Monty Don has named three plants he says will “never” do well in a garden that has “pretty neutral soil”. Widely known to Gardeners’ World viewers, Monty’s Longmeadow garden is packed with a wide range of plants, reflecting his naturalistic style, love of structure, and focus on productivity.
While the planting constantly evolves, some key plants and themes are regularly associated with Longmeadow.
However, the 70-year-old stresses that his famous garden isn’t about rare plants, but instead good gardening principles. Monty advises gardeners to focus on the right plant, right place, strong structure, and letting nature play its role.
If, like him and his wife Sarah, you have “neutral soil” in your outdoor space, he says there are three plants that will “never” work for them.
Speaking on the BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Podcast, he shared: “Sarah and I always say we don’t want anything in our garden that doesn’t want to be in our garden.
“What that means in practice is it needs a very sandy soil, and we have a heavy clay soil, or it needs mild dry winters.
“We have cold winters or it needs very alkaline soil or very acidic soil.
“We have pretty neutral soil. On the whole, that means we can grow more plants that need alkalinity rather than the acidity.
“Therefore, camellias, rhododendrons, pieris, they’re never going to do well for us.”
Monty says camellias are beautiful, long-lived shrubs, but only when grown in the right soil and position.
If they’re struggling, Monty’s advice is simple – change the conditions, not the plant’s nature.
As for rhododendrons, he suggests growing them in pots or choosing an alternative if you can’t provide acidic soil and shelter.
Monty praises Pieris for its winter flowers, colourful young leaves, and low maintenance, but again stresses that soil and shelter are essential for success.
Sharing what he opts for instead, Monty said he and Sarah choose to “grow things in pots”.
“I don’t use peat, but I use leaf mould as an Ericaceous substitute, and that works okay.
“Salvias we struggle with, because they just need more drainage than we can give them,” he added.
He went on to say: “You know, bearded iris, we grow in a raised bed, but only in a raised bed, because that’s all they can do.
“So, I try and avoid trouble by not asking for it, you know, and I think that’s common sense.”
In the same interview, Monty admitted he didn’t have much luck with acers, as they “take wet in the air but not on the ground”.
Instead, he chooses to grow field maple, adding: “That loves us, that’s fine.”
Gardeners’ World Winter Specials airs tonight at 8pm on BBC Two.
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