The Royal Windsor FLOWER SHOW In Harmony with Alan Titchmarsh & The King

National gardening treasure Alan Titchmarsh chats exclusively with Angela Sara West about his horticultural heroes, milestone celebrations, ‘must-visit’ gardens, and working with Nelson Mandela, our late Queen and King Charles.

He also talks TV shows with Twiggy and Dame Judi, eco projects with Sir David Attenborough, while as Honorary President of the prestigious event, he unearths what he’s looking forward to most about the prestigious and “perfect” Royal Windsor Flower Show this June.

Quintessentially English gardener and broadcaster Alan Titchmarsh boasts a diverse career, spanning gardening, writing and TV. A lifelong gardener, he tells me he first caught the gardening bug as a very young lad.

“I started gardening at home in Yorkshire when I was 9 or 10 and have loved it ever since!” he explains. “I feel connected to the earth and most comfortable when I am outdoors.”

His horticultural heroes growing up? “Percy Thrower, the television gardener back in the 1950s, was my hero,” he reveals. “I was lucky enough to get to know him and, for a few years, I edited his books. More recently, Beth Chatto and Christopher Lloyd were a great inspiration.”

Inspiring a multitude of others in spades in return, Alan himself has been honoured with an MBE, awarded the Royal Horticultural Society’s Victoria Medal of Honour – the highest award the RHS can bestow – for outstanding services to horticulture, and also named ‘Yorkshire Man of the Year’, among countless other awards and achievements.

A YORKSHIRE LAD MAKES THE MOVE TO KEW

Born and brought up on the edge of Yorkshire’s Ilkley Moor, Alan left school at 15 and began his glorious green career as an apprentice gardener, later studying horticulture at Hertfordshire College of Agriculture before gaining a Diploma in Horticulture at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew.

His passion for gardening, coupled with his engaging television presence, subsequently made him a beloved and authoritative figure in the gardening world.

A WHOLE LOT OF LOVE!

‘Love Your Weekend’, ‘Love Your Garden’, ‘Love Your Home and Garden’… The legendary TV gardener has brought a whole lot of love onto our small screens.

Alan’s also presented BBC Two’s ‘How To Be A Gardener’, Channel Five’s ‘Secrets of the National Trust’, as well as landmark BBC nature documentaries ‘British Isles – A Natural History’ and follow-up series ‘The Nature of Britain’, both focusing on British plant and animal species in a host of different habitats, from fields, meadows and woodlands, to rivers, streams and coasts.

‘The Great British Village Show’, meanwhile, saw the much- loved presenter showcase gardeners and cooks from all over Britain competing to be Britain’s best at growing pumpkins, runner beans and tomatoes, as well as at knitting, baking cakes and making jam.

Celebrating all that is best about village life, the Grand Final was filmed at Highgrove where the then Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall presented the prizes to the worthy winners.

LOVE YOUR GARDEN & YOUR WEEKEND

As Britain’s most-watched gardening TV show, ITV’s ‘Love Your Garden’ must be SO rewarding and emotional to make and film, creating a gorgeous garden out of nothing in just a couple of days for someone truly deserving and in need.

“The ability of a garden to change lives cannot be underestimated, and I think ‘Love Your Garden’ proves that,” explains the philanthropic horticulturalist. “The gardens are not grand, but they are individually tailored to suit a person’s needs and sensibilities, and in so doing they open up another world.”

BRITAIN’S BEST

There has also been a monumental ‘Britain’s Best’ series on UKTV History, where Alan led and launched a nationwide campaign to discover Britain’s best historic sites, encouraging the Great British public to get out and discover (or rediscover) the history on their doorsteps and visit places they may not have been to before, unveiling the best historic hotspots when it comes to great days out in Blighty.

GETTING TWIGGY WITH IT! LOVE FOR DAME JUDI & OTHER ACTORS TOO…

A few favourite guests for this gardening great on his captivating ‘Love Your Weekend’ show, meanwhile, include: “Twiggy, who is always a bundle of fun, Dame Shelia Hancock for her honesty, Dame Judi Dench because she’s wonderfully sparky, and Anne Reid who is just delightful company. There’s Tom Davis, too, who is a great livestock expert, Ben Miller who is something of a regular, and Sir Derek Jacobi who is charming and modest.”

