Alan Titchmarsh was awarded the Pearson Memorial Medal at the HTA Garden Futures Conference dinner in recognition for his outstanding contribution to the horticultural industry.

HTA Director General Carol Paris said, “Alan has played an invaluable role in communicating his passion for gardening to such a wide audience and I can think of no better or deserving recipient for the Pearson Memorial Medal for services to the industry.

"He is a great ambassador for gardening and has always been very supportive of the industry. There can be no doubt that his television programmes have had and continue to have a huge impact and help so many people discover gardening for the first time.”

On receiving the award from HTA Vice-President Stan Green, Alan said: “This is a great honour for me and I am delighted to follow in such auspicious footsteps.

"This award really matters as it is from the horticultural industry. We are all in the same business across all the branches of horticulture. We all want to encourage people to green their surroundings and this begins with the environment outside the back door – the garden. The industry provides people with the knowledge and where with all to do their bit.”

He went on to thank the industry for their support for ‘Love Your Garden’. “We couldn’t have achieved what we did without you. Thank you for coming to our aid for the greater good and to help encourage more people to garden,” he said.

Love Your Garden is set to return to ITV in 2013 for a third series.