Monty Don is stepping down from the BBC’s long-running Gardeners' World series after 23 years, bringing an end to one of the longest and most recognisable chapters in British gardening television.
The presenter confirmed today, ‘I have decided that the current series of Gardeners' World is to be my last.’ Monty joined the show in 2003 and has presented around 700 episodes during his time on the show.
The announcement is not, however, a retirement as Monty, 71, has confirmed that he will continue to work on other projects for the BBC as well as pursuing new avenues and writing more books. Reassuringly for viewers who have spent more than two decades watching him sow, prune and potter around Longmeadow – a two-acre private garden in Herefordshire that has become one of the most recognisable gardens on British television – he has no plans to stop gardening. ‘I will still be gardening, dog by side, here at Longmeadow,’ he said.
Monty and his wife Sarah bought their home in 1991 when the garden was rubble, nettles and a singular hazel tree. Over three decades, they have transformed it into a series of characterful spaces including the Cottage Garden, Jewel Garden, Vegetable Garden and the Islamic-inspired Paradise Garden.
The result has evolved into something that is far beyond a show garden. Longmeadow has always been entirely functional, innately lived in and, like the seasons, ever changing. It is a place of productivity and nourishing retreat with its writing hut, pond and orchard.
This is the wonderful world Monty has welcomed viewers into, and it has resonated with them for years, providing a sense of accessibility to gardening which is perhaps one of the keys to Monty’s longevity. His gardening has rarely been reserved for those with expert knowledge, acres of land or limitless time. Monty instead offers an outstretched hand to viewers, even those without a garden at all.
In a previous House & Garden article, Monty discussed the growing number of people creating green spaces indoors, or working with balconies and rooftops.
‘Choosing the right plant for the right space’ remains one of his fundamental principles, an idea which makes gardening in modern day life possible rather than being about striving for pure perfection.
This open-hearted spirit – and his broad appeal – has also seen Monty reach beyond traditional gardening parameters. This summer, he appeared in a New Balance project centred around a garden in Flimby, Cumbria, designed by jewellery designer Bleue Burnham. The garden sits beside New Balance’s Made in UK factory and was created as a restorative space for its roughly 300 employees to rest, reflect and spend time in nature.
The collaboration may seem unexpected at first – a gardening broadcaster appearing in a campaign for a footwear brand – but it demonstrates the extent of Monty’s appeal. The Flimby project is, ultimately, about craftsmanship, nature and wellbeing, reflecting ideas that have been central to his television work.
His influence has always been about more than knowing when to plant that seed. His calm presence and openness when speaking about the restorative qualities of gardening – and about personal issues, including his struggles with depression – have helped position horticulture as part of a wider conversation about how we live. He has also spoken emotionally about the beloved dogs that have joined him on screen over the years, including Patti, a Yorkshire Terrier who died last month. In 2025, he collaborated with BBC Radio 2 to design his first-ever Chelsea Flower Show Garden, the RHS and BBC Radio 2 Dog Garden.
For a programme built around the seasons, Monty’s departure feels incredibly fitting. Gardens are constantly changing – plants grow, flourish, and eventually make way for something else.
After 23 years and around 700 programmes, Monty Don is leaving Gardeners’ World but not gardening, and certainly not Longmeadow.