As for ‘Love Your Weekend’ royalty, “And I was pleased that Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, chose to give us an exclusive 60th birthday interview!” adds Alan.

FAVOURITE DESIGNS – A GROUND FORCE MANDELA GARDEN MAKEOVER

Having created a good few imaginative and ambitious garden makeovers over the years, which have been among Alan’s faves? “Every garden design is different, but the moment I have created them I move on!

They are all favourites the moment they are finished, provided they suit the place and the people they are made for.”

Former South African president Nelson Mandela presented BBC One’s Ground Force team with one of their greatest challenges when they gave Mr Mandela’s garden a makeover for the show’s millennium special.

Alan, Tommy Walsh and Charlie Dimmock travelled to the now late ex-President’s home in Qunu, in the country’s Eastern Cape province, for the tricky task, requested by Mr Mandela’s wife Winnie and one of his closest friends.

Alan said it was an ambition come true for the Ground Force team. “This is one garden I would never have dreamt I’d find myself making,” he said at the time, citing Mandela as “one of the world’s most inspirational figures”.

The hard-working trio surprised the former South African President when he returned from a short trip away and was led back into his home by his wife, who had kept the project secret from her “thrilled” husband.

The main makeover man tells me this secret project is up there among his career highlights.

“Creating a garden for Nelson Mandela remains one of my happiest memories,” Alan divulges. He was so generous of spirit and such good company. I remember our meeting as though it were yesterday… From him, I learned the importance of compromise and the ability to move forward without bitterness. I wish more politicians would share his wisdom.”

ALAN’S GARDENING CLUB

The celebrity gardening guru says his latest TV series has also been well received. “’Alan Titchmarsh’s Gardening Club’ has gone down surprisingly well!”

The insightful show sees a diverse team of experts highlight the latest horticultural trends and innovative gardens across the UK, providing a wealth of practical gardening tips for
both aspiring and experienced gardeners alike.

Alongside Alan, the expert team includes another of my past green-fingered cover interviewees for ‘Improve’ – David Domoney – along with horticulturist Camilla Bassett- Smith, community gardener Tayshan Hayden-Smith, eco-friendly gardener Anna Greenland and houseplant expert Sarah Gerrard-Jones.

“I love the fact that we have lots of young passionate gardeners as well as experts, and the fact that everyone can get something out of it,” says veteran gardener Alan.

The pro grower and his top Gardening Club team share invaluable tips’n’tricks on the show for both new and seasoned gardeners, revealing practical gardening wisdom, how to attract more birds into your outdoor space, grow-your-own advice, inner-city community garden projects, plus the secrets to crafting a sought-after indoor oasis. Working with the widest range of backgrounds around the whole of the UK, from rural settings right through to suburban back gardens to tiny urban plots, old-hand Alan and his team teach the expertise to allow you to make the most of ANY garden or green space, whatever its size.

MILESTONE ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2024

Suffice to say that Alan’s longstanding love affair with the Great Outdoors has seen him tend and create many a green space, with this year seeing Alan mark a few amazing milestones and achievements.  “Yes, 60 years in gardening, 45 years in broadcasting and 75 years on the planet! I’m celebrating simply by still enjoying the journey!”

GRAND GARDEN DESIGNS & GO-TO GREEN SPACES

A few of his favourite ‘must-visit’ gardens? “Chatsworth in Derbyshire for grandeur of setting and a glorious Capability Brown landscape, Highgrove in Gloucestershire to share The King’s passion and his care for the landscape, and the garden at Minack Theatre, Porthcurno in Cornwall, which is a vibrant feast of tender beauties on a Cornish cliff.”

WILD GARDENS, A PERENNIAL PRESIDENT & THE NATIONAL GARDEN SCHEME

With his musical roots, from meticulous gardens to the wildest of wild, melodic Alan’s all about making our gardens sing by bringing butterflies, bees and other wildlife into the mix.

As the President of Perennial – a beneficiary of the National Garden Scheme, which encourages people to open up their gardens to raise funds for nursing and health charities – he says, “Every Spring is a new beginning – a chance for gardeners to start again and realise anew just how important the garden is as a way of expressing ourselves artistically and keeping in touch with nature – the one constant in an ever-changing world.”

“Our gardens are, I think, the ultimate reality. Created by man with the help of nature, they offer us an anchor in times of turmoil.”

