Alan Titchmarsh has revealed the plants he believes gardeners should prioritise this summer, including one that he says will 'flower its socks off' all season long. The 77-year-old gardening expert shared his advice on his Gardening with Alan Titchmarsh YouTube channel this week, where he demonstrated two key garden tasks.
Patio Transformation with Raised Planters
Titchmarsh first finished the feature bed in his cottage garden, carefully selecting and positioning perennials to complement existing shrubs. He then turned his attention to the patio, converting it into an inviting outdoor area with raised planters flanking a new dining set. He filled one planter with a mix of tall plants, including foxgloves (Digitalis), which he described as 'really useful plants in either sun or dappled shade.' He noted that they create a 'semi-permeable wall' that allows views through.
Verbena Bonariensis: A Summer Star
Titchmarsh emphasised the value of tall plants in such settings, but advised against delphiniums or lupins, which are 'fairly short lived in terms of their flower and also pretty brittle in the wind.' Instead, he recommended verbena bonariensis, describing it as 'the thin wiry one with little tiny pom-poms of purple flowers on the top that butterflies and bees love. They will flower their socks off right the way the summer.' He also suggested lavender, noting it 'loves full sun and adores sharp drainage.'
Affordable Gardening with Annuals
The gardening authority explained that cultivating annuals from seed is an excellent way to garden affordably while providing a vibrant finishing touch to borders. He noted that June had delivered 'an explosion of colour' to his garden, with roses, peonies, and poppies creating a magnificent spectacle. For July, he advised planting out annual flowers grown from seed earlier in the year.
Plants to Avoid: Pampas Grass and Gladioli
This advice follows Titchmarsh's recent revelation on the Talking Gardens podcast about two plants he would gladly exclude from his garden permanently. When asked which plants he dislikes most, he responded: 'Pampas grass.' He elaborated that it looks 'like a collection of feathered dusters sticking out of a mountain of grass' and noted that removing it is a 'real task.' He also expressed aversion to large-flowered gladioli, though he conceded they can appear 'very good in church.' However, he clarified that his disapproval does not extend to all varieties, saying, 'I like little gladiolus Byzantine. That's the one that grows in the hedgerows and in Cornwall.'
