MONTY DON SAYS HE MAY LOSE GARDENERS AFTER LEAVING BBC SHOW

Monty Don has said he may have to let go of the gardeners who maintain his Herefordshire garden after stepping down from Gardeners' World. Speaking at the RHS Malvern autumn flower show, during a session at Three Counties Showground, Don said the BBC had contributed to the salaries of two full-time gardeners at his garden, known as Longmeadow, since he began broadcasting from there in 2011. He said this arrangement had been written into his BBC contract from the outset. Don said the corporation's financial contribution "is going to go" once he departs the show. He confirmed earlier this month that he was leaving after presenting from Longmeadow for 15 years.

Don explained the contract requirement existed because the garden had to remain ready for filming at all times, including when he was away recording segments abroad. His team includes two full-time gardeners, a propagation expert and a landscaper, all of whom have worked with him for a decade, he said. Don and his wife, Sarah, created the two-acre garden in the village of Ivington in 1991, when the site was a neglected field containing a single hazel tree. It has since been divided into four distinct sections: a cottage garden of shrub roses, a jewel garden of brightly coloured flowers, an Islamic-inspired paradise garden, and a vegetable garden producing food for most of the year.

Don said he could not afford to keep the gardening team without generating income from the garden itself, and that this would not be possible until at least the middle of next year. He ruled out opening the garden to the public, citing its status as a private space and the difficulty of arranging parking in the area. Don did not specify what income-generating options he was considering. He said he and his team worked well together and that he wanted to find ways to sustain their roles going forward.