Alan Titchmarsh has named three flowers he will not be planting in his new garden, citing various reasons. The gardener is adapting to a brand new outdoor space after he and his wife Alison decided to move on from their Grade II-listed property in Holybourne, near Alton.
The pair had lived in the five-bedroom home since 2002 but chose to relocate to live in a more manageable space, and to be closer to their daughters and grandchildren.
Nestled behind a 16th century cottage, the garden is a classic English cottage garden which Alan says “has a beautiful space, full of wonderful features”. Though, as seen on his new YouTube Channel, he is using his creativity to “to add to its glory”.
Giving an update on transforming his new garden into a space him and Alison love, the 76-year-old shared which plants he will be avoiding and why.
Writing for Country Life Magazine, Alan explained why a plant he had cherished in his Hampshire country garden will not feature in the new space.
He said: “Plants that I will not be introducing? Well, there’s no point in bothering with hydrangeas. The clue is in the name – they are greedy for water, and the sandy soil here will result in the crisping of leaves when this wettest of winters is but a memory.”
If you want to plant hydrangeas in your own garden, general advice is to plant them in early spring in cooler climates; in warmer regions, autumn planting is also suitable.
Alan went on to say that pampas grass will also “certainly not” be making the cut. “They’ve always struck me as a collection of feather dusters stuck into an umbrella stand,” he wrote.
The ITV star has previously warned that pampas grass can be difficult to remove if you ever decide you don’t want it in your garden.
Lastly, Alan admitted he has “never warmed to” gladioli, apart from the more elegant magenta varieties that grow in Cornish hedgerows – the Gladiolus byzantinus types, and will therefore choose other options instead.
Listing some of the flowers he will be planting in his new space, he mentioned eucryphias and magnolias.
“There is already one large hamamelis in the one-acre wood, and I shall give it company – safe in the knowledge that the leafmould-enriched acidic soil will suit the newcomers, whether they are yellow, orange, or ruby-red flowered,” he shared.
“I will take chances with a few temperamental types: Embothrium, for instance – the Chilean firebush – with its whiskery flame-red flowers.
“I’ll be poring over the online catalogue of Burncoose Nurseries, attached to the garden of Caerhays in Cornwall, the screen pages of which will offer me manifold temptations. (I will remember I am in Surrey and not wafted by the gulf stream, but that won’t stop me from taking a few chances).”
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