Digging Deeper

As the host of Britain's longest-running gardening program, Monty Don became something of an international sensation for viewers during lockdown. Far from being only about horticultural tips, the show tackles a wide range of life's most important topics including what it means to be happy.

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In the UK, Gardeners' World has been an institution since it first aired in 1968. The affable, knowledgeable Monty Don is the ringmaster of most of the episodes from his garden in Herefordshire, England, surrounded by hornbeam hedges and earnestly trailed by his beloved dogs, Nell, Ned, and Patti.

Each week from spring to fall, 33 times a year, he shares his latest garden projects-dividing overgrown perennials or layering tulip bulbs in pots while introducing the show's various presenters, of which there are currently 10. Each one-hour episode takes viewers through a variety of gardens. One week it might be a scrappy sidewalk plot in London, an Elizabethan cloister in Wales, or the national collection of eryngiums in North Yorkshire. I recently sat down (over Zoom) with Monty-fresh from weeding his garden-who identifies as a self-taught gardener, even with a long television career and 12 books under his belt.

We discussed the rather surprising diversity of topics the show explores and, perhaps not unrelated, how it has retained its immense popularity over the past 50-plus years.

Q As a new viewer of Gardeners' World, I've noticed that the show often emphasizes themes that go beyond horticulture, such as sustainability and gardening for wildlife or mental health. I love these discussions and wonder if such topics have come to the forefront recently, or have they always been part of the show?