Monty Don
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Monty Don | |
 Monty Don in 2007
|
|
| Born | 8 July 1955 Germany |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Television presenter, gardener and writer |
| Spouse | Sarah Don |
Montagu 'Monty' Denis Wyatt Don (born 8 July 1955) is a German-born[1] British BBC television presenter, writer and speaker on horticulture. He currently lives at Ivington in Herefordshire, England, UK.
Contents |
[edit] Gardening
Don received no formal training as a gardener. In his own words "I was – am – an amateur gardener and a professional writer. My only authority came from a lifetime of gardening and a passion amounting to an obsession for my own garden."[2]
He is a keen proponent of organic gardening and the practice of organic techniques, to some extent, features in all of his published work. The organic approach is most prominent in his 2003 book The Complete Gardener.
[edit] Career
Don and his wife Sarah's previous career in the 1980s involved making and selling costume jewellery under the company name 'Monty Don Jewellery'. The collapse of the company in the early 1990s prompted him to embark on a career in writing and broadcasting. He has written about the rise and collapse of their business in The Jewel Garden, an autobiographical book written with his wife. Don has also written of his being a sufferer of depression[3] and Seasonal Affective Disorder. He has had Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and formerly took Prozac before favouring a lightbox, now a recognised aid for SAD sufferers. Recently he suffered a mini stroke and has temporarily given up his presenting duties.[4]
[edit] TV work
His first TV work came as the presenter of the gardening slot on This Morning. He went on to present several Channel 4 series: Don Roaming, Fork to Fork, Real Gardens' and Lost Gardens. As well as Gardeners' World he has also featured as a guest presenter for the BBC's Holiday programme.
Don was the main presenter on BBC Two's Gardeners' World from 2003-2008, when he stepped down after suffering a mild stroke.[5] A recent project was showcased in a BBC programme, Growing out of Trouble and accompanying book in which several heroin addicts manage a six acre Herefordshire smallholding in an attempt to kick their habit. His latest work Around the World in 80 Gardens was shown on BBC 2 from 27 January to 30 March 2008.
[edit] Author
Don has written several books:
- The Prickotty Bush
- The Weekend Gardener
- Gardening From Berryfields
- Gardening Mad
- Fork to Fork
- The Sensuous Garden
- The Complete Gardener
- My Roots: A Decade in the Garden
- Growing out of Trouble
- Around the World in 80 Gardens
He also wrote the regular weekly gardening column for The Observer newspaper between February 1994 and May 2006.
[edit] References
- ^ Meet Monty Don. UKTV Gardens. Retrieved on 2008-05-22.
- ^ Monty Don on gardening
- ^ Observer Column 22/2/204
- ^ [1]
- ^ "TV gardener Monty Don has stroke", BBC News, 2008-05-22. Retrieved on 2008-05-22.