DESIGNS ON HOME TURF

With homes in Hampshire (where he was made a Deputy Lieutenant of the county in 2001) and also on the Isle of Wight (where he served as High Sheriff in 2008), he loves the differing delights and challenges of his own two gardens.

Alan grows topiary, roses, wildflowers and more at his Grade II-listed Georgian Hampshire farmhouse boasting a four-acre garden, where his planting differs to that at his coastal Isle of Wight holiday home near Cowes, where hardy species work well and are more prevalent. Although amazing Agapanthus also abound here too, now older than his grandkids, he says, but still blooming well in the writer’s salty seaside garden.

“These priceless flowers I planted before my grandchildren were born — and they’re still going strong! I enjoy the contrast between gardening on the chalky soil of Hampshire, next
to the South Downs, and the milder coastal climate on the Isle of Wight, which allows me to grow a completely different range of plants. My island garden is a kind of jungle!”

GET THE KIDS & GRANDKIDS DIGGING!

Alan and his wife Alison enjoy nothing more than watching their grandchildren play in their gorgeous gardens. Maybe they’ll follow in their talented grandfather’s green- fingered footsteps…

How can we get young kids into gardening and harvesting its benefits at a young age? “To sow a seed and watch it grow, you discover you understand how life works, real life. And it’s important that we don’t lose touch with the thing that sustains us, and that’s the land. It needs looking after,” he stresses. “And I want the reality of getting your hands mucky, getting stuck in and learning how this planet functions.”

ALAN’S ACCOLADES

Unsurprisingly, Alan was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to horticulture and broadcasting in the 2000 New Year Honours List, when he was also immortalised by Madame Tussauds.

In 2004, he received the Victoria Medal of Honour – the highest accolade in the British gardening world – and in 2009 was made a Vice President of the Royal Horticultural Society. Attaining such top honours and accolades, along with countless other awards and achievements, are all among the highlights of Alan’s illustrious career.

“I’ve never expected any awards for what I do,” he humbly reveals to me. “I’m simply a gardener, broadcaster and writer who is passionate about what he does and enjoys sharing it. But I’m chuffed to bits at all three!”

RIGHT ROYAL ENGAGEMENTS + GARDENS

Royal programmes presented by this humble horticulturist have taken us on a fascinating tour through the history of Britain’s royal gardens, from medieval times to the present day.

ITV’s ‘Elizabeth: Queen, Wife, Mother’ and ‘The Queen’s Garden’ saw Alan explore the now late Queen’s incredible garden at Buckingham Palace through time-lapse, thermal imaging and aerial photography, filming the garden over a year-long period.

Buckingham Palace’s beautiful surrounding gardens were often the location for The Queen’s annual summer garden party and offer a vast home to an “oasis of wildlife”, said the gardening expert in the series, as he was struck by the garden’s “sheer scale”, describing them as a “hidden royal treasure” where every plant has a “royal story to tell”.

Famous for The Rose Garden and its stunning herbaceous border, her Majesty made her gardens a place where nature cheerfully thrives. “During the Queen’s reign, the garden become a haven for wildlife,” Alan relayed at the time. “Many of the woodland’s trees were planted by kings and queens, princes and princesses. Each plant has a link with the past, not just with natural history but with our nation’s history.”

Also among a few of Alan’s fondest memories of his time spent with our great late Queen were his experiences of compering the Windsor pageants for Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee and 90th birthday celebrations.

“Meeting the late Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh was a delight,” TV’s gardening King divulges to me. “I hugely enjoyed compering the Pageants at the Royal Windsor Horse Show. I also interviewed Prince Philip to celebrate his 90th birthday. It was challenging, but the moment we had finished he took me through to show me what changes he had made at Windsor Castle after the fire. He wrote to me afterwards and said, ‘As you probably realise, being interviewed is not my favourite occupation.’ I admired him a lot.”

TROWEL & ERROR

In the mid-70s, green-thumbed Alan transitioned to gardening journalism and began writing bounteous gardening books, including ‘How To Garden’ and ‘Trowel & Error’ – penning over 50, along with a Christmas anthology, nine novels, four volumes of memoirs, plus a miscellany celebrating Englishness and England.

Followed by his first TV appearance as a horticulture expert on the BBC show ‘Nationwide’, he fast became a household name, honoured with hosting the BBC’s annual ‘Chelsea Flower Show’ coverage from 1983-2013.

