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Daily Record
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Alan Titchmarsh 'heartbroken' after returning home from trip with wife
Alan Titchmarsh has opened up on the highs and lows of nurturing his own wilderness in his garden, and shared a recent discovery in his wildlife pond that left him 'heartbroken'. Television favourite Alan Titchmarsh has experienced the delicate balance of nature first-hand in his own back garden. The much-loved presenter of ITV's Love Your Weekend, 76, described how new life has sprung up in the wildlife pond he created some 15 years ago in his Hampshire haven. Alan had modest hopes of attracting creatures like "newts and dragonflies, damselflies and perhaps the odd kingfisher," but what he found was an unexpected surprise. Speaking to BBC Gardeners' World Magazine, Alan recalled a significant discovery, much grander than the usual tiny inhabitants one might anticipate in a garden pond. His water feature became the unexpected home for roach when he noted: "But then, from somewhere, probably on the webbed feet of a visiting duck, roach arrived." These adaptable freshwater fish can reach sizes of up to 14 inches and are adept at thriving under tough conditions, reports Birmingham Live. Excited by the new addition to his wildlife repertoire, Alan said,:"Thinking it was just another form of wildlife to gleefully add to my list, I bought some fish food,". Illustrating the feeding frenzy that follows, he observed: "Whenever I sprinkle it on the water, the surface turns into something reminiscent of that scene in the James Bond movie where the baddie is eaten by piranhas." He vividly described the transformation, saying: "The once limpid pool becomes a foaming cauldron for fully 30 seconds before all the food disappears." Despite initially welcoming the roach, Alan discovered that these fishy newcomers have significantly reduced the insect population around his pond, which had previously brought him so much joy. Alan has been fostering the growth of an alder tree by his pond to aid any visiting kingfisher in spotting roach, in a bid to tackle this fresh nuisance. Yet, for Alan, no gardening mishap can match the devastation wrought upon his cherished cherry blossom. Reflecting on the incident, he shared: "My small but now 20-year old plantation of the pure-white 'Shirotae' cherry generally gives rise to gasps in early April." He recounted the unfortunate event: "This year we went away for the weekend just before it was due to open. "We returned and excitedly walked around the back of our barn to take in the anticipated view.." To his dismay, he discovered: "The welter of buds had been decimated by wood pigeons."
Daily Mirror
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Alan Titchmarsh admits 'heartbreak' after 'pathetic' discovery with wife
The TV gardener has shared his experience of welcoming wildlife into his garden, and it seems there can be negatives as well as positives from doing so Gardening legend Alan Titchmarsh has opened up on a rather alarming discovery. The telly star, who is known for his love of horticulture admits being left gobsmacked after one creature in his pond appeared Alan, who will be gracing our TV screens this Sunday on ITV's Love Your Weekend, shared that although he didn't expect large creatures like otters in the wildlife pond he dug about 15 years ago, he did look forward to hosting more likely visitors: "Newts and dragonflies, damselflies and perhaps the odd kingfisher." In a brief chat with BBC Gardeners' World Magazine, Alan revealed that for a while, he enjoyed a bustling enclave of miniature beasts skimming his pool's surface – until an unexpected development occurred. "But then, from somewhere," he reminisced, adding: "Probably on the webbed feet of a visiting duck, roach arrived." Roach are small yet resilient freshwater fish, which can grow up to 14 inches and survive under challenging conditions. Notably, scientists have found that roaches are often the last survivors as rivers or ponds succumb to pollution, reports Gloucestershire Live. But despite their durability, roaches also come with voracious appetites: "Thinking it was just another form of wildlife to gleefully add to my list, I bought some fish food," noted Alan. "Whenever I sprinkle it on the water, " Alan recounted, before saying: "The surface turns into something reminiscent of that scene in the James Bond movie where the baddie is eaten by piranhas. The once limpid pool becomes a foaming cauldron for fully 30 seconds before all the food disappears." Sadly, the roach in Alan's pond weren't satisfied with just the occasional banquet of fish food; they've also ravaged the insect population that initially delighted him. In an effort to rebalance his aquatic ecosystem, Alan has even fostered the growth of an alder tree over the pond, hoping to attract kingfishers to prey on the roach. Yet, the most disheartening episode in Alan's wildlife encounters was the devastation of his cherished cherry blossom. "My small but now 20-year-old plantation of the pure-white 'Shirotae' cherry generally gives rise to gasps in early April," he reminisced. "This year we went away for the weekend just before it was due to open. We returned and excitedly walked around the back of our barn to take in the anticipated view.." However, what Alan and his wife Alison were met with was a "pathetic," scene. "The welter of buds had been decimated by wood pigeons." He lamented that the only blossoms left were those on the slenderest branches, too fragile to support a peckish wood pigeon: "Heartbreaking," he concluded.
