Alan Titchmarsh
Encyclopedia
Alan Fred Titchmarsh, MBE
DL
(born 2 May 1949) is an English
gardener, broadcaster
and novelist. After working as a professional gardener and a garden journalist, he established himself as a media personality through appearances on gardening programmes. More recently he has developed a diverse writing and broadcasting career.
, West Riding of Yorkshire
, England, the son of Bessie (née Hardisty), a textile
mill worker, and Alan Titchmarsh, Sr., a plumber. After leaving school aged 15, Titchmarsh went to work as an apprentice gardener with Ilkley Council in 1964, before leaving, in 1968 aged 18, for Shipley
Art and Technology Institute (now Shipley College
) to study for a City and Guilds
in horticulture
. Titchmarsh was a close family friend of Tom 'Greenfingers' Kerridge, who went on to become his gardening advisor on shows such as Ground Force.
Titchmarsh went on to study at Hertfordshire
College of Agriculture
and Horticulture
for the National Certificate in Horticulture, before finally moving to the renowned Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
to study for a Diploma in Horticulture. After graduating, he stayed on at Kew, being employed as a supervisor and latterly a staff trainer, leaving to pursue a career in gardening journalism in 1974.
as a horticulture expert. This led to his being invited to present coverage of the Chelsea Flower Show
for BBC television in 1983, something Titchmarsh has now hosted every year up to the present (2011). Titchmarsh also appeared on other BBC shows, such as Breakfast Time
and Open Air, again as either a guest presenter or as a gardening expert, providing commentary and answering viewers' questions.
In 1988, Titchmarsh was offered a slot on BBC Radio 2
hosting a gardening show with Gloria Hunniford
called House In A Garden. In 1991 he was brought in to host the long-running Pebble Mill at One
BBC television talk show
, which he did until the show was cancelled in 1996. Also in 1991, he presented a 6-part series in which he followed in the footsteps of the pilgrims, travelling around Britain
and Ireland
in the process.
The cancellation of Pebble Mill at One in 1996 gave Titchmarsh the opportunity to move back towards his first love, gardening, and he took over as host of another long-running BBC television programme, Gardeners' World
in the same year, the show being filmed in his own garden. In 1997, he took gardening to the masses with a popular BBC One
television series, Ground Force
, in which he and fellow presenters Charlie Dimmock
and Tommy Walsh would perform a makeover on a garden, Titchmarsh making full use of his horticultural skills when restocking the lucky gardens featured. The show has travelled as far as the United States and South Africa
, where one episode saw the Ground Force team makeover Nelson Mandela
's garden.
Staying involved in gardening programmes after Gardeners' World, Titchmarsh has presented two series of How To Be A Gardener, his most recent gardening programme to date.
Away from gardening, Titchmarsh has had spells presenting Songs of Praise
, and a series of programmes on BBC Radio 2
in which he played a selection of light classical music, and more recently a BBC nature documentary
series, British Isles - A Natural History
. In recent years he has done less television and radio and spent more time on his career as a novelist and renewed interest in writing gardening books (see below).
Titchmarsh has also appeared in an advertisement for the Yorkshire
Tourist Board in a series which included contributions from other Yorkshire-born celebrities including Brian Blessed
, Melanie Brown
, Darren Gough
and Brian Turner
, and occasionally does other voiceover work for advertisements. His recent voiceover work has extended to voicing the title character in Gordon the Garden Gnome
, a cartoon series for the CBeebies
channel.
Titchmarsh has hosted a follow-up series to British Isles - A Natural History entitled The Nature of Britain
focusing on British plant and animal species. The series was broadcast in autumn 2007.
Other recent work included hosting a special edition of the Antiques Roadshow
, entitled the 20th Century Roadshow, which focused on modern collectibles, performing in the Children's Party At The Palace
for the Queen's 80th birthday, and being guest host of The Paul O'Grady Show
while O'Grady was off for medical reasons. As of January 2006, Titchmarsh has a permanent slot on BBC Radio 2
from 6:30 pm until 8:30 pm (now 7:00 pm until 8:30 pm) on Sunday evenings named "Melodies for you" consisting of light classical and popular music, following the traditional style of Sunday-night broadcasting on Radio 2.
