Gardener's World's Monty Don's irritation over mother-in-law's remark about his garden

Monty Don has been the lead presenter of Gardeners' World for almost two decades and has shared many anecdotes about his own garden, Longmeadow, over the years

Monty Don has shared that he was once "quite rightly" irritated when his mother-in-law commented on his garden.

During an episode of the BBC Gardeners' World Magazine podcast (May 2), Monty discussed the idea that a garden can never be truly "finished", stating it's something "non-gardeners" often say.

This led the popular horticulturist to share a story about his mother-in-law and a remark she made about Longmeadow, Monty's remarkable Herefordshire garden, which is featured on the BBC show.

Monty expressed: "It's what non-gardeners say. They say, 'When will it be finished', or it'll be lovely when...I mean, it's what my mother-in-law used to come.."

"She used to come and look at Longmeadow in the early days; you know, the first five years or so and said, 'Well, it'll be nice when it's done'. And quite rightly, it used to annoy me because it's not...You know, 31 years later, it's not done and it never will be."

Monty also mentioned that we're losing our connection to the "true rhythms of life" and they're becoming "artificial". He highlighted advancements in technology, such as video calls, which he said would have previously been considered as the "stuff of science fiction".

He then proposed that we need something in our lives that's "true" and "tangible", and he believes that gardens "do that very well indeed".

The broadcaster, known for stepping into Alan Titchmarsh's shoes as the main host of Gardeners' World in 2003, enjoys the Longmeadow garden with his partner, Sarah Erskine.

The duo, along with their three adult children, have called their Ivington property home for over three decades, with Monty buying the house back in 1991 when the land was merely an open field dominated by grass, nettles, and brambles.

Monty Don has impressively transformed his green space to feature structures such as a greenhouse and a vegetable plot, plus beautifully-themed areas including The Cottage Garden, The Jewel Garden, and The Paradise Garden.

Recently, Monty divulged a handy gardening tip during this month that enables enthusiasts to delight in homegrown salad throughout the winter period. He shared that winter salad crops can provide "every day from the end of October, and into April" with fresh leafy greens.

Yet, he noted it's critical to have "maximum light" for growing "anything" over the colder months, which is ideally achieved with a greenhouse setup.

Speaking to BBC Gardeners' World, Monty said: "The important thing is to clean the glass, as that means the light levels can be as good as possible. And you'll be surprised how influential that is. It's really important."