Alys Fowler
Encyclopedia
Alys Fowler was a presenter for a short period on the long-running British TV programme Gardeners' World
and lives in Birmingham, England.
Fowler was born in Silchester
, and had a rural childhood. Her father was a doctor, and her mother ran various cottage industry businesses – she had 200 chickens and sold their eggs, trained gun dogs, and would dog-sit for wealthy Londoners. After completing her education in 2002, Alys Fowler began working as a journalist for Horticulture Week
, and Landscape Review. In 2005, Fowler worked for BBC Gardeners' World
and Parks as a horticultural researcher. In 2006, Fowler became Head Gardener of the BBC garden at Berryfields in Stratford-Upon-Avon
, and created features at the Gardeners' World Live shows. 2007 saw the publication of Fowler's first book, The Thrifty Gardener: How to Create a Stylish Garden for Next to Nothing. In 2008, after appearing occasionally in her Berryfields role, Fowler became a regular presenter on Gardeners' World
, and continues to write a monthly blog on the programme's website. She was dropped by the BBC for the 2011 series, at the same time that Toby Buckland
's contract as main presenter was not renewed.
Fowler continues to publish prolifically in newspapers and magazines, including The Guardian
, Gardeners' World Magazine, Gardens Illustrated, Amateur Gardening, Country Living, and The Daily Mail.
Filming for Fowler's BBC series, The Edible Garden - a.k.a. A Home-Grown Life - began in mid 2009, and the series aired on BBC 2 in April 2010. In this programme, Fowler explores the possibilities and limitations of community self-sustainability in the urban environment of South Birmingham. Fowler's second book, The Edible Garden, was published in March 2010 by BBC Books
to accompany the TV series.
, and the world-renowned Royal Botanic Gardens
at Kew in London
. Even while studying in the epicentre of the British gardening establishment, it was clear Fowler had an early interest in loosening the confines of contemporary landscape gardening to include a more organic and accessible aesthetic. Fowler's superiors were quick to recognise her talent and passion. In 1998, she was awarded a Smithsonian Scholarship to study at the New York Botanical Gardens based in the Bronx.
Fowler moved to New York
in 1998 to complete her apprenticeship. Driven by the ultra-urban environment, she was forced to find new ways of experiencing and creating green space. Fowler maximised her apartment's fire escape by growing plants and vegetables, and she quickly found a community making gardens in Manhattan's Lower East Side. Exposure to their collective ability to create beautiful and inviting gardens out of objects found in New York's streets and dumpsters chimed with her existing interest in accessible gardening. This became a highly influential period of her training, and spawned the idea for her first book in 2007, The Thrifty Gardener.
Fowler returned to the UK in 1999. Following her interest in grass-roots environmental work, she attended the University College London
to complete a Master's in Society, Science, and the Environment. Continuing her passion to fuse traditional gardening with modern eco-friendly culture, Fowler focused her work at this time on the benefits that allotments bring to the environment and those who work on them.
Her dog's name is Isobel.
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...
and lives in Birmingham, England.
Fowler was born in Silchester
Silchester
Silchester is a village and civil parish about north of Basingstoke in Hampshire. It is adjacent to the county boundary with Berkshire and about south-west of Reading....
, and had a rural childhood. Her father was a doctor, and her mother ran various cottage industry businesses – she had 200 chickens and sold their eggs, trained gun dogs, and would dog-sit for wealthy Londoners. After completing her education in 2002, Alys Fowler began working as a journalist for Horticulture Week
Horticulture Week
Horticulture Week is a British horticultural periodical, covering nursery production, garden retail, landscaping, arboriculture, garden heritage, groundsmanship and amenity horticulture....
, and Landscape Review. In 2005, Fowler worked for BBC 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...
and Parks as a horticultural researcher. In 2006, Fowler became Head Gardener of the BBC garden at Berryfields in Stratford-Upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon is a market town and civil parish in south Warwickshire, England. It lies on the River Avon, south east of Birmingham and south west of Warwick. It is the largest and most populous town of the District of Stratford-on-Avon, which uses the term "on" to indicate that it covers...
, and created features at the Gardeners' World Live shows. 2007 saw the publication of Fowler's first book, The Thrifty Gardener: How to Create a Stylish Garden for Next to Nothing. In 2008, after appearing occasionally in her Berryfields role, Fowler became a regular presenter on 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...
, and continues to write a monthly blog on the programme's website. She was dropped by the BBC for the 2011 series, at the same time that Toby Buckland
Toby Buckland
Toby Neale Buckland is a British gardener, TV presenter and author, best known for being the main presenter from 2008-10 of BBC's long running flagship gardening programme Gardeners' World....
's contract as main presenter was not renewed.
Fowler continues to publish prolifically in newspapers and magazines, including The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, Gardeners' World Magazine, Gardens Illustrated, Amateur Gardening, Country Living, and The Daily Mail.
Filming for Fowler's BBC series, The Edible Garden - a.k.a. A Home-Grown Life - began in mid 2009, and the series aired on BBC 2 in April 2010. In this programme, Fowler explores the possibilities and limitations of community self-sustainability in the urban environment of South Birmingham. Fowler's second book, The Edible Garden, was published in March 2010 by BBC Books
BBC Books
BBC Books is an imprint majority owned and managed by Random House. The minority shareholder is BBC Worldwide, the commercial subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation...
to accompany the TV series.
Biography
From an early age, Alys Fowler was smitten by her mother's gardening talents and the degree of self-sufficiency it afforded the family. After leaving school in 1996, Fowler studied at the Royal Horticultural SocietyRoyal 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...
, and the world-renowned Royal Botanic Gardens
Royal Botanic Gardens
Royal Botanic Gardens or Royal Botanical Gardens might refer to:* Royal Botanical Gardens in Canada* Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid in Spain* Royal Botanic Gardens, Trinidad in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago...
at Kew in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Even while studying in the epicentre of the British gardening establishment, it was clear Fowler had an early interest in loosening the confines of contemporary landscape gardening to include a more organic and accessible aesthetic. Fowler's superiors were quick to recognise her talent and passion. In 1998, she was awarded a Smithsonian Scholarship to study at the New York Botanical Gardens based in the Bronx.
Fowler moved to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in 1998 to complete her apprenticeship. Driven by the ultra-urban environment, she was forced to find new ways of experiencing and creating green space. Fowler maximised her apartment's fire escape by growing plants and vegetables, and she quickly found a community making gardens in Manhattan's Lower East Side. Exposure to their collective ability to create beautiful and inviting gardens out of objects found in New York's streets and dumpsters chimed with her existing interest in accessible gardening. This became a highly influential period of her training, and spawned the idea for her first book in 2007, The Thrifty Gardener.
Fowler returned to the UK in 1999. Following her interest in grass-roots environmental work, she attended the University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
to complete a Master's in Society, Science, and the Environment. Continuing her passion to fuse traditional gardening with modern eco-friendly culture, Fowler focused her work at this time on the benefits that allotments bring to the environment and those who work on them.
Personal
Fowler lives in Birmingham with her artist husband, Holiday.Her dog's name is Isobel.