Wales Online
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Alan Titchmarsh shares 'heartbreaking' discovery after returning home
Alan Titchmarsh shares 'heartbreaking' discovery after returning home TV gardening presenter Alan Titchmarsh shared how his Hampshire garden has been overrun by wildlife - but not in a good way. Alan Titchmarsh shared his 'heartbreaking' discovery after welcoming wildlife to his garden (Image: Getty ) Like many green-fingered enthusiasts, Alan Titchmarsh loves the vast array of wildlife that frequents his garden. However, he recently revealed that inviting wildlife into your garden comes with its share of drawbacks. Alan, who is appearing on our screens today on ITV's Love Your Weekend, shared that although he did not anticipate large creatures like otters in the wildlife pond he dug about 15 years ago in his Hampshire home, he did have hopes for smaller aquatic visitors. "Newts and dragonflies, damselflies and perhaps the odd kingfisher," he said. In a conversation with BBC Gardeners' World Magazine, Alan recounted how he initially enjoyed a bustling ecosystem of tiny creatures skimming across his pond – until an unexpected turn of events. "But then, from somewhere," he said, "probably on the webbed feet of a visiting duck, roach arrived." Roach are resilient freshwater fish that can grow up to 14 inches and survive under challenging conditions. Researchers have noted that roach often persist when other species vanish in polluted water bodies. Alan's most heartbreaking wildlife experience, he says, was the destruction of his beloved cherry blossom. (Image: 2019 Neil Mockford ) Article continues below "Thinking it was just another form of wildlife to gleefully add to my list, I bought some fish food," Alan continued. "Whenever I sprinkle it on the water, the surface turns into something reminiscent of that scene in the James Bond movie where the baddie is eaten by piranhas. The once limpid pool becomes a foaming cauldron for fully 30 seconds before all the food disappears." As reported by GloucestershireLive, not satisfied with Alan's sporadic offerings of fish food, the roach also wiped out the insect population that had brought him such joy during his pond's early years. In an attempt to rebalance nature, Alan nurtured the development of an alder tree above the pond, making it simpler for any passing kingfisher to identify the roach concealed below. However, Alan's most devastating wildlife encounter, he reveals, was the destruction of his treasured cherry blossom. "My small but now 20-year old plantation of the pure-white 'Shirotae' cherry generally gives rise to gasps in early April," he says. "This year we went away for the weekend just before it was due to open. We returned and excitedly walked around the back of our barn to take in the anticipated view.." Yet the sight that awaited Alan and his wife Alison was "pathetic," he says. "The welter of buds had been decimated by wood pigeons." Article continues below He described how the only blossoms that survived were the tiny ones at the very ends of slender branches that couldn't support the weight of a ravenous wood pigeon. "Heartbreaking," he added.
Edinburgh Live
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
Alan Titchmarsh makes 'heartbreaking' find after returning home with wife
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Like many green-fingered enthusiasts, Alan Titchmarsh finds joy in the wildlife that frequents his quaint Hampshire garden. However, he admits that inviting nature into your backyard comes with its own set of challenges. Alan, who will be gracing our screens this Sunday on ITV's Love Your Weekend, shares that while he didn't anticipate larger creatures like otters visiting the wildlife pond he dug about 15 years ago, he was hoping for more manageable visitors: "Newts and dragonflies, damselflies and perhaps the odd kingfisher." In a chat with BBC Gardeners' World Magazine, Alan revealed that for a time, he did have a bustling community of mini-beasts skimming over the pool's surface – until something extraordinary occurred. READ MORE - Oasis fans 'devastated' over major omission from reunion tour setlist READ MORE - Oasis fans say gig-goer 'didn't deserve' ticket as they spot what she's doing "But then, from somewhere," Alan remembered, "probably on the webbed feet of a visiting duck, roach arrived." Roach are robust freshwater fish, capable of growing up to 14-inches long, and can survive even in challenging conditions. Scientists have noted that roach tend to be one of the last species to vanish when rivers or lakes become polluted, reports Gloucestershire Live. However, along with their resilience, roach possess a voracious appetite: "Thinking it was just another form of wildlife to gleefully add to my list, I bought some fish food," Alan confessed. "Whenever I sprinkle it on the water, " Alan shared, "the surface morphs into something akin to that scene in the James Bond film where the villain is devoured by piranhas. The once clear pool becomes a frothing whirlpool for a full 30 seconds before all the food vanishes." Regrettably, the roach weren't satisfied with Alan's sporadic fish food feasts and have significantly reduced the insect population that initially brought him so much joy when he first established his pond. In an attempt to restore nature's equilibrium, Alan has even fostered the growth of an alder over the pond, making it easier for any passing kingfisher to spot the roach hiding in the depths. However, Alan's most heart-wrenching wildlife encounter, he reveals, was the devastation of his cherished cherry blossom. "My modest but now 20 year old plantation of the pure-white 'Shirotae' cherry typically elicits gasps in early April," he recounts. "This year we went away for the weekend just before it was due to bloom. We returned and eagerly strolled around the back of our barn to soak up the expected view.." But the sight that met Alan and his wife Alison was "pathetic," he laments. "The abundance of buds had been ravaged by wood pigeons." He clarified that the only blossoms left were the tiny ones at the very ends of thin branches that couldn't support the weight of a ravenous wood pigeon: "Heartbreaking," he concluded.
