Celebrity gardener Alan Titchmarsh has underlined just how important it is to instil an enthusiasm and passion for gardening into the minds of the younger generation.
He cited a survey of 1,000 people that was carried out last year, which revealed 70 per cent of 18-year-olds believe horticultural careers are only suitable for those who have failed academically.
Almost 50 per cent of respondents under the age of 25 added that they would consider such a role to be an unskilled one.
The Royal Horticultural Society and other representatives of the industry have carried out a more recent report entitled Horticulture Matters, which is due to be presented to the coalition government on May 14th.
Titchmarsh urged professionals to act now so as to ensure the roles they can offer appeal to younger people.
"We must engage with them in an interesting way to discover the immense job satisfaction and wealth of opportunities horticulture can offer," he remarked, adding: "We must change the perception of horticulture."
