Monty Don urged gardening enthusiasts to focus on placing the right plant in the right spot, creating strong structure, and letting nature do its work when planting top-performers
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Monty Don has issued a stark warning to green-fingered fans who have “pretty neutral soil” in their gardens. Fans of Gardeners’ World often get a glimpse into his famous Longmeadow paradise, which consists of a wide range of plants to reflect his naturalistic style, love of structure and productivity.
Yet the 70-year-old insists his renowned garden isn’t defined by rare plants, but by good horticultural principles.
He champions the mantra of matching the right plant to the right spot, establishing solid framework, and allowing nature to work its magic.
For those blessed – or cursed – with “neutral soil” like Monty and his wife Sarah, he’s identified a trio of plants he believes will “never do well”.
Speaking on the BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Podcast, he revealed: “Sarah and I always say we don’t want anything in our garden that doesn’t want to be in our garden.
Monty says Camellias are not the best for his garden (Image: Michiko Arai)
“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.”
According to Monty, whilst camellias are stunning, enduring shrubs, they’ll only flourish when planted in suitable conditions and locations.
When plants are having a tough time, the BBC star’s guidance couldn’t be clearer – adapt the environment, don’t fight against what the plant needs.
Regarding rhododendrons, his recommendation is to cultivate them in containers or opt for something else entirely if acidic earth and protection aren’t on offer.
Monty sings the praises of pieris for its winter blooms, vibrant new foliage, and easy-going nature, though he emphasises once more that the right soil and shelter are non-negotiable for thriving plants.
Monty Don with his dog Ned on the Mound at Longmeadow(Image: BBC Studios)
Revealing his own approach, Monty explained that he and Sarah prefer to “grow things in pots”.
“I don’t use peat, but I use leaf mould as an ericaceous substitute, and that works okay,” he explained.
“Salvias we struggle with, because they just need more drainage than we can give them,” he continued.
“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,” he added.
During the same chat, Monty said that acers haven’t been kind to him since they “take wet in the air, but not on the ground”.
His alternative? Field maple, which he noted: “That loves us, that’s fine.”
Gardeners’ World Winter Specials airs tonight at 8pm on BBC Two.
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