TELEVISION gardener Alan Titchmarsh visited The Lawn care home in Alton in his capacity as the Deputy Lieutenant of the County of Hampshire.

Mr Titchmarsh went to the home, run by charity Friends of the Elderly, on behalf of the Hampshire Lieutenancy to meet the residents and thank the staff for their work during the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns.

He enjoyed a tour of the home and its grounds, admiring the plants, shrubs, flowers and lawn, and had plenty of time to chat with residents. Making his first visit for three years, he said: “The Lawn is just as bright, cheery and welcoming as I remember it.”

Resident Kathie Baines said: “Alan and I used to be neighbours – we lived next door to each other on the beautiful Isle of Wight.

“I absolutely love gardening and always watched his television programmes, so finding out he was my next-door neighbour was incredibly exciting.

“It was lovely seeing him again – he is extremely friendly. It brought back many happy memories of my old home.”

Resident Dorothy Cory said: “Mr Titchmarsh looked very smart in his official uniform. I do so enjoy gardening and it was a pleasure to meet him.”

Home manager Alina Gutu said: “It was lovely to host Mr Titchmarsh during his visit. All the residents were so happy to meet him and were over the moon when he said how wonderful and well cared for the grounds – and especially the lawn – were. We did ask if he had any gardening tips for us and he graciously said ‘keep on doing just what you’re doing.’ That was such a compliment.

“One bit of advice he did give us was that it would be worth making sure there is something in flower every month of the year. That’s a great idea, so we are going to make sure we get everyone involved and decide which plants and flowers the residents would like to see more of or even introduced. It will be a fun, interactive exercise for everyone to enjoy and see the results when the flowers are in bloom.

“Hopefully when he comes on another visit he’ll be impressed with our new additions and green fingers. To receive thanks and appreciation from Alan Titchmarsh for our efforts really meant the world to all of us here.”