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Alan Titchmarsh feels guilty calling King Charles his friend-Rachel Corcoran-Entertainment – Metro
The gardening legend on how the Queen’s death affected him, old wives’ tales and his brand new book.
Alan Titchmarsh talks all things gardening and royalty (Picture: Metro.co.uk/Getty)
TV presenter and gardener Alan Titchmarsh, 73, on how to keep sane, spending time with the royals, how the Queen’s death impacted him, and doing our bit for the planet.
Your Gardener’s Almanac would make a good Christmas present…
I hope so! It’s a stocking filler that’s a bit of fun and not going to break the bank. It’s a gardener’s pocket book of hints, tips and bits of inspiration, which is why I included things like music and wildflower of the month.
But I wanted this to give gardeners a shot in the arm as well as make you think it’s all right to relax as well.
Do a lot of gardeners give themselves a hard time?
Oh, we do. We sit down on a bench in the garden and leap up within 30 seconds when you see something that needs doing. I’m trying to get better.
Do you still garden as much as ever?
Alan has written more than 70 books (Picture: Shutterstock)
Very much. It’s an important part of my day. It reminds you of stability, particularly through Covid and with all these goings on politically where you don’t know where you are from day to day.
There’s a great deal of unrest and anger and frustration and the garden is literally very grounding.
You go through the months – which is your favourite?
I’ve always loved May, not just because it’s my birthday, but it’s spring proper by then. It’s a great sense of renewal. With all the talk about climate change, everybody’s got this impression we’re on the road to ruin, there’s no point in bothering any more.
A garden in spring, Alan’s favourite time of year (Picture: Getty)
What can we do? Well, we can do with what we’ve got – that little bit of earth and not give up! However many conferences are held and even more hot air is produced, we as individuals are in a position to make a difference and do something on our patch where you will help the wildlife of the bees, butterflies and insects.
You’ve written more than 70 books including those on gardening, your novels and memoirs…
Yes, a book for almost every year of my life. I wrote my first book in 1974-5 and my first novel in 1998.
I’d written umpteen gardening books so I wondered if I could write a novel.I wrote a couple of chapters and sent them off and a rejection slip came from one publisher, a request to see more from another and the third invited me to lunch. So I went to lunch and got a two-book deal out of it!
Have you thought about who would play your characters if your novels were adapted?
Alan wants Ewan McGregor to play one of his book characters (Picture: REX)
Somebody young and hunky, not at all like me! The first one I wrote, called Mr MacGregor, I thought Ewan McGregor would play him very well. But I’m sure he wouldn’t bother with it.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
I have two daughters and four grandchildren who speak to me! Family life and close friends are the most important thing in life.
They get you through. But I like to think I’ve encouraged people to be more at one with the earth. Not to chivvy them but to give them a sense of ease with things that grow.
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And you have a rose named after you…
Yes, as well as a lupin, sweet pea and hosta. You can have a garden full of me!
Getting your MBE must be one of them too…
It was a great surprise. It’s 22 years ago now and I’m honoured to have it. I look at other people who’ve got the MBE and think I’m proud to be associated with you. The Queen presented it to me and it was a special day.
Were you very affected by the Queen’s death?
I was really sad. I’d met her a lot over the years and enjoyed her company on numerous occasions. She led a long and full life and 96 is a good age. I was particularly pleased that the transition was so smooth.
Everybody said, ‘Oh, when the Queen goes, the tectonic plates will shift’. Well, they didn’t and I think the King showed his mettle by just picking up and carrying on.
Have you met all of the royals?
Yes and some I know better than others. The King sweetly calls me a friend, which is very nice of him.
I always feel a little bit guilty when I say he’s a friend of mine – it sounds as though I’m trying to latch on to his coattails. I’m very fond of him and respect him a lot.
The King sweetly calls Alan his friend (Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
Is the old wives’ tale that the soil should be warm enough for you to put your naked backside on it before you start planting true?
It is and I tend to use my elbow – rather like a baby’s bath! I wouldn’t bother taking your trousers down – certainly not if your neighbour’s fence is quite low. But it’s quite useful actually – you think, ‘Ooh yes it’s just about warm enough for a seat.’
The other ones are when you sow the seed of parsley, it goes nine times to the devil except on Good Friday – so only sow it then. They also used to say that parsley only grows in households where the woman wears the trousers. My mother was very good at growing parsley!
The Gardener’s Almanac by Alan Titchmarsh (Hodder & Stoughton) is out now in hardback
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