Monty Don has spoken out about a “great trouble” he’s faced at his home as he grapples with a persistent issue.
The 69 year old gardening guru has opened up about the UK’s shifting weather patterns, stating that the “extreme” conditions have become a “problem” for green-fingered enthusiasts nationwide, leading them to seek out more resilient plants. At his Longmeadow residence in Herefordshire, Monty has been battling with flooding issues. Back in January, Monty and his wife Sarah found themselves “flooded in”, unable to leave their property due to the rising water levels.
During an episode of the Talking Gardens podcast, Monty discussed the adaptations gardeners are having to make to cope with the changing climate. He explained: “It’s the extremes of weather rather than the weather trends that are the problem, so we are getting very wet weather, very dry weather, very cold weather and very hot weather.
“And we’re in new territory, 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”, reports Gloucestershire Live.
“And I would challenge anybody who says they knew how that would pan out and we’re all working that one out for better or for worse. I think more interestingly is to what extent we try and mitigate it. I mean, in my own garden we’ve put in big drains this year, at great trouble and expense to try and take some of the water away in winter.”
Monty has shared that Longmeadow, the property he acquired in 1991, is prone to flooding due to its location on a flood plain. He’s concerned about the “saturation” of the soil, which results in “puddles bubbling out of the ground”.
He added: “The problem is, I can plant for wet conditions, that isn’t a problem, but we’ve also had some very dry summers. I think the interesting thing is to what extent plants will adapt themselves.”
Monty pointed out the hosta as an example of a plant that’s becoming tougher through the drier summers, as long as they receive sufficient rain during winter. He noted that gardeners need soil that can hold moisture yet provide “reasonable drainage”.
The green-fingered guru has voiced his worries about the increasing instances of floods in the UK before. On BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he remarked: “Flooding has always been part of life, you know, forever, but it’s definitely got worse.
“It’s got more frequent. And, I mean, I’ve lived where we have for 34 years, and I’ve just observed that.”
Monty has been gracing television screens for over three decades, starting with a gardening segment on This Morning in 1989. He became widely recognised in 2002 when he succeeded Alan Titchmarsh as the lead presenter of Gardeners’ World.
Gardeners’ World made a comeback on BBC Two last night. Monty Don guided viewers on how to maximise their plant growth, including seed division and sowing for a vibrant summer garden.
In addition, Monty gave viewers a tour of his RHS Chelsea Flower Show garden, created with the help of his golden retriever, Ned. On the other hand, Carol Klein offered advice on creating colourful and intriguing beds and borders.
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