BBC Gardeners’ World favourite Monty Don has opened up about the “difficult” and “awkward” issues his film crew can face when they film his gardening programmes
Monty Don has opened up about the “difficult” and “awkward” issues his film crew can face(Image: Getty)
Monty Don has shed light on the “difficult” and “awkward” challenges his film crew encounter while shooting his gardening programmes. During a conversation with Nicki Chapman at BBC Gardeners’ World Live over the summer, the horticultural expert delved into the behind-the-scenes of his latest show, Monty Don’s British Gardens, which showcased an impressive 62 different gardens.
It led him to share details about the logistics involved, how the gardens he visits may have to close so he can film alone, and how the whole process can ultimately lead to something “difficult”.
He highlighted that they might request garden closures due to issues that crop up when filming amidst large crowds, acknowledging that visitors are “paying good money” to enjoy the garden.
Speaking on the BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine podcast, Monty said: “They don’t want a film crew saying, ‘No, you can’t walk through there, and you can’t do that; you’re in the back of the shot’. And yet, you can’t really film lots of other people in the background for two reasons.”
Monty discussed his latest show, Monty Don’s British Gardens(Image: Getty)
He elaborated: “One because, if, as you know, if their faces appear – I think it’s for more than five seconds or something – you have to have their written permission, and that’s very awkward if there’s lots of people and they’re in the distance.
“And two because you’re editing, so you might shoot from one scene to another that are not consecutive. So you’d have somebody in a blue thing suddenly become a red thing there, and so that for continuity, it can be a problem.”
Monty revealed that filming is “much easier” when there aren’t many people in the background, hence they aim to close the gardens, work on days when the gardens are closed or alternatively, shoot very early in the morning.
In other news, Monty recently offered some advice on how to tackle black spot on roses, a fungal infection that results in dark patches on the leaves and stems of rose bushes.
He clarified that while many plants can have black spot, it doesn’t affect their flowering or overall health. Monty observed that it’s merely “unsightly” and something he can “tolerate”.
Monty shared details about the logistics of filming (Image: Getty)
Monty stated: “If it’s defoliating completely, if a plant is suffering and looking bad, and other roses near it are not suffering from it, then that’s because the plant is particularly prone to it, so just get rid of it.”
However, if all your roses are affected, then you’ve “got a problem”. With potentially warm and damp conditions due to the weather, he cautioned that we might see more fungal issues, “not less”.
Discussing the issue on the podcast, he highlighted that the “only practical thing” gardeners can do is “don’t water overhead”, advising people to “keep the leaves dry”.
He recommended watering plants at the base and collecting any affected leaves that fall and burning them, emphasising that these should not be used for compost.
Monty advised: “In winter, rake the ground around the plant thoroughly to disturb the spores. Leave it bare over the winter months, then mulch it thickly in early spring.”
Monty will next appear on Gardeners’ World on BBC Two on Friday, September 12, from 8pm to 9pm.
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