3 hours Ago By Matt Davies
Alan Titchmarsh has hit back at people who make him and his fellow gardeners feel like "cold-hearted brutes" for practising their craft. The former Gardeners' World presenter, 75, recently weighed in on three environmental causes, as well as the role that gardeners play in shaping the natural spaces around them, reports the Telegraph. Alan explained that he and other gardeners are sometimes made to feel like they "care little" but emphasised the positive impact of those whom he described as "sons and daughters of the soil".
He said: "There are times when I and my fellow gardeners, the folk who love to grow plants and to beautify the landscape, are made to feel like cold-hearted brutes who care little for the planet. "It's all very well espousing the causes of No Mow May, rewilding and 'slugs are our friends', but that is to overlook the greater good that results from those of us who regard ourselves as sons and daughters of the soil." Alan said gardeners tend to be "interventionists" but "good" gardeners try to make sure that their interventions are "thoughtful".
He also revealed that he felt "saddened" when people say humans don't deserve to be on the planet and that it would be better to allow animals and plantlife to take over. Alan, who has previously said rewilding domestic gardens could be "catastrophic" for biodiversity , went on to emphasise the "thoughtful" gardeners and stressed that they should be highlighted. In 2023, the much-loved presenter acknowledged that while rewilding was important for farms, woodlands and other outdoor spaces, it may not be the same case for domestic gardens.
He explained that rewilded gardens that utilise native plants could offer little in the way of sustenance and shelter for animals. However, a garden with a large selection of plants will offer more to wildlife. The Love Your Garden star also hit out at the “misleading propaganda” that it's only native plants that will prove beneficial to the environment.
Rewilding Britain describes the practice as the restoration of ecosystems, including their natural processes and absent species, in an effort to protect the natural world. Alan said: "As custodians of the botanical riches of our gardens, domestic gardeners have a duty – and a glorious one at that – to ensure the survival of this unparalleled resource.".
