Last Updated on 12 June 2026 by PeteFree
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
