Alan Titchmarsh was once “bullied” by his peers for something beyond his control, but suggested that his passion for gardening may have enabled him to rise above it
Alan Titchmarsh has suggested that he turned the tables on his childhood bullies(Image: Getty Images)
Alan Titchmarsh has suggested that he turned the tables on his childhood bullies by using a gardening “technique” to grow about a foot in one year. As one of the nation’s most beloved television personalities, fans might be surprised to learn that Alan was once “bullied” by his peers for something beyond his control.
A household name known for his work on BBC Gardeners’ World, home makeover classic Ground Force, and more recently, his YouTube channel, Gardening With Alan Titchmarsh, he reached dizzying heights as a celebrity gardener.
As a teenager, Alan stood at just 4 ft 10 when he left school at 15 with an O-level in art (the now-defunct GCE Ordinary Level qualification), but he wouldn’t stay that height for long.
He shot up almost a foot in a year, something he attributes to a surprising gardening trick. Indeed, according to The Mail’s Richard Eden, Alan “wasn’t just growing flowers and vegetables” in his youth.
Alan pictured in a garden in 1983(Image: Getty Images)
Alan, who previously disclosed that he had been “bullied a bit” for his height, said: “When I left school at 15 with an O-level in art I was 4 ft 10 in – and I grew up to 5ft 8in in about a year under glass in the greenhouse.”
He joked: “It’s a technique I recommend if you have a small child – put them in a greenhouse and they grow.”
Speaking of gardening, the 76-year-old recently took to his YouTube channel to caution green-fingered homeowners not to make a certain mistake when planning their gardens.
He also revealed what he considers to be the “biggest mistake” gardeners make, pointing out that too many people try to “do it all at once”, rather than breaking down the tasks.
Alan previously disclosed that he had been “bullied a bit” for his height(Image: Getty Images)
Alan explained that you should: “Start with the bit you look at when you’re inside the house.
“Generally speaking, one of the places you are at the most of all is the kitchen sink, and if the kitchen sink has a window in front of it, and that’s what you’re always looking out at when you’re doing the washing up etc, do that bit first.
“When I first made this garden, looking from the kitchen sink, you looked out of the window and, coincidentally, there was an apple tree right in the centre of the view, perfect.
“I designed a path that went up to the apple tree, round it, and then to a greenhouse, and the greenhouse became the focal point from the kitchen window.”
Alan went on to explain that it led to him making a circular garden with a glass orb enclosed by topiary yews, adding that you should understand “what you want” before getting started.
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