Alan Titchmarsh has confessed that his perfectionist nature prevents him from enjoying his award-winning Hampshire garden for more than a few seconds at a time. The 74-year-old television gardener, known for his work on shows such as 'Ground Force', admitted that he cannot resist jumping up to fix any imperfections he spots.
Writing in his regular column for Gardeners' World magazine, Titchmarsh said: 'I confess that sitting down and admiring the view in my garden is something I struggle to endure for more than a few seconds. Yes; it really is seconds.' He explained that if he sees a weed or a dead leaf, he finds it 'very hard to resist leaping to my feet and dealing with the offending piece of nature's detritus.'
Despite his compulsive behaviour, Titchmarsh acknowledged that nature will always have the upper hand. He said: 'Perhaps I need therapy. But then my garden is my therapy, and I really am capable of admiring a view, a border or a distant focal point without simply concentrating on what is wrong with it.' He added that he is realistic enough to know that 'it will never all be right at the same time.'
The broadcaster, who lives in a Grade-II listed Georgian farmhouse, insisted he can curb his perfectionism when entertaining guests. 'I have no difficulty in sublimating my natural tendencies in the presence of others,' he said. 'If a watering can is in the wrong place when we have visitors it stays in the wrong place. I'm not that neurotic.'