From June 2007, he can also be seen hosting The Great British Village Show, in which gardeners and cooks from all over Britain competed to be Britain's best at growing pumpkin
s, runner bean
s and tomatoes, and at knitting, baking cakes and making jam.
Titchmarsh began his chat show for ITV
, The Alan Titchmarsh Show
in September 2007.
Titchmarsh is currently featured in the in-store audio promotional material for the UK DIY chain B&Q
.
, where he is a patron, and with the National Maritime Museum
, where he is a trustee.
Titchmarsh was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2000 New Year Honours
for services to horticulture and broadcasting, and made a Deputy Lieutenant
of the County of Hampshire
in 2001. In 2004, he was awarded the Royal Horticultural Society
's Victoria Medal Of Honour, the highest award the RHS can bestow. In 2007 he was awarded an honorary degree by the University of Winchester
. He was honoured by the City of Westminster at a tree planting and plaque ceremony in April 2011. He served as High Sheriff of the Isle of Wight
in 2008.
Titchmarsh has a wax statue at Madame Tussaud's. It was revealed on Series 2, Episode 6 of the TV panel comedy series Would I Lie To You?
that his waxwork had to have its face cleaned twice a week to remove all the lipstick smudges on it.
He has been married to Alison since 1975 and they have two children.
. Titchmarsh has also teamed up with Digitalis Media to launch Gardeners' Heaven, the online retail arm of his website. Gardeners’ Heaven supplies Titchmarsh’s own tools as well as other popular gardening products.
Biographies
Fiction Works
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
DL
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
(born 2 May 1949) is an English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
gardener, broadcaster
Presenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
and novelist. After working as a professional gardener and a garden journalist, he established himself as a media personality through appearances on gardening programmes. More recently he has developed a diverse writing and broadcasting career.
Early career
Alan Titchmarsh was born in IlkleyIlkley
Ilkley is a spa town and civil parish in West Yorkshire, in the north of England. Ilkley civil parish includes the adjacent village of Ben Rhydding and is a ward within the metropolitan borough of Bradford. Approximately north of Bradford, the town lies mainly on the south bank of the River Wharfe...
, West Riding of Yorkshire
West Riding of Yorkshire
The West Riding of Yorkshire is one of the three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the administrative county, County of York, West Riding , was based closely on the historic boundaries...
, England, the son of Bessie (née Hardisty), a textile
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
mill worker, and Alan Titchmarsh, Sr., a plumber. After leaving school aged 15, Titchmarsh went to work as an apprentice gardener with Ilkley Council in 1964, before leaving, in 1968 aged 18, for Shipley
Shipley, West Yorkshire
Shipley is a town in West Yorkshire, England, by the River Aire and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, north of Bradford and north-west of Leeds....
Art and Technology Institute (now Shipley College
Shipley College
Shipley College is a General Further Education college in West Yorkshire, England, with 5,780 students based on the 2004 to 2005 academic year. The college is mainly based in the village of Saltaire but there is a Bingley Connection building, which is a building based in the centre of Bingley...
) to study for a City and Guilds
City and Guilds of London Institute
The City and Guilds of London Institute is a leading United Kingdom vocational education organisation. City & Guilds offers more than 500 qualifications over the whole range of industry sectors through 8500 colleges and training providers in 81 countries worldwide...
in horticulture
Horticulture
Horticulture is the industry and science of plant cultivation including the process of preparing soil for the planting of seeds, tubers, or cuttings. Horticulturists work and conduct research in the disciplines of plant propagation and cultivation, crop production, plant breeding and genetic...
. Titchmarsh was a close family friend of Tom 'Greenfingers' Kerridge, who went on to become his gardening advisor on shows such as Ground Force.
