Monty Don

[Claire Holmes]

Hi growers!

I have a quick question for you and would be very grateful for your thoughts.

Monty Don is a very popular celebrity gardener - what have you learnt from him over the years and why do you find his veg garden (Longmeadow) so inspiring?
Please note your replies may be used in the April issue of GYO.

Many thanks,
Claire

[Thelma Sanders]

I've learnt that he is a very pleasant presenter, who has very fixed views on how things should be done, and that I don't always agree with him

Well, you did ask

[Guest]

Hi growers!

I have a quick question for you and would be very grateful for your thoughts.

Monty Don is a very popular celebrity gardener - what have you learnt from him over the years

How to make a comfrey/ nettle station (forget what it was called, it was a long time ago) using a bucket, bit of soil pipe, string and a pop bottle.

and why do you find his veg garden (Longmeadow) so inspiring?
Please note your replies may be used in the April issue of GYO.

Many thanks,
Claire

I don't find it particularly inspiring. It is a demonstration of his passion and commitment and I like how he uses the formal with informal planting. However the focus seems to be on specimen and specialist plants which are usually beyond most peoples budgets. This seems to be further demonstated by the amount of shows he attends and where he travels the world, with what seems to be a search for perfect plants and gardens IMO.

[alldigging]

I was lucky enough to win tickets to go and see him at Dig the City in Manchester 2013. He was very entertaining.

On the TV I watched the episode where he showed off his new greenhouse. I had a very bad case of greenhouse envy after that.

[Mark Lottie]

Negative: I learnt that the concept of broadcasting carrots over an area doesnt work unless you have really weed free ground; the weeds will outgrow the carrots and because they aren't in a line it's very hard to weed.

But positively, sowing onions/garlic in late autumn inside in cells was a good tip; I have a load to plant in March

[Glutton4...]

I'm not going to be much help, I'm afraid.

He has a Golden Retriever, so he's a good egg, in my book. he also has a soft kind manner, and a lovely voice. They could film him reading out the 'phone book, and I'd sit and listen to him!

Perhaps it's my age...

[veggiechicken]

He wears braces (on his trousers not his teeth) and he has a dog.
I don't watch much TV, especially celebrity gardeners as I can never relate their showpiece gardens to mine.

[muddled]

His idea of a small garden and mine are, sadly, not the same.
If we could just transplant him and Bob Flowerdew into The Beechgrove garden we'd have perfect telly.
He's got a dog and millions of kids....gotta have a sense of humour then.

I am not inspired by Longmeadow really, I'm inspired by Highgrove.

[Kristen]

I'm inspired by Highgrove.

Just checking that wasn't a predictive text error for "Beechgrove" ?

If you thought Longmeadow wasn't a small garden then I'm doubting that you think that Highgrove is, or maybe your Lottery Win target is bigger than mine?!

[Aberdeenplotter]

He has such an "easy going" manner about him which makes watching him a good experience. Unlike some other gardening presenters(well one in particular) he so isn't smarmy or condescending. I'd have no problem with him in my plot among my vegetables and yes I love the dog as well

Mind you, I loved watching Toby Buckland and Alys Fowler as well. It was said they dumbed tv gardening down but they were different although not my kind of gardeners but still entertaining. In fact, I think I would have liked Alys whatever she was doing in the nicest possible manner.

[Fleurisa]

I've learnt that he likes to dig up the first of his new potatoes on his birthday, and that Gardeners' World like to show him doing that every year! Also that he likes to run his fingers through evergreen grasses barehanded and doesn't think to warn viewers that doing the same can result in the equivalent of paper cuts all over your hands.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Just don't like the man or his views on how everyone should garden........ his way and his way only.

I worked in television some years back and have a good idea what goes on behind the scenes, I often wonder just how many real gardeners the celebrities have to help them get ready for 'the take'.

Sorry for the negative thoughts.

[goosander]

Not keen on his program. Being a retired landscaper I think his layout is hopeless. To many hedges and weed filled paths. Wellies also turn me off when not needed. His garden is designed to make work
Much prefer Beechgrove and there presenters. Send the Beechgrove a question and you get a reply back with in a day and there advice has worked for me.
Bob

[sparrow100]

I think he's very entertaining, he has a lovely voice and I love how Longmeadow looks, though there must be a huge amount of maintenance involved. But I live in a flat with no garden and only have an allotment. I grow to feed my family and friends and have no real space for flowers if they aren't bee/butterfly magnets or edible. I don't do everything 'his' way, because to me it doesn't always make sense or work. I do hugely prefer the down to earth style of Beechgrove, which has a very clear target market. But he is very entertaining if you don't take what he says as gospel.

PS I may be cynical, but I bet none of the sceptical/not effusive remarks make it into GYO!

[Martin H]

Over the years I have learnt from Monty that the over-use of adjectives in general and superlatives in particular is intensely irritating.

Longmeadow has shown me how beautiful a vegetable garden can look, as long as you spare no expense, don't eat much of the produce, and have an efficient team of under-gardeners.