Gardeners' world's monty don made 'classic mistake' in family life before u-turn

Monty Don has confessed to a "classic mistake" he made while raising his young family at their Longmeadow home. The cherished presenter of Gardeners' World acquired the

Herefordshire property with his wife Sarah back in 1991. The plot contained a two-acre field with a single tree and a dilapidated farmhouse Yet Monty, 69, succeeded in transforming the

garden into an idyllic setting for bringing up his children Tom, Adam, and Freya. Despite his expertise, the self-taught gardener acknowledges a significant oversight when creating a play

area for the kids. Speaking to Gardens Illustrated, Monty revealed: "When we moved here, our children were very little and I made a play area about 50 yards from the back door. I

thought it was brilliant, and it had all kinds of things in it. "And of course, they never touched it. They wanted to play within five yards of the back door. If you're going to

make an area for children to play, they want to run in and out of the house, they want to see you and hear you and they want you to hear and see them. I modified it later, but it was a

classic mistake." Monty also acknowledged that he planted "far too many trees and hedges close together" in the garden, leading to a "very open, windblown site". Now

that the trees and hedges have matured, he notes that ventilation is "poor", resulting in "all kinds of fungal problems". Monty Don reflects on how an experienced

gardener would consider the future, often planning between 10 and 30 years ahead. Despite this foresight, Monty admits he "tackled the bare field with huge enthusiasm" and

"couldn't wait for the trees to grow". Monty's passion for gardening was kindled during his childhood in Hampshire, where he and his brothers were regularly assigned

garden chores such as mowing the lawn and picking strawberries. By his teenage years, Monty had become adept at managing a vegetable garden and even helped with tasks like plucking chickens

and chopping wood at home. It wasn't until about a decade later that he realised he "really loved gardening", a hobby he maintained throughout his twenties, even while living

with Sarah in London. He acknowledges it was "very unusual" for a young couple to be interested in gardening, recalling: "In the 1980s it was very unusual to have a pair of

20-somethings with a nice garden [Monty gardened in London with his wife Sarah]." Monty credits his garden for attracting the attention of a photographer, which subsequently led to a

shift in his career towards the media. In 2002, Monty succeeded Alan Titchmarsh as the presenter of Gardeners' World. Fans can look forward to Monty's return to the show tonight at

8pm on BBC Two. There, he will be adding a dash of drama to the plant pots in his Jewel Garden with vibrant-coloured bedding. He will also be examining the plants in his pond and exploring

ways to rejuvenate them.