Titchmarsh went on to study at Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
College of Agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
and Horticulture
Horticulture
Horticulture is the industry and science of plant cultivation including the process of preparing soil for the planting of seeds, tubers, or cuttings. Horticulturists work and conduct research in the disciplines of plant propagation and cultivation, crop production, plant breeding and genetic...
for the National Certificate in Horticulture, before finally moving to the renowned Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, usually referred to as Kew Gardens, is 121 hectares of gardens and botanical glasshouses between Richmond and Kew in southwest London, England. "The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew" and the brand name "Kew" are also used as umbrella terms for the institution that runs...
to study for a Diploma in Horticulture. After graduating, he stayed on at Kew, being employed as a supervisor and latterly a staff trainer, leaving to pursue a career in gardening journalism in 1974.
Broadcasting
Titchmarsh's first few television appearances were on the long-running BBC television show NationwideNationwide (TV series)
Nationwide was a BBC News and Current affairs television programme broadcast on BBC One each weekday following the early evening news. It followed a magazine format, combining political analysis and discussion with consumer affairs, light entertainment and sports reporting...
as a horticulture expert. This led to his being invited to present coverage of the Chelsea Flower Show
Chelsea Flower Show
The RHS Chelsea Flower Show, formally known as the Great Spring Show, is a garden show held for five days in May by the Royal Horticultural Society in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea in Chelsea, London...
for BBC television in 1983, something Titchmarsh has now hosted every year up to the present (2011). Titchmarsh also appeared on other BBC shows, such as Breakfast Time
Breakfast Time
Breakfast Time was British television's first national breakfast show, beating TV-am's flagship programme Good Morning Britain to the air by two weeks.The show was revolutionary for the time...
and Open Air, again as either a guest presenter or as a gardening expert, providing commentary and answering viewers' questions.
In 1988, Titchmarsh was offered a slot on BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
hosting a gardening show with Gloria Hunniford
Gloria Hunniford
Gloria Hunniford is a Northern Irish TV and radio presenter, and formerly a singer.-Biography:...
called House In A Garden. In 1991 he was brought in to host the long-running Pebble Mill at One
Pebble Mill at One
Pebble Mill at One was a popular British lunchtime chat show broadcast live originally on BBC2 before transferring to BBC1. It was produced from the Pebble Mill facilities of BBC Birmingham, and uniquely was hosted from the centre's main reception area rather than a traditional studio...
BBC television talk show
Talk show
A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
, which he did until the show was cancelled in 1996. Also in 1991, he presented a 6-part series in which he followed in the footsteps of the pilgrims, travelling around Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
in the process.
The cancellation of Pebble Mill at One in 1996 gave Titchmarsh the opportunity to move back towards his first love, gardening, and he took over as host of another long-running BBC television programme, Gardeners' World
Gardeners' World
Gardeners' World is a long-running BBC television programme about gardening that continues to this day. Its first episode was filmed in 1968, presented by Ken Burras and came from Oxford Botanical Gardens. The magazine BBC Gardeners' World is a tie-in to the programme. Most of its episodes have...
in the same year, the show being filmed in his own garden. In 1997, he took gardening to the masses with a popular BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
television series, Ground Force
Ground Force
Ground Force was a British garden makeover television series originally broadcast by the BBC between 1997 and 2005. The series was originally hosted by Alan Titchmarsh, Charlie Dimmock and Tommy Walsh and was produced by Endemol for the BBC.-Production:...
, in which he and fellow presenters Charlie Dimmock
Charlie Dimmock
Charlie Dimmock is an English gardening expert and TV presenter. She was one of the team on Ground Force, a BBC gardening makeover programme.-Early years:...
and Tommy Walsh would perform a makeover on a garden, Titchmarsh making full use of his horticultural skills when restocking the lucky gardens featured. The show has travelled as far as the United States and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, where one episode saw the Ground Force team makeover Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
's garden.
Away from gardening, Titchmarsh has had spells presenting Songs of Praise
Songs of Praise
Songs of Praise is a BBC Television programme based around traditional Christian hymns. It is a widely watched and long-running religious television programme, one of the few peak-time free-to-air religious programmes in Europe Songs of Praise is a BBC Television programme based around traditional...
