Alan Titchmarsh has revealed his simple tip for getting a garden full of colour, without much effort or spending lots of money. Flowers and plants can be expensive, and a trip to the garden centre can result in a large bill.
However, the garden expert has shared what he did when he “didn’t have much money”. Alan explained that annual flowers are a “brilliant way” to add colour “for very little cost”. The expert said the flowers can transform any outside space this summer. In his Gardening with Alan Titchmarsh video, Alan said: “I was very grateful for annual flowers when I first got married because we didn’t have much money. We had a garden, a tiny, weeny one with some sandy soil.”
To cheer up his space, Alan invested in some packets of marigold seeds and sowed them in the soil. He added: “It cost me next to nothing. That was a time when we used to save 10p a week with the butcher’s to save for a Christmas joint.”
Alan has had a “soft spot” for annual flower seeds ever since. Now, he sows his annual seeds in March in a greenhouse, ready for a summer of bloom.
Many of his annuals are tender to frost, but Alan also uses Calendula, which is much sturdier. It can be sown directly into the ground as a hardy annual.
While Alan prefers to grow his annual flowers from seeds, they can be easily bought as plants during summer if you missed out on sowing in spring.
Alan said: “They will give you instant colour among your perennials and shrubs in your existing borders. They are good gap fillers at very little cost.
“If you suddenly find yourself in June or July with a whole in a bed or border, go to annuals because they will give you that instant hit.”
In his video caption, Alan wrote: “Annual flowers are one of the easiest and most affordable ways to fill your garden with vibrant colour.”
He added: “They’re also the perfect solution for filling gaps in established borders, adding instant impact where needed without the expense of buying larger plants. If you’e looking for a simple, budget-friendly way to transform your garden, annual flowers are hard to beat.”
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