Back to the original question, about the garden. I'm with others and feel it's all too claustrophobic and hemmed in by hedges which even MD has decided are too tall as he's now cutting them back to, IMHO, more sensible heights. I think the "alleys" between many of the hedges, and the gaps to walk through are too narrow and confining. I think Gertrude Jeckyll said something along the lines of " a path should be wide enough for 2 people to pass , both carrying a bag in each hand" You certainly couldn't do that in MD's garden. Some have said it's set in lovely countryside, I don't doubt that, but there's nowhere to look out of the garden to appreciate it, or enjoy it, or even be inspired by it. I'm happy with the "scruffiness" and the planting style, but for me there seems nowhere to breath, it's all just so oppressively hemmed in. It's MD's garden, and so long as he, and his family like it, then so be it, but it's not for me.
I love Monty Don, I think he gives informative and helpful advice. My garden is also scruffy at this time of year, but I am itching to get cracking when it warms up.
Botanical names do have an advantage over English names. Suppose you want to find Mountain Ash in a catalogue or reference book: Do you look under M or A? Or R for Rowan, another name for the same plant? But if you use the botanical name of Sorbus aucuparia there is no problem. You also find related plants at the same time, but not if you look for Mountain Ash, which is unrelated to the Ash!
I have always enjoyed MD, and have learned a lot about gardening from watching GW. I personally don't like his use of high hedging around each of his flower gardens, or his planting in straight lines. I too am looking forward to the return of Beechgrove.
I enjoy being invited into Monty's garden. Everything grows so well, sometimes too well, but I like the lack of structure and the fact it gets a little out of hand at times.
I am not a fan of grasses, but if that's what he likes then that is fine by me. I still find myself picking up little tips and tricks and look forward to it every Friday.
Agree about all the hedging especially in front of the borders. I think the only view out to the fields are from the orchard area where the hens and bees are? GW March issue had a layout plan of his garden, lots of pathways indeed
I'm not keen on straight lines in a garden. I quite like many of the interesting weeds that pop up in my paths and beds. If I don't like them, I pull them out. The grass gets cut and trimmed round the edges, things get pruned and that's as far as it goes. I don't like an extremely tidy garden. It seems sterile to me but I know what some people like and that's fine by me. I'm afraid I even feel uncomfortable if the house is too tidy - a very short-lived rarity I'm pleased to say
Mark 56, thank you for that wonderful sequence of photos. I was able to see all of them, despite my slow Internet. Monty's garden isn't all as hemmed in as it often looks on the programme. I think they film a lot of him and the dogs walking down narrow paths. In fact, I thought it looked better than it does on TV.
It was a bit of a shock seeing the flooding he has talked about. I know a lot of the photos weren't of his garden though, but photos from places he has visited, many of which I have seen on TV.
Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
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I'm with others and feel it's all too claustrophobic and hemmed in by hedges which even MD has decided are too tall as he's now cutting them back to, IMHO, more sensible heights.
I think the "alleys" between many of the hedges, and the gaps to walk through are too narrow and confining. I think Gertrude Jeckyll said something along the lines of " a path should be wide enough for 2 people to pass , both carrying a bag in each hand" You certainly couldn't do that in MD's garden.
Some have said it's set in lovely countryside, I don't doubt that, but there's nowhere to look out of the garden to appreciate it, or enjoy it, or even be inspired by it.
I'm happy with the "scruffiness" and the planting style, but for me there seems nowhere to breath, it's all just so oppressively hemmed in.
It's MD's garden, and so long as he, and his family like it, then so be it, but it's not for me.
I am not a fan of grasses, but if that's what he likes then that is fine by me. I still find myself picking up little tips and tricks and look forward to it every Friday.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BgvgB06l9MN/?taken-by=themontydon
I don't like an extremely tidy garden. It seems sterile to me but I know what some people like and that's fine by me.
I'm afraid I even feel uncomfortable if the house is too tidy - a very short-lived rarity I'm pleased to say
Mark 56, thank you for that wonderful sequence of photos. I was able to see all of them, despite my slow Internet. Monty's garden isn't all as hemmed in as it often looks on the programme. I think they film a lot of him and the dogs walking down narrow paths. In fact, I thought it looked better than it does on TV.
It was a bit of a shock seeing the flooding he has talked about. I know a lot of the photos weren't of his garden though, but photos from places he has visited, many of which I have seen on TV.