Alan Titchmarsh Admits His Biggest Garden Mistake—And It Happened in Front of Experts

It’s tough to picture a gardening icon like Alan Titchmarsh ever getting caught out. He’s the kind of presenter people assume has every border planned, every plant identified, and every bed looking camera-ready.

But even he has one mistake that still makes him cringe—and it’s the most relatable kind of garden blunder: a missing label.

In a piece he wrote for BBC Gardeners’ World magazine, Alan shared a story from around 20 years ago that didn’t just embarrass him… it followed him ever since.

The setup sounded harmless enough. A friend asked if she could bring two friends along to see his garden. Alan agreed—then discovered the visitors weren’t just casual plant lovers. They were highly respected horticulturists: Pam Schwerdt and Sibylle Kreutzberger.

Suddenly, the pressure was on.

Alan admitted he did what many of us do before guests arrive: he walked the garden like an inspector, scanning for anything that might look messy, out of place, or unfinished. He wanted everything “ship-shape.” And because he’s naturally someone who loves order, he usually has one habit that keeps him calm—labels. Lots of them.

Except… not this time.

There was one spot he’d overlooked: his tulip beds.

The tulips were planted in narrow borders on either side of the greenhouse path, bright and impossible to miss. And they were the only flowers he hadn’t labelled.

That missing tag turned into the one detail he couldn’t stop worrying about.

Still, he tried to shrug it off. There were plenty of other plants to talk about, plenty of impressive features to point out. So he led the tour, gesturing confidently left and right, highlighting everything he thought would stand out.

But of course, gardens have a way of doing this—guests don’t always ask about what you prepared for.

They ask about the one thing you didn’t.

Alan basically saw it coming and couldn’t stop it. Out of the entire garden, the only plant his expert visitors wanted named was… that “errant” tulip. The single flower bed without a label. The one detail he couldn’t neatly answer on the spot.

And that’s what made it sting: he is a “born labeller,” he said—someone who genuinely enjoys keeping track and keeping things organised. Which meant this wasn’t just a random oversight. It was the exact kind of slip-up that would bother him most.

Then came the final twist—one that probably made him laugh and groan at the same time.

After the visit, Pam Schwerdt and Sibylle Kreutzberger sent a thank-you card. Alan joked that it didn’t even mention the garden.

Instead, they praised something else entirely: his wife’s Florentines.

So yes—two serious horticulture pros toured a famous gardener’s space… and the most memorable detail (at least in writing) wasn’t a rare plant, a clever border, or a stunning bed.

It was biscuits.

The story feels especially timely, because Alan’s garden chapter has been shifting in real life, too. Last year, he put his much-loved Hampshire home on the market after 23 years, saying he wanted to downsize. He’s still keen to garden—he’s even suggested he’s got “another garden” in him—but he’s looking for somewhere smaller.

The property itself sounds like the kind of classic country home people daydream about: five bedrooms, original character features like oak beams and sash windows, plus a large drawing room, a library, and a traditional country kitchen with bespoke units. It also includes an Aga, a butler’s sink, and a larder—details that feel tailor-made for anyone who loves that timeless farmhouse look.

And yet, for all that charm and all that experience, the story Alan can’t forget isn’t about the house, the rooms, or the sale.

It’s about a single missing label… and the one tulip question he couldn’t dodge.