Social media superstar!

Horticultural things that have caught our eye this week...

Marcus Bridgewater may be an unwitting social media star in the world of horticulture, but with a following of almost a million, he is perhaps one of the most influential, too.

The American gardener has become something of a lifestyle guru, especially on the TikTok platform, where ‘Garden Marcus’ has more than 680,000 followers. But he admits that at first he had no idea what TikTok even was, and his gardening account was launched in 2019 merely as a form of marketing for his life-coaching business Choice Forward.

Now, though, the incredible interest in his gardening exploits has led him to write a book, called simply How To Grow, which launched recently in the UK.

He receives messages from gardeners the world over, including many from the UK, and said: “It is very touching and humbling. People tell me my approach has changed their life and that’s an incredible thing to hear.”

He sees gardening as a metaphor for life, adding: “I like to say that we cannot make anything grow – but we can create an environment where growth is a by-product of living. Gardening has such a parallel with the way we grow as humans. Roots are always trying to navigate the best way through the soil to survive and thrive in the way we try to navigate through life.”

He received plants as a housewarming present a few years ago and so began his unlikely journey to social media stardom. Some of his videos have received huge interest, notably one about propagating pineapples. Now his book is finished he said: “There’s so much more to do. I’m looking forward to getting out and engaging with people again.”

How To Grow by Marcus Bridgewater is published by Harper Collins, priced £17.99.