Titchmarsh Warns Of Horticulture Skills Shortage Because Of Uncool Gardening Image

The lack of Government support for horticulture in education and the negative public image of gardening are resulting in a skills shortage in the industry, according to Alan Titchmarsh.

The English gardener and broadcaster says that unemployed young people are missing out because they think gardening is for 'drop outs' instead of seeing the link between their science, art or design courses and jobs on offer in horticulture.

This concurs with a recent poll by the Royal Horticultural Society that found 70% of 18-year-olds believe the sector is for those that have no skills and whom have failed academically.

Lantra, the skills council for the land-based industries, claims that the gardening industry needs 11,000 new entrants over the next decade to replace the retiring generation; and further findings show that one in 10 firms struggle to find tree surgeons.

The renowned gardening journalist criticises the Prime Minister for not funnelling skilled young people into the sector that has opportunities; and he says society should act now to ensure children grow up with a great respect for and love of the natural surroundings.

The UK's horticultural industry is reportedly worth a staggering £9billion and it employs nearly 200,000 people. Having an awareness of global warming and the changing nature of British weather is important but if you have a passion for greenery, get out into your garden and make some magic.

You don't have to be an expert to try sowing some lawn seeds and planting some flowers and being creative is not 'uncool'. Skills in gardening can vary considerably from looking after the turf at Wimbledon, teaching children, researching new pests and diseases, and garden design.

Fylde Seeds has been a supplier of quality grass seed mixtures for over 23 years to gardeners, sports grounds, landscapers, green keepers and more. As specialists in the industry, they only supply top quality certified seeds and all are available on the website so visit the site for more details.