Monty Don Bio |Wiki
Monty Don (Full name: Montagu Denis Wyatt Don OBE VMH) is a British horticulturist, broadcaster, and writer. He is best known as the lead presenter of the BBC gardening television series Gardeners’ World.
In 1989, Monty made his television debut as a regular on This Morning with a gardening segment, which led to further television work across the decade including his own shows for BBC Television and Channel 4. He commenced his writing career at this time and published his first of over 25 books, in 1990. Between 1994 and 2006, Don wrote a weekly gardening column in The Observer.
Monty Don Age
Monty was born on July 8, 1955, in Iserlohn, Germany. He is 67 years old.
Monty Don Height
He is a man of average stature and stands at a height of 5 ft 8 in (Approx. 1.72 m).
Monty Don Family
He was born in Iserlohn, West Germany to his British parents Denis T. K. Don and Janet Wyatt. Monty is the youngest of five children including David and Alison. His twin sister, Alison at the age of 19 was nearly killed in a car accident, suffering a broken neck and blindness.
His father was a career soldier stationed in Germany at the time of Monty’s birth. Monty is a descendant of botanist George Don and the Keiller family, best known as the inventors of Keiller’s marmalade. On his maternal side, he is descended from the Wyatt family of architects.
Monty Don Wife
Monty met his wife Sarah Erskine, a trained jeweler and architect while at Magdalene College. The couple married in 1983. Together, they have two sons, Adam and Tom, and a daughter Freya. The family lived in Islington, north London. They then moved to the De Beauvoir Town area of Hackney where they made their first garden. In 1989, they relocated to The Hanburies, a country house in Herefordshire.
In 1991, the Monty’s bought a home in Ivington, Herefordshire where they started to create a new garden named Longmeadow. The home was unfit to live in at the time of purchase, so while they refurbished it they rented a home in Leominster that was infested with rats and had no heating. They moved into their Ivington home at the end of 1992.
Monty Don Education
He attended three independent schools: Quidhampton School in Basingstoke, followed by Bigshotte School in Wokingham, where at seven, he was asked to leave school for being too boisterous. Monty then attended Malvern College in Malvern, which he hated, followed by a state comprehensive school, the Vyne School, also in Basingstoke.
He failed his A-levels while studying for retakes at night school, working on a building site and a pig farm by day. During his childhood, he had become an avid gardener and farmer. He returned to England, determined to attend Cambridge University out of “sheer bloody-mindedness”, and passed the entrance exams. He studied English at Magdalene College.
Monty Don Italian | French Gardens
Monty Don’s Italian Gardens aired on the BBC in 2011. On Italian Gardens, he visits several of Italy’s most celebrated gardens. Steve Wilson composed the title and theme music of the series. A book based on the series, Great Gardens of Italy, was also published.
Monty Don’s French Gardens is a television series of three programs in which British gardener and broadcaster Monty visits several of France’s most celebrated gardens. A book based on the series, The Road to Le Tholonet: A French Garden Journey, was also published. Others include:
Japanese Gardens in 2019
American Gardens in 2020
Adriatic Gardens in 2022
Paradise Gardens in 2018
Monty Don Gardeners World | Shows
In September 2002, the BBC announced Monty as the new lead presenter of its long-running series Gardeners’ World from 2003, succeeding Alan Titchmarsh. He is the first self-taught horticulturist presenter in the show’s history. Monty hosted the show until he put his career on hold to recover from his minor stroke in 2008, and the show continued with Toby Buckland filling in as host.
In 2016, he introduced viewers to his new golden retriever, Nell. This was followed by the addition of Patti, a Yorkshire Terrier, in April 2020. In 2020, Monty signed a contract with the BBC to continue presenting Gardeners’ World for three years.
Monty Don Books
Around the World in 80 Gardens (2008)
The Ivington Diaries (2009)
My Dream Farm (2010)
The Home Cookbook (2010; with Sarah Don)
Extraordinary Gardens of the World (2010)
The Great Gardens of Italy (2011; with Derry Moore)
Gardening at Longmeadow (2012)
The Road to Le Tholonet: A French Garden Journey (2013)
Nigel: My Family and Other Dogs (2016)
Down to Earth: Gardening Wisdom (2017)
Paradise Gardens (2018)
Japanese Gardens: A Journey (2019)
My Garden World: The Natural Year (2020)
American Gardens (2020; with Derry Moore)
Monty Don Jewelry
Monty and his wife started Monty Don Jewellery in 1981. It was located in London and designed, made, and sold costume jewelry. The company became a success and in five years, operated from a shop on Beauchamp Place in Knightsbridge with hundreds of out workers and had secured as many as 60 outlets across the UK, including Harrods, Harvey Nichols, and Liberty.
However, the 1987 stock market crash caused an almost complete bankruptcy as it cut off American sales, their biggest market. The situation prompted Monty to embark on a career in writing and broadcasting. Some of their jewelry is kept at the V&A Museum.
Monty Don Dogs
Monty has owned many dogs throughout his adult life. Two that he currently owns are Nellie, a Golden Retriever, and Patti, a Yorkshire terrier, both are seen on camera with Don on Gardeners’ World. He also owns dogs that are not featured on the show. The coppice at Longmeadow holds the graves of Monty’s other pets, including dogs Beaufort, Red, Poppy, and Barry, and cats Stimpy and Blue. He also has a sheep farm, on which he keeps 500 ewes.
Monty Don Complete Gardener
Monty is a keen proponent of organic gardening, becoming “officially” organic in his own garden in 1997. The practice of organic techniques often features in his published and broadcast work. The organic approach is most prominent in his 2003 book The Complete Gardener.
Monty Don Net Worth
He earns his wealth from his career, therefore, he has amassed a fortune over the years. Monty’s estimated net worth is $5 million.
Who Is Monty Don
Monty is a British horticulturist, broadcaster, and writer. He is best known as the lead presenter of the BBC gardening television series Gardeners’ World. He is married to Sarah Erskine, a trained jeweler, and architect.