, and a series of programmes on BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
in which he played a selection of light classical music, and more recently a BBC nature documentary
Nature documentary
A natural history film or wildlife film is a documentary film about animals, plants, or other non-human living creatures, usually concentrating on film taken in their natural habitat...
series, British Isles - A Natural History
British Isles - A Natural History
British Isles – A Natural History is an eight-part documentary series produced by the BBC Natural History Unit and presented by Alan Titchmarsh...
. In recent years he has done less television and radio and spent more time on his career as a novelist and renewed interest in writing gardening books (see below).
Titchmarsh has also appeared in an advertisement for the Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
Tourist Board in a series which included contributions from other Yorkshire-born celebrities including Brian Blessed
Brian Blessed
Brian Blessed is an English actor, known for his sonorous voice and "hearty, king-sized portrayals".-Early life:The son of William Blessed, a socialist miner, and Hilda Wall, Blessed was born in the town of Goldthorpe, West Riding of Yorkshire, England...
, Melanie Brown
Melanie Brown
Melanie Janine "Scary Spice" Brown , often better known as Mel B, is an English pop singer-songwriter, actress, author and television presenter...
, Darren Gough
Darren Gough
Darren Gough is a retired English cricketer and former captain of Yorkshire County Cricket Club. The spearhead of England's bowling attack through much of the 1990s, he is England's highest wicket-taker in one-day internationals with 234, and took 229 wickets in his 58 Test matches, making him...
and Brian Turner
Brian Turner (chef)
Brian Turner CBE is a British chef, based in London. He has appeared as a cook on BBC2's Ready Steady Cook since 1994 as well as presenting other cookery programmes.-Career:...
, and occasionally does other voiceover work for advertisements. His recent voiceover work has extended to voicing the title character in Gordon the Garden Gnome
Gordon the Garden Gnome
Gordon the Garden Gnome is a British animated children's television series aimed at getting children interested in gardening. The series premiered on CBeebies in 2005...
, a cartoon series for the CBeebies
CBeebies
CBeebies is the brand used by the BBC for programming aimed at children 6 years and under. It is used as a themed strand in the UK on terrestrial television, as a separate free-to-air domestic British channel and used for international varients supported by advertising, subscription or both...
channel.
Titchmarsh has hosted a follow-up series to British Isles - A Natural History entitled The Nature of Britain
The Nature of Britain
The Nature of Britain is a nature documentary series made for British television by the BBC Natural History Unit. It was first broadcast on BBC1 in October and November 2007...
focusing on British plant and animal species. The series was broadcast in autumn 2007.
Other recent work included hosting a special edition of the Antiques Roadshow
Antiques Roadshow
Antiques Roadshow is a British television show in which antiques appraisers travel to various regions of the United Kingdom to appraise antiques brought in by local people. It has been running since 1979...
, entitled the 20th Century Roadshow, which focused on modern collectibles, performing in the Children's Party At The Palace
Children's Party at the Palace
The Children's Party at the Palace was an event organized by Peter Orton of Hit Entertainment and David Johnstone of DJI consult, held at Buckingham Palace Garden on 25 June 2006 in honour of the 80th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II. The event, which had the theme British children's literature, was...
for the Queen's 80th birthday, and being guest host of The Paul O'Grady Show
The Paul O'Grady Show
The Paul O'Grady Show was a BAFTA award-winning British comedy chat show hosted by Birkenhead-born comedian Paul O'Grady. The format was originally devised by Granada Television and was broadcast on ITV before moving to Channel 4...
while O'Grady was off for medical reasons. As of January 2006, Titchmarsh has a permanent slot on BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
from 6:30 pm until 8:30 pm (now 7:00 pm until 8:30 pm) on Sunday evenings named "Melodies for you" consisting of light classical and popular music, following the traditional style of Sunday-night broadcasting on Radio 2.
