Well, Teresa just told me she’d heard that Monty Don is retiring from his role as chief presenter of the BBC’s Gardener’s World.
He’s been stepping back gradually for quite a long time. So I guess we could all see this coming.
Teresa also told me Don is now 68. Funnily enough, as I type this she’s watching Rick Stein, who, now in his late 70s, is still going strong.
Having mentioned these two, it’s interesting, to me, with our family history of depression, to reflect that Monty Don has been very open about his struggles with the ol’ black eyed dog.
And… something I didn’t know – until today – Rick Stein’s father committed suicide, when Rick himself was 18.
Don has been very vocal in reminding us all how good gardening is, for both us as individuals, and the planet as a whole, on so many levels. Here’s a good quote from Don’s website:
The real importance of gardening is the empowerment that it gives people, however small or seemingly insignificant their gardens might be. It is surprising how liberating it is, if you can grow anything at all.
Yep, very true.
Of course Gardener’s World won’t be the same without Monty, and his garden, from which the show has been based for many years now. I for one will miss his very deliberately and conscientiously old-fashioned slightly patrician style.
Will he make the occasional return appearances? One can only live in Hope!