Green Fingers: Where did your career start, presenting or gardening?

Alan: When I was 15 as an apprentice in a nursery.

Rachel: Hi Alan. I have admired your work for years. What is your secret to such a great career in television?

Alan: I think I've been lucky to be given chances to do lots of different things - variety is important. I just hope it goes on.

Lesley: Hi Alan. My neighbour has a problem with her front garden. When it rains, the front two or three foot gets waterlogged really quickly; therefore it is sludgy constantly and plants rot.

Alan: The best thing would be to stop fighting nature and go along with her. Plant bog plants - things like Rodgersia, Hosta (Hosta), and Primulas - if you can't beat 'em, join 'em!

Perry: What's your gardening pet hate?

Alan: I can't stand Gladioli. It seems to me that they are so graceless and unbending. But I suppose somebody loves them.

Tony Harden: Please can you tell me why my Pyracantha has no berries or flowers. It is three years old and is growing well. I believe the variety is Firethorn.

Alan: Firethorn is the common name. If it's growing well but not flowering, it sounds as though it has plenty of nitrogen but not much in the way of potash. Feed it now with rose fertiliser and then give it some more in early summer. You may be too late to encourage flowers and berries this year, but it should do well in 2003.

Ruly: Alan, I love your programme on how to be a gardener but I can't stand gardening and find it really dull work. I would much rather be painting the house. How can someone like me get motivated to do up the garden?

Alan: Well, you've got to like standing on a riverbank if you want to be a fisherman. Nothing I can say will make you interested in gardening. Why not go to some nice gardens during the summer and look at the flowers? If they don't inspire you, nothing will.