Gardeners’ World presenter Monty Don sparked controversy at the Chelsea Flower Show when he admitted he was not a fan of the plant
Samantha Masters Content Editor
12:37, 01 Apr 2026Updated 12:41, 01 Apr 2026
Monty Don isn’t a fan of begonias (Image: BBC)
Monty Don previously ignited controversy after declaring his hatred for a specific plant – and confesses his opinion remains unchanged. The Gardeners’ World presenter harbours no affection for begonias, the flowering species celebrated for their vivid, eye-catching blooms and ornamental leaves.
Reflecting on the instance when he disclosed his opinion during a live broadcast from the Chelsea Flower Show, he quipped about requiring “a bodyguard” in the aftermath.
During an appearance on the Dig It podcast, the 70-year-old recalled: “Live on TV, I heard myself saying, ‘I really hate begonias’. Of course, the producer loved it – every paper [ran it], and I practically needed a bodyguard,” he chuckled.
“Then the next day they sent me to interview a begonia [expert], of course they did. I was just grovelling. I had to say, ‘Not your begonias of course, your begonias are lovely’.
“But I’ve been flooded with begonias from people sending me begonias, as you can imagine. And I still have to say, I’m not really converted.”
Orange trailing begonias in a hanging basket
Similar to this inherently tropical species, Monty explained that begonias are fundamentally incompatible with British gardens. “I don’t like obviously tropical plants in a British setting,” he acknowledged.
“When it gets really jungly and lured, when you take the flora of Papua New Guinea and transpose it to Serpentine or even Longmeadow – for me, it doesn’t work. I think context is really important.”
Monty provoked criticism in 2016 when he branded begonias “repulsively ugly”. The remark attracted disapproval from the National Begonia Society’s secretary, Robert Bryce, who told Mail Online: “He is in the minority because begonias are selling in larger numbers than ever. If the British public didn’t like begonias, they would have died out 100 years ago.”
While he stays sceptical regarding begonias, Monty expressed admiration for cosmos plants. “Cosmos are really forgiving. I love cosmos and everybody should go with them because, by and large, they’re pretty trouble-free,” he told presenters Zoe Ball and Jo Whiley.
Monty Don previously sparked backlash over the comment (Image: BBC)
“They are tender, so there’s no point in sowing them direct now unless you live somewhere where there’s no more frost. Where I am, frost can still hit in April, so I’d sow them in a seed tray now – it works fine.”
Despite his aversion to begonias, Monty advocates for varieties including roses, perennials, herbaceous borders, and pollinator-friendly wildflowers.
The horticulturalist has also recently revealed the essential tasks to tackle in your garden this April, with one involving growing “one of the easiest of all plants”.
According to horticultural specialists at Bonnie Plants, lettuce “matures fast,” sometimes in as little as six weeks.
Offering his perspective in his monthly gardening blog, Monty observed that most lettuces require approximately “six to eight weeks to grow sufficiently large to eat” and can stay harvestable for a further month or thereabouts, provided they’re kept well-watered and in cool conditions.
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