Celebrity gardener Monty Don has spoken of the unusual way in which he once tried to impress his girlfriend by cutting her lawn with a pair of scissors. Unable to find the keys to the garden shed or a mower, Monty resorted to the unconventional grass trimming technique with mixed results, "She thought then as she does now, I was a fool.” It seems the romantic gesture worked a charm, however, as 38 years later the couple are still married!
Monty also recently revealed that he once hated gardening, having been forced to work in the garden as a child by his mother. “From the age of 7 to 17, for ten years I was made to garden. I would strongly recommend not doing that with your children,” he said, although he has clearly since changed his opinion. Now Monty claims that gardening is essential to maintain his mental health, helping to treat bouts of depression,
“When I am troubled, I am still, I have been and will be that is when I need to get my hands on the soil. It is part of me. Gardening is done for love. I do it because I need to. I would go mad if I didn’t. I need those fingers in the soil.”
Monty had sought alternative treatments for his depression from a Chinese herbalist, but after five months he was advised to move away from London and return to his gardening background. Monty and his wife have never looked back, going on to create the “Long Meadow” garden featured in his TV series Gardeners’ World.
