Who doesn't welcome gardening advice from the man who's worked in horticulture for over 60 years, the legend that is Alan Titchmarsh. However, his recent topiary trimming tip is not what we were expecting – but it shows how much he believes in bringing a sense of fun to any gardening task.
On this week's episode of the twice-monthly RHS Roots show, host Jo Whiley spends time with the legendary gardener to talk about his love of gardening and all the things he's learnt.
While in the main, the 40-minute-long show is packed full of insightful tips and expert advice on current garden trends, the moment that stands out most, highlighting his dedication to all things gardening, is his hilarious suggestion of how he would trim topiary if he had no tools.
Despite his love of the rewilding garden trend, Alan is a huge fan of topiary – more in keeping with perfectly manicured gardens and landscapes. However, in true Alan style, he has a humorous tip that helps to keep the look beautifully imperfect.
"I have a lot of topiary, I've come to love the contrast between really wild meadows."
"I've got four that were decanters with a big stopper and then a big bulbous bottom," he explains while gesturing the statuesque shape with his hands. "And then I got signs made saying 'Gin, whiskey and vodka'" he says, to bring a sense of humour to his garden.
Tools to trim topiary
Adding further playfulness to his topiary story, when asked by Jo what three plants Alan would take onto a desert island, he replies, "I'd take Yew to make topiary with, because Yew, except on waterlogged soil, is a very good grower. It'll put on a foot in a year, you know," he says enthusiastically. "I'd take the Yew so I could clip some shapes to make myself smile."
But when asked by Jo how he intended to shape the topiary trees when stranded on this imaginary desert island with only a trowel (his chosen tool of choice), Alan doesn't miss a beat to reply with humour, saying: "I'll chew them off."
To which Jo laughs as she says, 'I'll leave with the image of you chewing your topiary into amazing shapes."
During the episode, Alan takes Jo on a guided tour of the RHS Garden Wisley while sharing the incredible journey of his love for gardening, from when he was an eight-year-old child who knew he wanted to be a gardener to his time on the trail-blazing garden show Ground Force. It's well worth a watch to gain a greater insight into his wealth of practical knowledge.
Having been a professional gardener for 61 years, there's very little that Alan doesn't know, even though he himself says that 'every day is a school day' because there is always so much to learn from one year to the next as our gardens evolve.
