener’s ongoing mission to “pass on knowledge” about the importance of horticulture and the environment
Alan Titchmarsh wants to keep Brits educated about horticulture
Earlier this year, Alan Titchmarsh revealed that he had chosen to scale back his working commitments, in order to spend more quality time with his family. The 76-year-old horticulturalist has now eliminated Fridays from his schedule, and sometimes takes Mondays off as well.
However, while he may have cut down his hours, this doesn’t mean that the presenter will be hanging up his gardening gloves anytime soon. Alan maintains that working in the great outdoors continues to be one of his most cherished joys.
Furthermore, his want to continue working isn’t just for himself, but also due to his concerns about the future of gardening and environmental conservation.
Alan recently made another career move by setting up a new YouTube and TikTok channel. He said the main reason behind this is to share “knowledge and care” about nature with those immersed in the digital realm.
“I need to pass on knowledge and care for the environment to every generation, and that starts with a little piece of earth outside in your garden,” he told Suffolk Magazine.
Alan Titchmarsh and his wife Alison(Image: Getty)
“There’s a great danger now with technology, mobile phones etc that young people will lose connection with the great outdoors.
“They know about global warming and climate change and feel powerless to do anything about it,” he added.
The former Gardeners’ World presenter began his YouTube channel in April, and it has already attracted nearly 61,000 followers.
When launching his channel, he expressed: “In a worryingly troubled world, gardening is a great escape, but it’s an escape to reality. The grass, the trees, the shrubs, the flowers remind you that nature carries on, and when you work with her it’s enriching beyond measure.”
He continued: “I’ve been a gardener for over 60 years and I can safely say that gardening is one of life’s greatest joys, and I can’t wait to share it with you.”
Alan has voiced concerns about the future of British gardening for many years, fearing it isn’t championed enough.
Previously speaking to the Daily Mail, he said: “It’s time we reconnected them with apples rather than Apple Macs, plant cells rather than cell phones and raspberries as well as blackberries.”
Alan Titchmarsh has no plans to retire
In particular, he believes the younger generation has a lack of interest in horticulture, suggesting it’s not sufficiently promoted as a viable career path.
“There is much to learn and, as anyone who has been involved with horticulture will tell you, it can be tremendously challenging,” he pointed out.
“And yet our role is undervalued by government, by the population and by young people in particular – in every instance because they just do not understand the breadth of what we do and its importance in terms of the wellbeing of the planet and its population.”
Despite cutting down his hours, Alan continues to be busy with a variety of projects, including presenting his Gardening Club series and Love Your Weekend on ITV. Earlier in the month, he also shared the news that he will be taking over from Dame Mary Berry as the president of the National Garden Scheme.
The gardener said he was “honoured to have been asked” to take on the role for the charity, which annually raises millions of pounds for nursing charities.
Quizzed on what’s next for him, he added: “Who knows! I really am so lucky to be doing a job I love, which really isn’t a job at all – it’s a way of life that I have been blessed with.”
Love Your Weekend With Alan Titchmarsh continues today at 9.30am on ITV and ITVX.