Green-fingered Dave Thompson has made a name for himself on the other side of the Atlantic - as the Internet's answer to Alan Titchmarsh.

Dave, 37, a keen amateur gardener from Yeadon, set up a gardening website just three weeks ago and is gathering a growing number of fans in the United States.

And he puts the success of his Doctor Greenfingers' advice clinic down to its quirky design and sense of humour.

"There are a number of gardening sites around, but mine is a bit different. It's like television, anything that's a bit stupid and fun is the kind of thing people go for," he said.

Gardening is also popular in America with people like Ilkley's Alan Titchmarsh the flavour of the moment.

"The Americans are crazy about British gardeners.

"They love programmes like Ground Force and they really like the fact that I'm a Yorkshireman who lives just a few miles from where Alan Titchmarsh was born," said Dave.

His website is based on a hospital and features an operating theatre, family planning, a maternity ward and even an accident and emergency department.

Gardening beginners can click on to family planning for basic advice while those with a gardening problem go straight to the accident and emergency department.

Dave, of Hawthorn Road, says he is learning something every day as he searches out the solutions to unusual gardening questions.

"One woman from California had a problem with her onions. I passed it on to one of the guys at the allotment who came up with an answer for her," he added.

"It's great. I'm only an amateur gardener, but I've got lots of books and I can access the Internet as well to find a cure or antidote for the gardening problems."

But one of Dave's gardening tips has caused the most amusement on the other side of the Atlantic.

"I'd done a tip about water butts and how if you put a goldfish in them during the summer it stops any problems with mosquitoes - you have to leave the lid off of course, but in America butts mean something quite different."

Dave, who is married to Susan, has a potting shed-cum-computer room in the old broom cupboard beneath the stairs where he regularly updates his gardening site.

And now he is looking for backers and other people to help him develop the site.

Dave's website address is http.www.doctorgreenfingers.cwc.net.

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