Channel 4 Features commissions The Avant Gardener (W/T)

21 September 2016

Following on from the success of ‘The Autistic Gardener’ Channel 4 today announces the commission of an exciting new series, The Avant Gardener (W/T), featuring award-winning autistic garden designer Alan Gardner. Alan, who credits his success to what he calls ‘his gift,’ the fact that he has autism, takes on some of Britain’s most unloved gardens in this new 3 x 60 series made by betty.

Using his uniquely quirky horticultural skills and years of experience, Alan will create bespoke, breath-taking gardens transforming large outdoor spaces across the country.

Alan believes that his condition gives him a viewpoint that helps him create unique and cleverly thought out designs. He will reveal to viewers where his quirky inspiration comes from – be it a jet engine or the perfectly symmetrical petals of a flower.

This series will see Alan going bigger and bolder with his concepts. To inspire his autistic thinking even further, he’ll visit spectacular horticultural spaces and innovative, avant-garde designs both here in the UK and in America, along the way meeting the people who created them.

The Avant Gardener (W/T) follows on from Alan’s first Channel 4 series The Autistic Gardener in which he transformed gardens with the help of a group of autistic trainees. The critically acclaimed betty series won praise from viewers for raising awareness of autism.

Alan said: “I always say it’s my weirdly wired mind that is the key to my creativity. I gain all my inspiration from my passions – architecture, conceptual art and the amazing wider landscape that surrounds us. And it’s this that I’ll be bringing to all of these gardens.”

Helen Cooke, Editor, Channel 4 Features, said: This new series is going to inspire any gardener from amateur to expert. Alan finds inspiration from the most unlikely places and using his design skills and unique vision to create striking gardens - from big family gardens to smaller awkward spaces - to prove that with imagination anyone can take their outside space to another level.

Neil Smith, joint managing director, betty, said: “We are delighted to see Alan return to Channel 4 with even bigger and better designs. From his incredible energy to his shocking pink hair, he’s a unique, stand-out talent in the gardening world.”

The series is due to air in 2016 and has been commissioned by Helen Cooke, Editor, Channel 4 Features. The executive producer is Ian Carré for betty.

Executive Producer: Ian Carré

Production Company: betty

Commissioning Genre: Features

Editor: Helen Cooke