The gardening expert says it is the easiest way to brighten up outside spaces
Mia O’Hare Senior Spare Time Journalist
14:54, 28 Jul 2026
Alan Titchmarsh has shared his cheap and easy gardening tip(Image: Jeff Spicer, Getty Images)
Alan Titchmarsh has shared his straightforward method for achieving a garden packed with colour, without considerable effort or spending a small fortune. Flowers and plants can prove costly, and a visit to the garden centre can lead to a hefty bill.
Nevertheless, the gardening expert has revealed what he did when he “didn’t have much money”. Alan said that annual flowers represent a “brilliant way” to introduce colour “for very little cost”.
The expert suggested the flowers can rejuvenate any outdoor area this summer.
In his Gardening with Alan Titchmarsh video, Alan explained: “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 brighten his plot, Alan purchased some packets of marigold seeds and planted them in the soil. He continued: “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.”
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Alan has maintained a “soft spot” for annual flower seeds ever since. Now, he plants his annual seeds in March within a greenhouse, preparing for a summer of flowering.
Numerous of his annuals are susceptible to frost, though Alan also plants Calendula, which proves far more robust. It can be planted straight into the earth as a hardy annual.
While Alan favours cultivating his annual flowers from seeds, they can be readily purchased as plants throughout the summer if one missed the spring sowing period.
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.
Alan uses marigolds in his garden(Image: wulingyun via Getty Images)
“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’re looking for a simple, budget-friendly way to transform your garden, annual flowers are hard to beat.”
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