Celebrated horticulturist and Gardeners' World presenter Monty Don has pinpointed what he believes is the most foolish statement anyone can make about their outdoor space. The gardening expert, who has been the face of the beloved BBC programme since 2003, shared his wisdom on the Gardeners' World podcast, drawing from decades of experience.
The Cardinal Sin of Gardening
For Monty Don, the biggest error in gardening mindset is to believe a garden is ever complete. He passionately argued that a garden is a living, breathing entity in constant flux. "The most stupid thing anyone can ever say about a garden is 'oh we've finished it,' or 'it's done'," Monty declared. He elaborated that this statement is not only false but also demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of what a garden truly is.
He poetically compared a garden to natural phenomena, stating, "It's like saying a river is finished, or a cloud has finished. It's a completely moveable, fluid, variable, changeable thing." This philosophy is at the heart of his approach to his own famous garden, Longmeadow, which he describes as "great today" with the hope it will be "great tomorrow."
The Creation of Longmeadow
The story of Longmeadow is a testament to this philosophy of perpetual growth. When Monty and his wife Sarah moved to their property in Ivington, Herefordshire, in 1991, the space was far from the lush paradise it is today. It was initially a field dominated by rough grass, nettles, and brambles. Over the years, the couple has painstakingly transformed it into the renowned two-acre garden featured on television.
Crucially, Monty is quick to deflect sole credit. He insists that "Sarah and I have always gardened together" and emphasises that "Longmeadow is not my garden, Longmeadow is our garden." He detailed their collaborative dynamic: while he generally focuses on design, structure, and the bulk of physical planting, Sarah possesses an exceptional eye for detail and colour.
A Partnership in Planting
Monty credits his wife with having "perfect pitch when it comes to colour," a skill he admits he has learned from her. He also shared a telling anecdote about her invaluable critical eye. After he planted a hedge while she was away, Sarah returned and immediately suggested it needed to be moved by one foot. Acknowledging her correctness, Monty recounted, "So I dug the whole hedge up and planted it one foot that way." He sees this kind of rigorous feedback as essential, noting, "You need someone to give you a kicking every now and then."
Despite his long-standing association with Gardeners' World, Monty revealed he wasn't always an avid follower. In his twenties, he didn't watch the show, read the magazine, or belong to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). Instead, he cultivated his knowledge through two key practices: obsessively visiting all kinds of gardens, from the conventional to the extreme, and seeking out gardeners who operated on the cutting edge.