In 1991, Alan hosted the corporation’s popular talk show ‘Pebble Mill’, plus a series following in the footsteps of pilgrims around Britain and Ireland, while 1988 saw him host BBC Radio 2 show ‘House in a Garden’.

Having acclimatised to fame, green-fingered guru Alan took over the reins as the host of hugely successful ‘Gardeners’ World’ in 1996, filming the show in his own garden where he unearthed his gardening secrets and served up whole harvests of horticultural acumen and advice, and also co-hosted highly popular ‘Ground Force’ alongside Charlie Dimmock and Tommy Walsh, digging up and dishing out further green-fingered expertise.

THE KING’S HARMONY

A positively buzzing hive of activity based around the main central garden, designed and built by Alan William of multi-award-winning Landform Consultants, the sensational show’s theme this year is ‘Harmony’, with its fascinating story told all around the showground.

‘Harmony: A New Way of Looking at Our World’ was a book written by HM The King in 2010, focusing on living in balance with nature and looking at sustainable solutions to the way we live. A blueprint for a more balanced, sustainable world, this theme of Nature’s principles of Harmony provides the focus for the Royal Windsor Flower Show in 2024 – with content winding and weaving its way right across the show.

What’s more, the central show garden, designed around the show theme and called ‘What Do You See?’, will for the first time be relocated to a local school which is developing its curriculum to engage its young people in gardening, nature and the environment, adding to the exciting event’s programme of supporting 12 local schools each year to get into gardening, and a further 10 schools in its crafting programme.

The show’s focal point and beating heart centrepiece will display a number of elements for visitors to enjoy, including community orchards, pollinators, bees, wildflower planting and growing your own, championing all things horticultural.

SPRING INTO SUMMER AT THE ROYAL WINDSOR FLOWER SHOW!

As the Honorary President of The Royal Windsor Flower Show, Alan will open the highly anticipated annual event as it returns on Saturday 8th June 2024.

Set in the heart of the beautiful historic grounds of the Windsor Great Park, this year in its hospitable new home in the stunning grounds of The York Club, the exciting one-day event offers a fun-filled, fascinating day out for all the family, featuring gardens, plants, nature, food, traditional crafts and more!

As the Honorary President of the high-profile event, what is Alan looking forward to most about the 117th Royal Windsor Flower Show this June? “It’s held in a gloriously Arcadian part of the Great Park and is filled with passionate amateurs and learned professionals who are so generous with their time and experience. The fact that the Duchess of Edinburgh takes the trouble to go around and talk to everyone makes it extra special. She’s a real gem.”

TOP TRENDS & WOW FACTOR SPACES

This fabulous one-day event, open from 10am – 6pm, not only celebrates gardening and nature, but also cookery, traditional crafts plus a whole wheelbarrow full of good old-fashioned fun.

The show’s Talks Theatre will feature inspiring talks from gardening great Alan Titchmarsh, dynamic floral designer Yan Skates, and top chefs Katie and Giancarlo Caldesi, among many others, while the traditional Competition Marquees will house the incredible roses, sweetpeas, cakes and crafts made by local people.

Making for a memorable summer day out not to be missed, there’s heaps to enjoy, including stunning showcase gardens, great British plant nurseries, artisan producers, along with a dedicated children’s area. All this accompanied by great food, music and entertainment and so much more – no stone is left unturned at THIS all-encompassing show!

Look no further than this top day out for all the top trends in gardening, the latest ‘must-have’ summer garden features that should be on our radars right now, while those potty for patio planting, or with little or no green space, can learn how to bring the outdoors in and also bring in natural light to create an interior green oasis, allowing us to connect with nature inside, too.

After the ‘wow’ factor for your outdoor space? Or tips for wise garden spends on a tight budget?

This prodigious boutique-style event presents products and advice a-go-go, along with what’s currently cutting it in the style stakes, proffering the perfect way to get your green space blossoming, alongside simply spending time with friends and family enjoying the delights of life’s simple pleasures.

A LIVING LEGACY – SUSTAINABILITY, SUSTAINABILITY, SUSTAINABILITY

The stunning event raises funds for the Royal Windsor Rose & Horticultural Society (RWRHS) whose purpose is to create, deliver and support charitable projects in the local community.

With the urgent need for eco practices to help save our precious planet, Alan is a huge advocate for the show’s focus on sustainability this year.

