Monty Don has revealed the moment he realised it was time to leave Gardeners' World. The horticultural expert announced last month that he is leaving the BBC show at the end of the current series, after 23 years on the programme.
Don, the show's longest-serving head gardener, described the programme as a "deeply rewarding experience" but said he believed "now is the right time for a change".
'You just know'
Explaining his decision in Gardener's World magazine, the 71-year-old said: "The commute is delightfully short, but when I go home I take the job with me seven days a week, 24 hours a day.
"Then, one day this summer, I woke up and knew it was time to stop. Simple as that. They say of sportspeople wondering when to retire, 'You just know.' Well, I just knew."
Not retiring
Don said his exit from the popular BBC show will allow him to spend time on other projects, and stressed that he is not retiring.
"There are programmes I want to make, books I want to write, family I want to spend more time with.
"My enthusiasm for visiting gardens of all kinds all over the world remains as keen as ever.
"But the time for these things is growing limited."
Final episode filmed
Don first joined the programme in 2003, beginning at Berryfields, a rented garden in Stratford-upon-Avon, before moving to his own garden, Longmeadow in Herefordshire in 2011, where he has presented ever since.
Last week, Don revealed he has now filmed his final episode for Gardeners' World. He shared a photo of the camera crew packing up in the Jewel Garden at his Herefordshire garden.
"Filming today what will be the very last visit to Longmeadow," he captioned the Instagram post.
