Alys Fowler

Alys Fowler is a Horticulturist, Journalist and TV Gardener who was born in Silchester Hampshire, daughter of a Doctor and her mother ran a small holding with 200 chickens and also trained gun dogs. 

Her mother was a keen gardener and the whole family tried to be as self sufficient as possible. 

Alys was the youngest of 3 children, she has an older sister and brother. 

Alys Fowler's childhood was mostly spent outside in the fields and woods around the farm. 

Alys got her love for nature from her parents as well as instilling the therapeutic nature of being outdoors.

Alys Fowler attended Bedales School a 'hippie' boarding school for celebrities children where she had her own gardening plot. 


Alys went to university in London and studied at Royal Horticultural Society and the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew.

She then had a scholarship to study at New York Botanical Gardens which is situated in The Bronx since 1891.

It is a 250 acre site with exhibits,, immersive botanical experiences as well as events, art and music and attracts millions of visitors to escape to this oasis of green.

Whilst in America she still managed to garden on her apartment Fire Escape as well as joining in with Community Garden Projects in Manhattan and started upcycling objects she found in dumpsters or on the streets.

This repurposing of items to grow from gave her the idea for her first book The Thrifty Gardener: How to Create a Stylish Garden for Next to Nothing.

On returning to London, Alys completed her Masters in Society, Science and the Environment at University College, London.

In 2005 Alys Fowler started on Gardeners' World as a researcher and three years later in 2008 she was to become a presenter.

In 2010 Alys Fowler presented The Edible Garden, which was filmed in her own urban garden and kitchen in South Birmingham.

Alys  started growing her own produce to avoid having to buy shop bought fruit and vegetables but also wanted her garden to look attractive, so combined this with flowers and herbs.

She got some chickens and started making her own compost as well as building her own greenhouse.

As well as producing food, Alys showed us how to cook it and also how to dry herbs and preserve food for the Winter months.

This charming series ran for 6 episodes and took us through all seasons, looking at both the success and failures of the growing year.

Whenever this series is repeated it is just as popular as when it was first shown in 2010.

Alys Fowler enjoys foraging and picking wild herbs, which provided inspiration for her book The Thrifty Forager. 

Alys Fowler writes for the Guardian with a weekly gardening column, has a blog as well as writing for other publications.

Alys has written books range from Thrifting and Foraging to how to grow your own produce as well as how to preserve and store it.

Alys Fowler in her most most recent book, Peatlands: A journey between land and water published in 2025 explores the value of Peat bogs not only as a natural resource but the unique biodiversity they create.

Alys Fowler lives with her wife Ele and dog in Aberystwyth

Alys Fowler TV Shows

2008 - 2011 

Gardeners' World  - Presenter

2010

The Edible Garden - Presenter

Episode 1: Peas & Beans

Episode 2: Salads

Episode 3: Roots & Leafy Greens

Episode 4: Juicy Fruits

Episode 5: Flowers & Herbs

Episode 6: The Winter Larder

2014 - 2015

Great British Garden Revival - Presenter

Alys Fowler books

2007

The Thrifty Gardener: How to Create a Stylish Garden for Next to Nothing

2009

Garden Anywhere

2010

The Edible Garden

2011

The Thrifty Forager

2013

Abundance: How to Store and Preserve your Garden Produce

2017

Hidden Nature: A Voyage of Discovery

2017

Letters to a Beekeeper 

(with Steve Benbow)

2017

Plant Love: How to Choose and Care for your House Plants

2019

A Modern Herbal

2021 

Kew: Grow, Forage and Make: Fun things to do with plants 

Heidi Griffiths (Illustrator)

2021

Eat What you Grow: How to Have an Undemanding Edible Garden That is Both Beautiful and Productive

2025

Peatlands: A journey between land and water

Alys Fowler Blog Instagram  and  Twitter

The Edible Garden

The Edible Garden first aired in 2010. Alys Fowler hopes to avoid all shop brought food and vegetables and produce everything she needs from her small Birmingham back garden.

Alys grows her seasonal produce amongst her flowers and herbs to still make an attractive garden as well as helping with pest control naturally.

The Edible Garden - Episode 3 - Roots and Leafy Greens

In this episode of The Edible Garden, we meet Alys Fowler is telling us about her root vegetables and leafy greens.

Alys introduces herself as a writer and gardener, having grown up in the countryside she now lives in the city with her husband.

Alys gets pleasure from the simple things in life, home made bread, home grown vegetables, making things and looking after her much loved chickens.

The Edible Garden - Episode 2 - Salads

In this Episode of The Edible Garden we visit Alys Fowler who is growing Salads.


Alys introduces herself as a writer and gardener, having grown up in the countryside she now lives in the city with her husband.

Alys gets pleasure from the simple things in life, home made bread, home grown vegetables, making things and looking after her much loved chickens.

The Edible Garden - Episode 1 - Peas and Beans

In this first episode of The Edible Garden we meet Alys Fowler is growing peas and beans in her Birmingham garden.

Alys introduces herself as a writer and gardener, having grown up in the countryside she now lives in the city with her husband.

Alys gets pleasure from the simple things in life, home made bread, home grown vegetables and making things.

The Edible Garden Episode 6: The Winter Larder

In this last episode of The Edible Garden we meet Alys Fowler who is looking at the Winter Larder.

Alys introduces herself as a writer and gardener, having grown up in the countryside she now lives in the city with her husband.

Alys gets pleasure from the simple things in life, home made bread, home grown vegetables, making things and looking after her much loved chickens.

The Edible Garden - Episode 5 - Flowers and Herbs

In this Episode of The Edible Garden we meet Alys Fowler looks at Flowers and Herbs in her Birmingham garden.

Alys introduces herself as a writer and gardener, having grown up in the countryside she now lives in the city with her husband.

Alys gets pleasure from the simple things in life, home made bread, home grown vegetables, making things and looking after her much loved chickens.

The Edible Garden - Episode 4 - Juicy Fruits

In The Edible Garden Episode 4, Alys Fowler talks about the 'juicy fruits' from her garden.

Alys introduces herself as a writer and gardener, having grown up in the countryside she now lives in the city with her husband.

Alys gets pleasure from the simple things in life, home made bread, home grown vegetables, making things and looking after her much loved chickens.

Monty Don's Japanese Gardens - Episode 1 - Spring

In Monty Don's Japanese Gardens episode 1, Monty Don starts the programme in front of the snow clad Mount Fuji as our introduction to Japan.

Monty tells us that although a lot of us may have Japanese Gardens or at least Japanese plants like Maple, cherries and Hosta. 

Not a lot of us really know that much about them, it is an enigma.

Monty Don's Japanese Gardens

Monty Don's Japanese Gardens is a BBC gardening show where Monty Don travels to Japan, in the first episode travelling in Spring and in the second episode travelling in Autumn.

In Monty Don's Japanese Gardens episode 1, we see the cherry blossom and the Hanami festivals where they celebrate the brief and dramatic appearance of the blossom.

Monty Don's Japanese Gardens - Episode 2 - Autumn

Monty Don starts the programme in front of the snow clad Mount Fuji as our introduction to Japan.

Monty tells us that although a lot of us may have Japanese Gardens or at least Japanese plants like Maple, cherries and Hosta. 

Not a lot of us really know them, its an enigma.