Gardeners’ World presenter Monty Don has opened up about his knees deteriorating due to 70 years of gardening, but there’s a £10 product that could help protect other gardeners
Eleanor Fleming and Lucy Addicott Lifestyle Writer
17:33, 25 Feb 2026
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Monty Don has spoken out about how gardening has taken a toll on his health(Image: ADRIAN DENNIS, AFP via Getty Images)
Gardeners’ World host Monty Don has disclosed that his lifetime commitment to gardening has impacted his health, especially his knees. Nevertheless, one particular product could provide relief – and it costs under £10.
Writing in his BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine column, Monty explained: “For the last 10 years or more, my knees have been giving me the gyp and, it turns out, slowly deteriorating. This is not so unusual or unexpected.”
He continued: “I have spent 70 years kneeling on them, asking them to stagger about under unreasonably heavy loads or, until 10 years ago, pounding around tarmacked roads. They have had a long, hard time of it.”
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The broadcaster went on to describe how the condition had influenced his work on Gardeners’ World, explaining: “You will have rarely seen me do much serious digging, and never kneeling, over the past few series – by the end of a day’s filming, I could barely hobble to the end of the garden.”
At retailer Charlies, numerous useful gardening products are on offer, including one that could assist gardeners with knee problems. The Smart Garden Ultra Gardening Kneeler is presently listed on the website for £9.99, down from £14.99, reports the Express.
Smart Garden Ultra Gardening Kneeler – Cherries
£14.99
£9.99
Charlies
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Get the Smart Garden Ultra Gardening Kneeler – Cherries.
Boasting a ‘cheerful’ cherry design on a green background, this kneeler is both practical and stylish, crafted to protect knees and keep gardeners comfortable during planting, pruning and weeding. It features a shock-absorbing foam core with a soft memory foam outer layer for added cushioning, whilst the surface is covered in wipe-clean neoprene, making it simple to maintain and resistant to soil and moisture.
With a generous kneeling area and a built-in carry handle, it is straightforward to move around and offers stable support, according to the site. Other gardening products from Charlies include the handy Smart Garden Dura Grip General Worker Gardening Gloves in grey, currently available for £1.99, reduced from £3.99, and coming in medium and large sizes.
These gloves have been designed for ‘comfort, control, and palm protection'(Image: Charlies)
These ‘dependable gardening gloves’ are said to be brilliant for digging, planting, clearing, and tool handling. The site states they have been designed for comfort, control, and palm protection, with a tough 100% latex-coated palm for ‘grip and durability’.
They also feature a flexible stretch fit and a snug elasticated cuff to keep the gloves secure and allow ease of movement, making them ‘ideal for regular garden use’, according to the site. For those needing to collect or dispose of garden waste, Charlies also stocks the Eco Bag Heavy Duty Garden Sacks, 100 Litres in a 10 Pack for £1.49.
Manufactured from recycled plastic, the website describes the liners as ‘perfect for all your gardening rubbish’. Each liner has a capacity of up to 100 litres and features a bag thickness of 30 microns, ensuring they’re incredibly durable.
Gardeners might also consider the Smart Garden Garden TidyBag, currently available for £9.99, reduced from £14.99. This versatile, portable garden bag is engineered to ‘make tidying up quicker and easier’, according to the website.
The Smart Garden Garden TidyBag is another great option(Image: Charlies)
Constructed from robust Oxford nylon cloth with a cushioned EVA base, it’s built for frequent use throughout the home or garden, whilst remaining lightweight. The main storage section provides ample space for gloves, secateurs, string and more, whilst the numerous side pockets ensure hand tools and other equipment stay close at hand.
Finally, Charlies stocks the Wilkinson Sword 1111219W Adjustable Lawn Rake for £9.99, reduced from £12.99. This aluminium rake is described as ‘ideal for making light work of fallen leaves and garden debris’.
It features a fully adjustable pole and head, establishing it as a ‘must-have in any sized or shaped garden’. If Charlies’ products don’t meet shoppers’ needs, however, there are alternative options available.
At Amazon, the Lakeland Active 1 Pair Parton Gardening Work Gloves can be purchased for £7.99. These gloves come in multiple sizes and are crafted from naturally antibacterial and hypoallergenic bamboo fibres, featuring a durable latex waterproof coating on the palm and fingers. According to the website, they’re suitable for digging, weeding, planting, light pruning, sowing, raking and more.
Alternatively, there’s the Strata Padded Garden Kneeler, Seat and Tool Storage from Argos, priced at £14. This kneeler serves as both a seat and storage solution with a ‘durable plastic build’. The site notes it’s also lightweight and easy to move around.
Whilst the Smart Garden Ultra Gardening Kneeler from Charlies currently has no reviews, shoppers have shared feedback on other products. Regarding the Smart Garden Dura Grip General Worker Gardening Gloves, one customer wrote: “Great gardening gloves with excellent service.”
Another commented: “Nice and comfortable and fairly hard-wearing for a low-priced product. I use them for gardening.”
Additional feedback for Charlies and its products appears on Trustpilot, where the company holds an overall 4.8 out of five-star rating from over 55,000 reviews. One customer stated: “The lid to our water butt arrived damaged – once I had sent photos to show the damage Charlies’ customer service were quick to respond and send a replacement lid.”
Most customers were satisfied with their Charlies purchases, however. A third commented about the Wilkinson Sword Rake: “Delivered on time, not yet used. Good price for this item.”
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