From June 2007, he can also be seen hosting The Great British Village Show, in which gardeners and cooks from all over Britain competed to be Britain's best at growing pumpkin
Pumpkin
A pumpkin is a gourd-like squash of the genus Cucurbita and the family Cucurbitaceae . It commonly refers to cultivars of any one of the species Cucurbita pepo, Cucurbita mixta, Cucurbita maxima, and Cucurbita moschata, and is native to North America...
s, runner bean
Runner bean
Phaseolus coccineus, the runner bean or scarlet runner bean since most varieties have red flowers and multicolored seeds, though some have white flowers and white seeds, is a plant in the Fabaceae family. Runner beans have also been called "Oregon Lima Bean". and in Nahuatl "ayocotl" or in Spanish...
s and tomatoes, and at knitting, baking cakes and making jam.
Titchmarsh began his chat show for ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
, The Alan Titchmarsh Show
The Alan Titchmarsh Show
The Alan Titchmarsh Show is a British daytime TV chat show broadcast between 3 and 4pm weekdays on the ITV Network.-Format:The programme made its debut on ITV in 2007. It focused on the theme of "The Best of British" focusing on food, entertainment and celebrities in a mid-afternoon slot...
in September 2007.
Titchmarsh is currently featured in the in-store audio promotional material for the UK DIY chain B&Q
B&Q
B&Q plc is a multinational DIY and home improvement retailer headquartered in Eastleigh, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1969 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kingfisher plc, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange....
.
Novelist
In addition to writing around 40 gardening books, Titchmarsh has started writing fiction, and had his first novel, Only Dad, published in November 2001. A further six books have since been published (listed chronologically below). Running parallel to the fiction work, Titchmarsh published a new series of gardening guides, the How to Garden series (ghost-written), in April 2009. His most recent autobiographical work is Nobbut A Lad: A Yorkshire Childhood from October 2006, a follow-up to his first autobiography, Trowel & Error, published in 2002. Alan is currently writing When I Was A Nipper, which will be published on 30 September 2010.Personal life
Titchmarsh, in addition to his extensive television and writing work, is also trustee of his own charity, 'Gardens For Schools', and others, including 'Seeds For Africa'. His own charity helps fund gardens and green spaces in and around schools, while Seeds For Africa encourages sustainable vegetable gardening. The charity provides community groups with the tools, seeds and training they need to start their own vegetable gardens. This includes providing water installation and preparing the land. Away from horticulture, Titchmarsh is involved with the Cowes Inshore LifeboatLifeboat (rescue)
A rescue lifeboat is a boat rescue craft which is used to attend a vessel in distress, or its survivors, to rescue crewmen and passengers. It can be hand pulled, sail powered or powered by an engine...
, where he is a patron, and with the National Maritime Museum
National Maritime Museum
The National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, England is the leading maritime museum of the United Kingdom and may be the largest museum of its kind in the world. The historic buildings forming part of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site, it also incorporates the Royal Observatory, Greenwich,...
, where he is a trustee.
Titchmarsh was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2000 New Year Honours
New Year Honours
The New Year Honours is a part of the British honours system, being a civic occasion on the New Year annually in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named. The awards are presented by the reigning monarch or head of state, currently Queen Elizabeth II...
for services to horticulture and broadcasting, and made a Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
of the County of Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
in 2001. In 2004, he was awarded the Royal Horticultural Society
Royal Horticultural Society
The Royal Horticultural Society was founded in 1804 in London, England as the Horticultural Society of London, and gained its present name in a Royal Charter granted in 1861 by Prince Albert...
's Victoria Medal Of Honour, the highest award the RHS can bestow. In 2007 he was awarded an honorary degree by the University of Winchester
University of Winchester
The University of Winchester is a British public university primarily based in Winchester, Hampshire, England. Winchester is a historic cathedral city and the ancient capital of Wessex and the Kingdom of England.-History:...
. He was honoured by the City of Westminster at a tree planting and plaque ceremony in April 2011. He served as High Sheriff of the Isle of Wight
High Sheriff of the Isle of Wight
-Roll of High Sheriffs of the Isle of Wight:*1974-75 Lieut.-Colonel Claude Richard Henry Kindersley, D.S.O.,M.C., of Hamstead Grange, Yarmouth.*1975-76 Rear-Admiral Joseph Leslie Blackham, C.B.,of " Downedge ", The Mall, Brading, Sandown....
in 2008.
