Alan Titchmarsh has opened up about a 'heartbreaking' discovery he made upon returning home with his wife Alison. The beloved gardener, who recently moved from Hampshire to a 16th-century cottage in Surrey, described the loss of his cherry blossom trees at his old garden as one of his most disheartening experiences.
Speaking to BBC Gardeners' World magazine last year, Titchmarsh recounted how his 20-year-old plantation of 'Shirotae' cherry trees, known for their pure-white blooms, had been decimated by wood pigeons. 'We went away for the weekend just before it was due to open. We returned and excitedly walked around the back of our barn to take in the anticipated view,' he said. Instead, they found only a few blooms surviving at the tips of slender branches.
In his new garden, Titchmarsh is now focusing on creating a space that complements the house, with a pond already attracting ducks. However, he also shared a cautionary tale about his previous pond, where roach fish arrived unexpectedly, likely on the webbed feet of a visiting duck. The fish have since wiped out much of the insect life, turning the pond into a 'foaming cauldron' during feeding time.
To restore balance, Titchmarsh has encouraged an alder tree to grow over the water, hoping it will attract a kingfisher to prey on the roach. Despite these setbacks, the gardener remains optimistic about his new project, describing the garden as 'softly sculpted' with 'no hard edges'.
