Beloved gardening broadcaster Monty Don has candidly discussed the unique pressures that come with filming the BBC's long-running series, Gardeners' World, at his personal garden. After decades at the helm, the horticulturalist has expressed his relief as the cameras depart from his Herefordshire home, Longmeadow, for the winter months.
The Weight of the Winter Break
In his recent column for BBC Gardeners' World Magazine, Monty confirmed that filming for the show has wrapped up and production teams will not return until spring. He described the subsequent "lack of pressure" as a welcome respite. The TV host, who has been with the programme for more than 20 years, admitted that while he is used to the schedule, he is thrilled to work without constant observation.
Reflecting on his winter projects, Monty pondered, "Should we be filming all of this? Probably." He went on to explain the practical downside of having the crew present, stating, "I would not mind at all, but there is no doubt that filming would make it all take twice as long, and add a level of scrutiny and pressure that we are happy to do without for a few winter months before the filming circus returns all too quickly next February."
Fans and Unpredictable Programming
Monty also touched upon the potential frustration of the show's most devoted viewers. He acknowledged that the programme's timetable, which has remained largely unchanged for two decades, means it goes off-air during the colder season. "I suspect that most viewers would like us to carry on throughout winter," he confessed. However, he indicated that change is unlikely, noting that "the commissioning and scheduling of programmes moves in mysterious ways."
Battling Britain's Extreme Weather
Beyond the pressures of television, Monty highlighted a more fundamental challenge facing all gardeners: the UK's increasingly volatile climate. His own garden at Longmeadow has recently felt the impact, with the property suffering from significant flooding.
Taking to Instagram earlier this month, he reported on the situation, writing, "There has been really bad flooding in this part of the country and homes and businesses have suffered very badly, so we are lucky that it is just the fields and garden that is wet here." This is not an isolated incident, as the gardening expert has frequently spoken about the struggles posed by shifting weather patterns.
Speaking on the Talking Gardens podcast, Monty elaborated on the core of the problem. He explained that it is not general trends but the extremes of weather that are causing difficulties. "So we are getting very wet weather, very dry weather, very cold weather and very hot weather," he said. This new reality, he argues, is testing the horticultural community to its limits. "We've all been brought up and trained to find plants that fit niches. But increasingly we want plants that will adapt to extremes and that's testing everybody."
Despite the off-season break from filming, viewers can still catch Monty Don on Gardeners' World, which airs on BBC Two.
