Green fingers
Alan Titchmarsh was born and brought up on the edge of Ilkley Moor in Yorkshire. He took an early interest in his natural surroundings and started growing things at the age of ten in his parents' back garden.
Alan left school at 15 to become an apprentice gardener in a local nursery. He went on to train at agricultural college and at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Alan won a gold medal at the Chelsea Flower Show in 1995 for a country kitchen garden.
Writing
Alan became a horticultural journalist, first as an assistant editor of gardening books, then as Deputy Editor of Amateur Gardening magazine. He is now a freelance broadcaster and writer.
He has twice been named Gardening Writer of the Year, and was voted Television Personality Of The Year four years in a row by the Garden Writers Guild. He writes regularly in BBC Gardeners' World Magazine, Daily Express and Sunday Express.
Alan has written more than 40 gardening books, including one of the all-time fastest sellers How to be a Gardener. He also writes novels.
Presenting
Alan has appeared on radio and television both as a gardening expert and as an interviewer and presenter, fronting such programmes as Points of View, Pebble Mill, Songs of Praise, Titchmarsh's Travels and Ask the Family. He has presented the BBC's annual coverage of The Chelsea Flower Show since 1983.
Alan was the main presenter of Gardeners' World from 1996 to 2002 which came from his own garden, Barleywood, in Hampshire. He took gardening to BBC One with the popular Ground Force. These were followed by two series of How to be a Gardener. Alan presented television series British Isles: A Natural History in 2004. He has recently finished filming new British wildlife TV series The Nature of Britain.
Recognition
Alan Titchmarsh is a Freeman of the City of London and in 1997 was named Yorkshireman of the Year. He was awarded an MBE in the 2000 New Year's Honours List, for services to horticulture and broadcasting, and appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of the County of Hampshire in 2001.
Alan is the Vice-President of Butterfly Conservation, which works to help butterflies, moths and their habitats. He is also a keen supporter of The Wildlife Trusts. Alan set up his own charity Gardens for Schools, which helps primary schools fund garden and wildlife projects.
Time out
Alan lives in Hampshire with his wife and family. He has a two acre garden.
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