TV gardener Alan Titchmarsh has lifted the lids on the "challenges" he has faced in his new garden after making a major change with his wife.

The former Gardeners' World presenter and his wife of 50 years Alison put their £4million Hampshire home on the market last year. They have lived at the Grade II listed property for 23 years but felt it was the right time to downsize as their kids have flown the nest,

Alan opened up on the "challenges" he has faced in their new garden as he comes to term with differences in the soil that have an impact on what plants thrive.

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Writing in BBC Gardeners' World magazine, he touched on the importance of "living dangerously" every now and then.

Alan continued: "By this I don't mean flying in the face of reason and planting a bog plant in dry, sandy soil - I'm thinking in terms of growing a few thing that will challenge you to produce the right conditions and so increase your level of satisfaction.

"All this has been brought home to me in our new garden which, after having cultivated plants in chalky soil for more than 40 years, allows me to plant acid lovers directly in the ground.

"Up to now I've had to grow rhododendrons and azaleas, camellias and other acid lovers in pots of compost, because in my alkaline soil they would become yellow and stunted before shaking their heads and turning up their toes."

Alan advised readers to join him this year in growing things that "don't fly completely in the face of 'right plant, right place' but will encourage you to provide the conditions they will like at very little effort".

In an interview with Gardeners' World magazine, Alan explained the reasons for putting their property on the market.

The 76-year-old and his wife share daughters Polly, 45, and Camilla, 43, both of whom now have their own children.

Speaking to the magazine, Alan said: "[It's] time to downsize - a little - as those of us of relatively senior years are regularly told we would be wise to do.

"To be honest, we had no plans to move. When you restore an old house and make a garden around it, you pour so much of your heart and soul into it that moving on is bound to be a wrench."

The house was listed by Savills for £3.95million. The property also features a beautiful garden.

According to Country Life there is another motivation for Alan and Alison's desire to downsize - they want to be closer to their daughters and grandchildren.

Catch Alan on Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh from 9.30am to 11.30am on ITV today (Sunday, January 18). He will be joined by comedian and former Strictly winner Chris McCausland among others.