Alan Titchmarsh urges gardeners to never cut grass on Sundays

1117     0
Gardening guru Alan Titchmarsh never mows his law on Sundays (Image: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Gardening guru Alan Titchmarsh never mows his law on Sundays (Image: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

The nation's favourite gardener, Alan Titchmarsh, has revealed there is one day of the week that he nevercuts his grass - and he is urging green-fingered fans to do the same.

Sundays should be a day of absolute peace and quiet, according to the 74-year-old, who would rather listen to birdsong than the sound of a Black & Decker.

Alan said: "It's clear to me the rarest thing in any garden is silence. It appears to be the one commodity money can't buy. I was worried I would sound holier-than-thou when I explained that I never use power tools on a Sunday.

"I believe profoundly there should be at least one day in the week when we could go out into our gardens and experience a bit of peace and quiet," he wrote in BBC Gardeners' World magazine. "I want to listen to the birds singing. And hear the wind rustling the leaves of the horse chestnut across the garden, the splash of a duck landing on our wildlife pond, the cluck of a moorhen darting across the lily pads and the laughter of grandchildren."

Alan first appeared on the TV on 's Nationwide before he went on to present BBC's Chelsea Flower Show in 1983 and since has fronted other series including Ground Force and Love Your Garden. He is now in his fifth decade as a TV star and previously said he does not want to stop working because he would lose his "sense of purpose".

Four bedroom home with its own TRAIN TRACK on sale… but there’s a catch eiqtiqutihkprwFour bedroom home with its own TRAIN TRACK on sale… but there’s a catch

When asked if he had contemplated retiring, he previously told the Mirror: "Never. Why would I retire and have to find something to interest me and fill the day? "I've got a sense of purpose and reason to get up in the morning, that's the greatest gift of all. But I do consider myself very lucky to still be on the screen at my age."

Alan lives with his former doctor wife Alison in a Grade-II listed farmhouse in Hampshire. They now have adult daughters, Polly, 42, and Camilla, 40, and four grandchildren aged six to nine. Has he passed on his green fingers to his grandkids? "No signs so far," he says. "I did get them growing vegetables this spring. They loved it for a bit, but then got bored and went back to playing football.

"They all live 15 minutes away, so I see them all the time. I like being part of their lives and gently impinging without it being, 'Oh gosh, Grandpa's here, what do we have to do now?' The best way to catch a butterfly is to stand still until it lands on you, rather than chase after it."

Gemma Strong

Gardening, Garden, Alan Titchmarsh

Read more similar news:

03.01.2023, 13:27 • UK News
Grand Designs’ ‘garden house’ with disappearing walls and incredible roof
03.01.2023, 18:30 • UK News
My neighbour put up a handwritten sign moaning about messy garden - everyone's saying the same thing
04.01.2023, 09:16 • Money
I’m a gardener - how sprucing up your home during winter can save you cash
04.01.2023, 12:09 • UK News
Our privacy has been ruined by newbuild estate being built 'in our back garden'
05.01.2023, 09:58 • Money
We're gardening experts - here's all the key jobs you need to do this January
06.01.2023, 16:30 • UK News
Homeowner faces £3k bill after council cuts down 'eyesore jungle' outside house
07.01.2023, 17:58 • Tech
Urgent warning to gardeners over wildflower turf - don't get caught out
11.01.2023, 10:36 • UK News
I built a tunnel under my garden to my man cave…council tried to stop me - I WON
11.01.2023, 10:54 • World News
I'm a gardening expert - seven houseplants that'll help get rid of dust at home
12.01.2023, 08:04 • Sport
Tributes paid to ex-footballer Philemon Mulala mauled by his dogs in garden