of chaos too. “I think my garden does betray a few delusions of grandeur - I like urns and finials and other classical touches - but I hope the resulting style is elegant rather than pretentious.”
The book, which features different parts of his garden through the different seasons - from silky white snowdrops, bold yellow daffodils, hellebores and majestic tulips in spring, to glorious summer plantings fringing neatly striped lawn areas, swathes of wisteria around the house, the formal south terrace with its structured topiary, yew lollipops peppered with Allium ‘Purple Sensation’, and the garden statues which create interest and surprise throughout the year. “I love May when everything’s come out. The leaves are all fresh, unsullied and unbattered by wind and the first of the blossom’s coming out.” He says that ‘almost weekly’ he thinks of cutting down on his TV commitments to enable him to spend more time in his garden. “It may well happen over
the next 2 or 3 years. I’ve been on telly an awful lot. I very much enjoy being at home and the reason I don’t do big travelogue series where I go away for 2 or 3 months is because I couldn’t bear to leave the plot. Sitting in my garden, looking out, it reassures me that in the great scheme of things, life goes on, the seasons are all powerful and we, in a way, are governed by nature and we should respect it and work with it.”
The book is dedicated to Titchmarsh’s
nine-month-old
grandson, Hugo, who’s already been introduced to the garden, Titchmarsh smiles. He says he’s put a big fence up around the pond in anticipation of Hugo toddling towards it. “I don’t want to force him into gardening but if he’s in and among it all the time, he’ll grow up thinking that’s the way it is and it’ll become second nature to him.”
PA Photo/Jonathan Buckley.
Clubs of Interest to Gardeners in Tavistock
Tavistock Ladies Gardening Club A group of enthusiastic gardeners who meet monthly and also take a monthly coach trip to gardens in the region.
Meet at the Scout Hut, Pixon Lane 2.30pm For information Tel: 01822 612015
Meavy Garden Society
Lectures, chat and light refreshments Meet at Meavy Parish Hall 7.30pm For information Tel: Brenda Burt on 01822 852984
Tavistock & District Gardening Club Meet at the Parish Rooms, Tavistock For information Tel: 01822 616655
Tavistock Flower Club
Meet at the United Reformed Church Hall, Russell Street, Tavistock 2.30pm For information Tel: 01822 613771
My Secret Garden by Alan Titchmarsh is published by BBC Books, priced £25. Available now.
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