Welcome to a new series of Love Your Garden, reuniting the horticultural talents of Alan Titchmarsh, David Domoney, Frances Tophill and Katie Rushworth.
Alan Titchmarsh
Almost certainly Britain’s best loved horticulturalist, Alan has had a career in broadcasting spanning over 5 decades.
After five years editing gardening books and magazines Alan took the bull by the horns and became a freelance writer and broadcaster, making his first appearance on BBC Nationwide in 1979. BBC Breakfast Time followed, as did Pebble Mill, and Gardeners’ World in 1996.
Alan has also written over 40 gardening books, 10 novels and two volumes of autobiography. 2013 saw Alan celebrate 30 years of presenting the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
David Domoney
David Domoney is a celebrated Horticulturalist, garden designer and landscaper. He has presented gardening on ITV for two decades for over 10 different shows.
He is a Chartered Horticulturalist and is both Fellow and Ambassador of the Chartered Institute of Horticulture. David sits on the RHS Commercial Board and is also a Governor for the London Colleges of Horticulture.
This year he was chosen by His Royal Highness Prince Edward to receive the Award for Excellence in Horticulture. David has won 30 horticultural medals for garden design, floral displays and science exhibits at the RHS shows including gold and best in category trophies at Chelsea Flower Show.
He is also the resident gardening presenter on ITV’s flagship show This Morning – a role he has now held for over a decade. David writes expert growing pages in every issue of Grow Your Own Magazine and also has a weekly double page spread on gardening in The Sunday Mirror.
David founded the Cultivation Street campaign, supporting communities and schools gardening together, he also founded the Young Gardeners of the Year competition in association with the Princes Foundation, supporting and showcasing new British talent in landscaping and garden design.
Follow David on twitter at @DavidDomoney, Facebook at @DavidDomoneyTV, Instagram at @Daviddomoney or Pinterest at @daviddomoney or check out his website at www.Daviddomoney.com
Frances Tophill
Hailing from Deal in Kent, Frances, graduated with a BSc in Horticulture with Plantsmanship from the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh. Since filming the last series, Frances has been busy working on a new book, aimed at people buying their first property with a garden.
Presenting ITV’s Love Your Garden was Frances’ first TV role and she joined the show in 2012, travelling the country with the rest of the team transforming the gardens of some very deserving people.
Frances’ role is predominantly plant-based, working in the garden throughout the whole construction of the site and lending a helping hand with the landscaping when it is needed.
It is a hugely exciting opportunity for Frances who before this hadn’t ever really given TV presenting a second thought.
“Initially I got an email at college about the series and a bunch of us thought it sounded like a good excuse to go and have a weekend in London.” explains Frances. “I never expected to hear anything, but then I got called for a second screen test and waited to hear. I was actually in the pub with some friends when the call came in to say I’d got the job – so we had an instant celebration there and then”.
Frances’ favourite bit of a garden build is creating the blank canvas in order to begin planting up the new garden, and thinks the most dramatic transformation last series was the last show from Cumbria.
Katie Rushworth
Katie hails from just up the road from Alan, in Baildon, West Yorkshire and has been a full-time self employed garden designer for the last eight years.
When not filming for Love Your Garden, Katie is working hard designing and building gardens for private clients with her business Queen of Spades. She is also passionate about empowering people to have the confidence to design, plant and maintain their own gardens so has recently just set up a garden mentor programme in which she works alongside her clients imparting her knowledge and teaching them the skills required to create their own Love your Garden inspired outdoor spaces.
Love your Garden was Katies first TV role in 2011 and since then she has also presented alongside Alan for two series of ITVs ‘Love your Home and Garden’ Katie also designs gardens and presents on a Norweigian gardening show. ‘Tid for Hage’ And last year published her first book “Plants beds and borders’’
Her love of design, enthusiasm for plants and keen eye for detail is something she knows in invaluable in her line of work and she loves it!! “I really do love my job, I get to design spaces that bring people joy and fill them with things that look gorgeous!’
This year Katie completes a two year long building project of her own converting an old barn in the Yorkshire countryside into what she describes as being her families dream home. ‘’I just can’t wait to get stuck into the garden – I want the house and garden to blend seamlessly into the landscape but the pressure of doing my own garden is huge – “I just love plants and want them all, but that can easily lead to a jumbled mess of a design” “Its just so hard to pick”.
It seems like a lifetime ago that a chance comment from a friend at college lead to Katie landing the job on Love Your Garden. “at last count I think we had built nearly 60 gardens on the show!!’ They are always hard work, but also incredibly rewarding and I get to build them with my great friends Alan, David and Frances. ‘Whats not to love!’’
Follow Katie on Twitter at queenofspades00
Insta: thequeenofspades00
Facebook: @katiequeenofspades
Danny Clarke
Danny Clarke is a British Garden Designer and TV presenter who shot to fame as BBC’s Instant Gardener, having started his own bespoke garden design company, The Black Gardener, in 1997.
Since his debut on television as the BBC’s Instant Gardener in 2015, Danny has graced our screens with a host of popular garden makeover shows and horticultural advice. In 2019, he joined the ITV ‘This Morning’ team presenting colourful and creative garden transformations.
Danny is passionate about making a difference to climate change and community integration. He is known for his charismatic and fun approach to garden design which is affordable and desirable to people of all ages. ‘Having access to a garden should be a right, not a privilege’ and his biggest wish is that we all make the most of our green spaces for the health of the planet, our communities, and our souls. Following his passion, Danny also co-directs CIC Grow 2 Know, who are committed to bringing horticulture to young people and disadvantaged communities. For example, Danny & the CIC team are currently planning a tribute garden in Grenfell.
He is a regular columnist in Waitrose weekender and a host at RHS Chelsea and RHS Tatton. Danny has also been a panellist on Channel 4’s ‘Tree of the Year’, and is known for his advice on sustainability, conservation and horticulture in garden design.
Follow Danny on social media:
Instagram: @theblackgardener
Twitter: @theblkgardener
Facebook: TheBlackGardener
Hortus Paradisi
Hortus Paradisi are a landscape design and build company based in the south of England. Founded and run by partners Suzie Topping and Danny Jones, they boast a strong horticultural background and have won gold medals at the RHS Hampton Court Flower Festival. Please visit our website www.Hortusparadisi.co.uk
FACEBOOK: @hortparadisi
TWITTER: @ParadisiHortus
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