“The show is quite rightly focusing on sustainability and the need for us all to work in harmony with nature – something The King has been encouraging us to do all his adult life,” says the organic horticulturist who wears TV’s gardening crown.

“It’s a passion I share and something that is an integral part of responsible gardening.”

What easy swaps should we all be making? “It’s up to all of us to work with Nature, not against her. That way the planet benefits and so do we,” he tells me. “Simply worrying about global warming and climate change is not enough. We all need to do our bit and that really can make a difference!”

PLANTING THE SEEDS FOR A SUSTAINABLE, HEALTHIER WORLD

The main walk-through central garden offers an invitation for all visitors, especially the young, to look more closely at the intricacies and wonders of Nature. Planting a seed of thought that we are part of Nature and that caring and working for Nature will enable us to be healthier and live a more sustainable life.

The circular design signifies the idea of everything coming full circle and the harmony it brings. Using the extraordinary geometry found in the natural world and also seen in space, the unique garden layout has been designed around the orbit pattern of Earth and Venus, which creates a five-petal flower shape every eight years.

Featuring a magnificent specimen tree at its centre, radiating out from the tree are five petal-shaped beds created from woven hazel hurdles, planted with a range of ornamental
and edible plants. The outer ring of the garden layout will house the community orchard, providing shelter and food for humans and wildlife alike.

SUMMER SEASON S O C I A L S

As we gear up for some long- overdue sunshine, you’ll find inspo galore for getting garden ready to make the most of your time spent in outdoor spaces this summer season.

From fragrant summer flowers and top tips for growing herbs and fruit in garden kitchens, to how we can easily create feature walls with strawberries, everything’s earthed up here!

“Whether you’re a novice or experienced gardener, the show welcomes all levels of horticultural knowledge and beyond, brimming with inspiration, showcasing everything from the tasty crops that are good to grow at home and ideas for the perfect patio, to great summer garden design, all topped off with great gastronomy and entertainment, too.”

PLANET PASSIONATE

Hard-working Alan is a man with a passion, and is patron/ president of, or trustee/ambassador for, no fewer than 50- plus charities!

Gardens for Schools helps fund gardens and green spaces in and around schools, while Seeds for Africa encourages sustainable vegetable gardening.

Passionate about playing his part in helping to save our precious planet, the top TV gardener has participated
in numerous tree-planting ceremonies, promoting urban greening and more, including an Elm tree planting ceremony to promote urban greening in London, returning to the Marylebone and Fitzrovia area to plant a project’s 1000th new tree in 2022.

“I continue to plant trees,” Alan tells me. “The right one in the right place at the right time!”

‘SAVING PLANET EARTH’ WITH SIR DAVID ATTENBOROUGH

He also teamed up with another national treasure, Sir David Attenborough, for BBC’s animal conservation programme ‘Saving Planet Earth’, a wide-reaching series supporting animal conservation.

“I am a huge fan of Sir David,” Alan reveals to me. “He was on the box when I was a nipper and to have shared the screen with him has been both a privilege and a pleasure. We owe him so much and have learned so much from him. He’s also a very nice man!”

Myleene Klass, Will Young, Graham Norton, Nick Knowles and Edith Bowman were among a host of stars joining Sir David and Alan for the wide-reaching series supporting animal conservation.

GARDENING FOR HEALTH & WELLBEING

With gardening and the power of plants and water in gardens not only good for the soul and lowering stress levels, but also giving a great workout and uplift of community spirit, Alan also chatted with me about the main mental and physical health benefits for improving our wellbeing.

“Anyone who has made a garden, or worked with plants and nature, understands the mental and physical benefits,” says revered Alan. “It’s not rocket science. It’s what we were all born to do, it’s just that society has become besotted with technology, and it has turned our heads. They need to be turned back again, for the good of us all, as well as the planet.”

Time to bury the tech for a while then and get planting, rediscovering all the free fun to be had in our outdoor spaces!

My green-fingered mum has always been an advocate of this. An avid gardener – and ardent Alan Titchmarsh fan – as a young girl she made it her mission to learn ALL the Latin names for flowers and plants.

Her favourite is Primula Auricula. What’s Alan’s? “Metasequoia glyptostroboides, the dawn redwood. Such a lovely tongue twister!”

A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS: SMELL THE ROSES THIS SUMMER!

