Alan is one of the best-known faces in the gardening media world, having presented popular TV shows like Gardeners’ World and Ground Force. Alan is a busy author, having written more than 50 gardening books and nine novels as well as regular gardening columns in the national press. He was appointed MBE in 2000. In 2004 he received the Victoria Medal of Honour, the highest accolade in the British gardening world. He is also an Ambassador of The Prince’s Trust and an Ambassador for the Prince’s Countryside Fund. In 2015 he became Chancellor of Winchester University.