Alan Titchmarsh last night rubbished the idea of seeing slugs as ‘our friends’ – and said that he and the King moaned together about the garden menaces.
The celebrity gardener, at the Chalke Valley History Festival sponsored by the Daily Mail, challenged the Royal Horticultural Society’s decision to no longer class slugs and snails as ‘pests’.
Experts from that organisation declared last year that such molluscs should be considered an ‘important part of the garden ecosystem’, a contentious issue that has divided the green- fingered brigade.
Mr Titchmarsh, a vice president of the RHS, insisted that such statements were not useful, neither was the idea that weeds should be left to grow in gardens – known as ‘rewilding’.
The broadcaster, 74, said: ‘There were several things said last year that I thought were not helpful – one is that weeds are our friends.
Alan Titchmarsh last night rubbished the idea of seeing slugs as ‘our friends’ – and said that he and the King moaned together about the garden menaces
‘Rubbish, they are no friends of mine. Weeds are good indicator of the nature of the soil. I think sometimes people say things without thinking too carefully. No, slugs are a pain in the bum.’
Mr Titchmarsh said that having been an organic gardener for 40 years he took a view of preventing plants from getting ‘attacked’.
And he revealed the King had similar concerns, not least because he grows a shade-loving variety of plants called hostas.
Mr Titchmarsh explained: ‘The King I see quite regularly – we talk, moan about slugs together. Because he has a great hosta collection. He’s driven. He’s a great tree planter.
‘They say nature abhors a vacuum. I think the King abhors a vacuum. See a piece of clear land – now, what can I do with that?’
Expanding on his views on slugs, Mr Titchmarsh went on to say: ‘Anybody who gardens and wants to grow a nice plant, they are not going to say, “Oh, leave them and we’ll grow some more”.
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‘Adjust your gardening technique but don’t try and tell people that slugs are our friends and not a grand old inconvenience.’
The former Ground Force presenter was also questioned on the colonial roots of some plants now popular in our gardens.
The celebrity gardener, at the Chalke Valley History Festival sponsored by the Daily Mail (pictured), challenged the Royal Horticultural Society’s decision to no longer class slugs and snails as ‘pests’
Wisteria, the brilliantly colourful climbing vine, has previously been branded ‘problematic’ due to the fact that it was brought to England in 1812 by an East India Company tea inspector.
Mr Titchmarsh said: ‘I think that one needs to accept things that went on before are not the way we do it now.
‘I don’t think that there’s much to be gained by either stopping growing a group of plants or by beating ourselves up.
‘We have learnt, we don’t operate like that any more.’
There is still time to buy tickets for this year’s Chalke Valley History Festival – with talks from best-selling novelists and a panel featuring Private Eye’s Ian Hislop to come.
On Friday Tracy Chevalier, the writer behind The Girl With A Pearl Earring, will talk about the 1999 novel with historian Dan Snow.
And with medieval jousting set to take place this weekend – and children’s activities throughout the week – there is something for the whole family.
To buy a ticket visit cvhf.org.uk or call 01722 781133.