We’re almost halfway through the year – what should we be planting right now? “It’s almost time to plant out summer bedding,” says the man who champions gardening throughout the seasons and continuing to tend our garden and use our green spaces once summer is over, to keep our gardens looking glorious throughout the autumn and winter months, too.

“But wait until danger of frost is past – sometime after the middle of May. Then plant things fairly close together so there is no room for weeds. Water them in well over the first few weeks, then take time to admire them and smell the roses!”

The TV star also has top tips aplenty for getting kids and grandkids into gardening, so they start to reap the rewards of life in the Great Outdoors at an early age.

“Above all, learn to enjoy being out there, encourage children to feel at home in the garden, awaken their curiosity to the beauties and intricacies of nature and tear them away from their screens. That way we will all be able to preside over a world that is loved, appreciated and set on a course to survive and thrive.”

The Royal Windsor Flower Show showcases gardens galore but it’s not just for the horticulturally inclined – the diverse event will serve up a vast smorgasbord of delicious delights, including:

• Show Gardens & Planting
• Displays.
• The traditional Competitions Marquee at the heart of the Flower Show will showcase categories including gardening, floristry, cooking, photography, arts and crafts, with 2024 seeing the launch of a new design competition in partnership with Creepers Nursery.
• The GARDEN MAKERS’ competition will showcase the work of five talented undergraduate or recent post graduate designers, providing a brilliant platform to hone their exhibiting and planting skills.
• An ‘In Tune with Nature’ demo by dynamic floral designer Yan Skates, with seasonal, scented, locally grown cut flowers.
• The benefits of eating well with chefs Giancarlo & Katie Caldesi.

• A Question Time for Gardeners with Keeper of the Gardens John Anderson and Perennials Queen Rosy Hardy from Hardy’s Cottage Garden Plants.
• Inspiration in spades from a spectacular central feature garden designed by Alan Williams of Landform Consultants. Including wildflower meadows and beehives, beds will contain ‘grow-your-own veg’, perennials and structural planting for year- round interest and sustenance for humans and wildlife alike. All about the cycle of life, inspired by HM The King’s 2010 book “Harmony: A New Way of Looking at Our World.”
• Dr David Hamilton on mindfulness, discussing how to harness your mind to improve your mental and physical health in his talk ‘How the Mind Heals the Body’.
• The Master Gardeners’ competition features stunning exhibits from a handful of carefully chosen gardeners at the top of their game, including those from Coworth, Eythrope Gardens, The Serge Hill Project and the Royal Gardens at Sandringham, Windsor Castle and Savill & Valley Gardens.
• PLUS plants for purchase aplenty, with an amazing array from a diverse range of brilliant Great British Plant Nurseries, featuring 10 top-flight nurseries from across the country, including Hardys Cottage Garden Plants, Harkness Roses, Kitchen Garden Plant Centre, Royal Gardens, Savill Gardens and Tynings Climbers, along with regular talks, demonstrations and chances to chat with the expert growers throughout the day.

AMBASSADOR CHRIS BAVIN BOASTS ABOUT THE EVENT’S ECO ELEMENTS

The famous flower event also offers a foodie fest, with TV presenter and fresh produce importer Chris Bavin a brand-new ambassador this year.

Chris has co-presented ‘Aldi’s Next Big Thing’, ‘Britain’s Best Home Cook’, along with ‘Eat Well for Less?’, ‘Britain in Bloom’ and ‘Food: Truth or Scare’. He’s also among the presenters on ‘Tomorrow’s Food’ and a multitude of consumer affairs programmes, all shown on BBC One.

With a background in the fresh produce industry, Chris started out importing and selling fresh-cut flowers, before moving into the fresh produce industry, importing and selling to wholesale markets across the UK. He is also the author of two cookbooks – ‘Good Food Sorted’ and ‘Fakeaway’.

GROWING YOUR OWN + COOKING UP A STORM WITH FAMOUS FELLOW CHEFS

Chris tells me he has cooked up a storm with a few famous faces during his culinary career. “In a professional capacity I have cooked for/with Mary Berry, Gregg Wallace, Angela Hartnett and many others.”

At the Royal Windsor Flower Show, Chris will be telling us about all the benefits of growing our own, showcasing what we should be sowing and growing right now.

“I love lots of things about the show,” he tells me. “It has so many different aspects; from the competitions to the gardens, the activities, talks and demos. But I think the nicest thing is the atmosphere. It’s a truly wonderful day out for all the family!”

