Rob and Margaret Isdale, who have fostered more than 150 children, have defended Alan Titchmarsh after his garden makeover for them attracted criticism from some viewers. The transformation, which aired recently on ITV's Love Your Garden, saw Titchmarsh and his team redesign the couple's outdoor space in 2019, drawing inspiration from The Secret Garden.
Rob, who had undergone a quadruple heart bypass, had joked to his daughter about wanting Titchmarsh to do the garden. Unbeknownst to him, she applied, leading to the dramatic overhaul. The design included a mock monastery wall and a shed styled to look Elizabethan, complete with crumbling brick columns described as 'ancient looking follies'.
However, some viewers on X accused Titchmarsh of ruining the 'lovely garden' with 'bricks and concrete', while others called it 'too crowded and busy'. In response, Rob dismissed the criticism as 'fake news', stating that he and Margaret were 'more than happy' with the result. 'They did a brilliant job, Alan Titchmarsh was great,' he said.
The couple have since made minor modifications, including removing a tree that blocked light and converting the shed into an art studio for Rob. During the episode, Titchmarsh said he wanted the garden to make the couple 'feel as cared for as the children who come to their home'.
