By Sarah Cosgrove
Tuesday, 11 March 2014
Ousted RHS Chelsea Flower Show TV presenter Alan Titchmarsh will be at Chelsea this year – as a show garden designer.
The garden, which will not be put under the RHS’s rigorous judging regime, will be a highly personal design reflecting Titchmarsh’s horticultural journey from his childhood home on the edge of Ilkley Moor to his current family life on the Isle of Wight.
Working with RHS Chelsea gold medal-winner Kate Gould, with plants supplied by Kelways and built by Landform Consultants, the garden, entitled From the Moors to the Sea – a celebration of RHS Britain in Bloom will celebrate Titchmarsh’s 50 years in horticulture and also the 50th Anniversary of RHS Britain in Bloom.
He said: “I can think of no better way of celebrating 50 years as a professional gardener and 50 years of RHS Britain in Bloom, than by creating a garden for the RHS at the Chelsea Flower Show. From the Moors to the Sea is a joyous celebration of our floral heritage and the people who do their bit to conserve our islands’ plants and flowers and realise the importance of beautifying our surroundings whether in village, town or city.”
Titchmarsh fronted the BBC’s coverage of Chelsea Flower show for 30 years but in November it emerged he would be replaced by Monty Don and Sophie Raworth at this year’s show.
He was invited to stay on in a less prominent role but decided to quit, saying he was concerned he would not be able to present BBC2’s “in depth coverage of horticulture – my chosen profession and area of expertise”.
Horticulture industry figures reacted with concern to the news last year.
Speaking of the decision to give Titchmarsh a feature garden at this year’s show, RHS director general, Sue Biggs, said: “Alan is one of the most powerful forces in horticulture, reaching out to and promoting gardening to millions of people. He has also been one of the biggest supporters of the RHS and, as this garden demonstrates, continues to generously support and promote horticultural campaigns that transform lives and reinforce our great position as a nation of gardeners.”
The last time Titchmarsh designed a garden at Chelsea was in 1985, when he won an RHS Gold Medal for his Country Kitchen garden.
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