Chris is all about the copious eco components this year, too. “Sustainability is one of the key elements of the show. “Looking at pollinators, teaching kids about gardening, reusing the gardens, and giving them a legacy in their new homes.”

WASTE NOT WANT NOT

What easy swaps should we be making when it comes food?
“I think we should go back to eating more seasonally, looking at getting our food from as close to where we live as possible. I also love growing your own. It does so many things, but possibly the greatest thing about growing your own food is it gives you a sense of appreciation of the food we buy and, hopefully, helps us be less wasteful.”

CHRIS’ TOP FOOD TIPS

• Meal planning is key! Write a list of the ingredients you need to make those meals and try not to buy too much that isn’t on the list
• Look at your food waste; It’s estimated that we throw around £15-worth of food away per week – that’s £780 a year!
• Cook from scratch as much as possible and try not to buy convenience foods
• I’m yet to meet a child that doesn’t enjoy growing fruits or vegetables … they love it!

WOW FACTOR SUMMER FLOWERS

What makes his fave summer flowers so special? “Having started my career selling flowers I have a love for all of them, but I love wildflowers, poppies, and I really love peonies and dahlias – they have that wow factor and keep giving you blooms for ages, although scented roses are really impactful, as well.”

SUMMER SEASON OUTDOOR LIVING

His top tips for getting garden ready to make the most of our time spent in our outdoor spaces this summer season? “I think you need to accept that it will never be done and try to enjoy the process. Don’t look forward to the end result or perfect garden – it’s about enjoying it whenever possible.

And advice for creating and zoning dedicated outdoor living areas to get set for our summer socials? “Think about how you use your space, think about the sun, heat and light when will you be using your outdoor dining area, and whether you want shade or full sun. Then you can, with very little effort, create clear, defined spaces.

GET HERBY! KITCHEN GARDENS

As for his own kitchen garden, he has top tips aplenty for growing herbs, fruit and fragrant summer flowers. “I have a very small growing area and I keep it to mainly pots. Herbs are one of the best things to grow. They are expensive to buy but you only ever need a tiny amount. The ones you buy in shops are normally in plastic and easy to grow on a windowsill in a pot or in the ground. Look at planting some flowers in amongst your fruits and vegetables and even some sacrificial plants.”

Chris’ top tips for great summer garden design and the perfect patio? What are the most common garden design mistakes people make when it comes to planting? “Don’t overcrowd your beds of pots, make sure you give them some space to grow and lots of tlc!”

BUG HOTELS & MORE

How can we best encourage butterflies, bees and other wildlife into our gardens? “Don’t be too precious or precise. I think really formal gardens are moving over for more relaxed, natural gardens… Don’t worry about the odd weed and try to have a really diverse range of plants. Also, bird tables and bug hotels will help encourage lots of visitors.”

ON-TREND SUMMER GARDENS

What trends has he been seeing coming through for summer gardens this year? “We are cooking outside more, and we are seeing outdoor kitchens and pizza ovens. There is nothing better than using stuff you have grown to cook with. A small growing space for fruits and vegetables and herbs is the must have. I think a garden should be both beautiful and functional.”

How can we bring the ‘wow’ factor to our gardens on a tight budget? “There are loads of ways to create a great garden on a budget – like growing from seeds or cuttings, but that takes time.”

For those with little or no green space, how can we bring the outdoors in and also bring in natural light to create an interior green oasis and connect with nature inside? “Houseplants have never been more popular,” says Chris. “They can be very inexpensive. I love a houseplant!”

AMBASSADOR ANGELLICA BELL GETS KIDS CRAFTING!

The Royal Windsor Flower Show offers a truly wonderful way to spend memorable time with loved ones, with delectable drinks, food, entertainment and activities for all the family.

Show ambassador Angellica Bell will also be on hand, proving that this is THE event for all – not only the place to be for gardens and flowers, but also for art, crafts and fun for all the family!

For kids, with entertainment on tap there will be a wide range of amusements a-go-go – everything from traditional crafts, a dedicated children’s area featuring a well-being tipi and fascinating talks to fun-filled craft activities, gardening projects plus a circus training camp!

To find out more, visit:
www.rwrhs.com/

Tickets are available at:
www.rwrhs.com/tickets-2/