Gardeners’ World star and green-fingered expert Alan Titchmarsh has sounded the alarm to gardening enthusiasts about diving headfirst into a certain pervasive trend.
In a recent chat with the Times, he expressed his unease over the fashionable notion of rewilding as a means to enhance biodiversity in gardens.
Titchmarsh outlined his misgivings regarding rewilding by saying: “It reduces biodiversity. If you’re talking about growing only British native plants and only letting what is growing at the moment take over and stay as it is, that will result in a reduction of species, because it’s a survival of the fittest — some plants will outcompete others.”
He also remarked: “You can’t worry about climate change and global warming on the one hand and not be concerned about future-proofing your garden on the other.”
Alan’s was recently recognised for his work as he was awarded a CBE
(Image: Getty Images)
While a number of gardeners might think that allowing their planting arrangements to run wild could support the diversity of species, Titchmarsh clarified that the contrary might occur, suggesting gardeners should rather maintain order in their patches.
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has provided a detailed explanation of what biodiversity entails, stating: “Biodiversity is all the different kinds of life you’ll find in one area—the variety of animals, plants, fungi, and even microorganisms like bacteria that makeup our natural world. Each of these species and organisms work together in ecosystems, like an intricate web, to maintain balance and support life. Biodiversity supports everything in nature that we need to survive: food, clean water, medicine, and shelter.”
The conversation continued with emphasis on the importance of considering the needs of local wildlife when choosing garden plants. Alan Titchmarsh, a respected name in gardening and broadcasting, is perhaps best known for his stint as host of BBC’s Gardeners’ World, taking over from Geoffrey Smith in 1996 and ending his own run seven years later.
Recognised for his contributions to gardening and broadcasting, Alan was awarded a CBE in the New Year’s Honours list and upon receiving the accolade, he remarked: “I’ve been an MBE for 25 years, so I kind of thought that was…I’ve been very happy with that.”
His show, Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh, will air on ITV today at 9.30am.