Meet Alan Titchmarsh
As a Canadian, I first met Alan Titchmarsh on the pages of BBC’s Gardener’s World magazine. I usually pick up a copy of the magazine at Chapter’s-Indigo for $15. So, when I noticed a new audiobook by Titchmarsh being released in November, I jumped on it. And I’m glad I did. I listened to it over two work sessions, an audiobook habit I cultivate whenever I work alone out in the landscape.
Here’s my review of the audio version. The hardcover book will be available from Amazon.ca in February 2023.
Twelve months
Titchmarsh covers the full year, starting in January, and pulls it off nicely. I was afraid it would be a blow by blow twelve months of tips on plants I have never seen but I need not have worried. This is a very smooth book. Yes, it’s full of helpful tips. I will cover two big ones below very shortly.
What I really enjoyed, aside from the tips, were the add-ons. Such as, tree of the month, flower of the month, wildflower of the month, books to read, music to listen to, birds, famous gardeners, gardens to visit and what NOT to do in your garden.
Since I don’t live in the UK, I won’t be visiting any of the suggested gardens in person anytime soon; nor do I care that much about UK birds. But the rest is fascinating, like famous gardeners. I will most likely Google them later because I want to learn more about their work and see what they published.
My favorite segment is the books to read. When I buy a new book with a bibliography in the back, I scan it for new, interesting titles. It’s like finding a treasure.
Two huge tips
Now, I don’t want to give away all of the secrets in this blog post, but I need to mention two huge tips. One repeats throughout the book: lawn watering. Titchmarsh correctly tells you to not water the lawn in the summer. Save the water for your planted beds and pots. Your lawn will recover when the rains return.
This advice also applies to my Pacific Northwest home. Except this fall was so dry on the West Coast that many lawns didn’t have time to fully recover.
The second huge tip on weeds is easy to miss because Titchmarsh mentions it in passing. He rarely weeds in his own garden because his beds are planted tightly without much bare soil showing. This is an important point. Weeds thrive on open soil with plenty of light, water and little competition. Stuff your beds with plants and your weeds will struggle.
I think of this every time I’m asked to weed out a bare patch of soil. Planting something nice would eliminate the long hours of weeding labor. Listen to Titchmarsh and plant your beds tightly if you don’t like weeding.
Conclusion
“The gardener’s almanac” was well worth the one credit I spent on it at Audible.com. Listening to the author’s British English alone is a treat. If you’re looking for monthly tips, this book will help you, even if you don’t live in the UK. The other monthly segments are simply awesome. I really enjoyed hearing about famous gardeners and books I should read.
Titchmarsh even delights you with bits of poetry. If you like gardening, this book will be a treat. I really enjoyed it. Now I have to find time to google the famous gardeners and source the suggested books. Winter is a perfect time for this, and also for some rest.
