Monty Don marked 43 years of marriage with wife Sarah by sharing a nostalgic wedding photograph on Instagram. The Gardeners' World presenter captioned the image: “43 years ago today.”
The black-and-white throwback showed the couple beaming after their wedding. Monty wore a white suit and tie in 1980s style, while Sarah wore a pale blue tailored blazer with oversized pearl jewellery.
Outpouring of congratulations
Fans quickly responded with warm messages. One wrote: “Congratulations. I hope you are as happy today as you look in this photo.” Another commented: “Happy Anniversary to you both and many more.” A third added: “Happy anniversary! Your wife is gorgeous. What a beautiful couple.”
Love story that began at Cambridge
Monty and Sarah first met while studying at Cambridge University. The presenter previously admitted on the White Wine Question Time podcast that he experienced an “intense attraction at first sight” when they first crossed paths. They married on July 29, 1983, and have three children together: Adam, Freya and Tom.
The couple live at Longmeadow in Herefordshire, where Monty films Gardeners' World. He has often stressed that the famous gardens are as much Sarah’s creation as his.
Partnership in marriage and gardening
Speaking on the Gardeners' World podcast in 2022, Monty revealed that every major decision about their property is made together. He said: “Sarah has always been an entirely supportive partner in crime. One of the things I always say privately and I should say publicly at every opportunity, it's her garden as much as mine. This is not my garden, it's our garden. It's 'we' always.”
He added: “Every significant decision, and quite a few insignificant ones, are made by the pair of us in agreement and we have this principle that both of us have a veto over everything. It's a very good way to run a system because what it means is, if you disagree, and we do a lot, you can't do it and say, ‘Live with it.’”
Monty acknowledged that the approach requires patience, with some decisions taking years. “You might have terrible rows, you might have a lot of persuading, it might mean negotiation. It might take two years before that plant goes in the ground, but when it does you've agreed,” he explained. “But by and large, we generally agree and sometimes it happens that you agree for a quiet life and then, really irritatingly, you realise they were right all along.”