Titchmarsh has a wax statue at Madame Tussaud's. It was revealed on Series 2, Episode 6 of the TV panel comedy series Would I Lie To You?
Would I Lie To You? (TV series)
Would I Lie to You? is a comedy panel game made by Zeppotron for BBC One. It was first broadcast on 16 June 2007.-Format:The show was presented by Angus Deayton in 2007 and 2008, and by Rob Brydon from 2009 onwards...
that his waxwork had to have its face cleaned twice a week to remove all the lipstick smudges on it.
He has been married to Alison since 1975 and they have two children.
Other projects
As well as his broadcasting and literary projects Titchmarsh has capitalised on his strong brand with retail and merchandise projects. He has launched several of his own product lines including his own range of ‘Alan Titchmarsh’ gardening tools developed in conjunction with tool manufacturer Bulldog ToolsBulldog Tools
Rollins Bulldog Tools is a British manufacturer of gardening and agricultural tools based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England.- History :Bulldog tools was founded by William & Henry Parkes, established in 1780 at the Clarington Forge site in Wigan...
. Titchmarsh has also teamed up with Digitalis Media to launch Gardeners' Heaven, the online retail arm of his website. Gardeners’ Heaven supplies Titchmarsh’s own tools as well as other popular gardening products.
List of books
Non-fiction- Alan Titchmarsh - The Nature of Britain, BBC Books, 2007 (ISBN 978-0-563-49398-3)
- Alan Titchmarsh - The Gardener's Year, 2005, (ISBN 0-563-52167-8)
- Alan Titchmarsh's Fill My Stocking, 2005, (ISBN 0-563-48862-X)
- The Complete How to Be a Gardener, 2005, (ISBN 0-563-52262-3)
- British Isles, 2005, (ISBN 0-563-52162-7)
- Nature of Britain, 2007, (ISBN 0-563-49398-4)
- The Kitchen Gardener - Grow Your Own Fruit & Veg, 2008, (ISBN 978-1-84607-201-7)
- How to Garden: Gardening in the Shade, 2009, (ISBN 978-1-84607-395-3)
- How to Garden: Vegetables and Herbs, 2009, (ISBN 978-1-84607-396-0)
- How to Garden: Container Gardening, 2009, (ISBN 978-1-84607-399-1)
- How to Garden: Garden Design, 2009, (ISBN 978-1-84607-397-7)
- How to Garden: Lawns, Paths and Patios, 2009, (ISBN 978-1-84607-398-4)
- How to Garden: Pruning and Training, 2009, (ISBN 978-1-84607-400-4)
- How to Garden: Growing Fruit, 2010, (ISBN 978-1-84607-401-1)
- How to Garden: Flowering Shrubs, 2010, (ISBN 978-1-84607-402-8)
- How to Garden: Climbers and Wall Shrubs, 2010, (ISBN 978-1-84607-403-5)
- How to Garden: Greenhouse Gardening, 2010, (ISBN 978-1-84607-404-2)
- How to Garden: Perennial Garden Plants, 2010, (ISBN 978-1-84607-911-5)
Biographies
- Trowel and Error, Hodder & Stoughton 2002 (ISBN 0-340-76542-9)
- Nobbut A Lad : A Yorkshire Childhood, Hodder & Stoughton 2006 (ISBN 0-340-83117-0)
- Knave of Spades, Hodder & Stoughton 2009
Fiction Works
- Only Dad, Simon & Schuster Ltd 2001 (ISBN 0-7434-7846-0)
- The Last Lighthouse Keeper, Simon & Schuster Ltd 2004 (ISBN 0-7434-7845-2)
- Mr MacGregor, Simon & Schuster Ltd 2004 (ISBN 0-7434-7847-9)
- Animal Instincts, Simon & Schuster Ltd 2004 (ISBN 0-7434-7848-7)
- Rosie, Simon & Schuster Ltd (ISBN 0-7434-3010-7)
- Love and Dr. Devon, Simon & Schuster Ltd (ISBN 0-7432-0771-8)
- Folly, Hodder & Stoughton 2008 (ISBN 0-340-93685-1)