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Monty Don: "Finished" Gardens Are the "Most Stupid" Idea
10 Nov
Summary
- Monty Don says the idea of a "finished" garden is the "most stupid" thing anyone can say
- He believes gardens are constantly changing, fluid, and never truly "done"
- Monty and his wife Sarah have co-created the famous Longmeadow garden over the past 30+ years
As of November 10th, 2025, renowned gardener Monty Don has shared a surprising insight about what he considers the "most stupid thing anyone can ever say about a garden." Don, who has been the lead presenter of the BBC's Gardeners' World since 2003, believes the idea of a "finished" garden is completely misguided.
In a recent interview, the 70-year-old gardening icon explained that gardens are inherently fluid, changeable, and never truly "done." He stated, "The thing I love about gardens is they don't stay the same, ever. The most stupid thing anyone can ever say about a garden is 'oh we've finished it,' or 'it's done'."
Don and his wife Sarah have spent over 30 years co-creating their famous Longmeadow garden, which he says is always evolving. "Longmeadow is not my garden, Longmeadow is our garden and she and I did it together," he shared. While Don focuses on the overall design and structure, his wife Sarah excels at the finer details and color coordination.
Despite his long-standing connection to Gardeners' World, Don admits he didn't always watch the show or engage with gardening media in his younger years. Instead, he focused on visiting and studying gardens of all kinds, which he highly recommends to anyone interested in the craft.
