Monty Don is one of Britain’s most revered gardeners, and the BBC Gardeners’ World host said there is “one element” he always looks out for in a garden “above all else”
Robin Cottle Assistant Editor Trendswatch
06:00, 06 Apr 2026
Monty Don says there’s one ‘element’ he looks for in gardens (Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images for The)
Gardening icon Monty Don reveals there is “one element” he looks for in a garden “above all else”.
The 70-year-old is one of Britain’s most famous gardeners having been the lead presenter on BBC Gardeners’ World since 2003.
He therefore knows a thing or two about what to look out for. He explained that Wollerton Old Hall in Shopshire is one of his favourite gardens because it has one quality which is always high on his list.
Speaking to Gyles Brandreth on his Rosebud podcast, he revealed why he speaks sow glowingly of Wollerton Old Hall in his book British Gardens.
Monty said: “The one element of any garden that I’m looking for, above all else, is charm.
Monty says he’s always looking for gardens with ‘charm'(Image: BBC)
“And it’s a deliberately fuzzy word. The whole point about charm is you can’t quite put your finger on it. It’s charming people, charming places.
“But when it’s there you know it, and when it’s not there you equally know it. So there are lots of gardens, all of which will be nameless, which are full of resplendent plants, brilliant gardens, they know every Latin name, and has no charm at all.”
Monty admits that he is “always hesitant to name a favourite garden”, likening it to selecting a favourite piece of music or favourite book.
But he conceded that Wollerton Old Hall is at the top of his list because it has charm in abundance.
He continued: “With Wollerton Hall, the minute you walk in, you’re bowled over by the charm. It’s brilliant done, the Jenkins, husband and wife, Leslie and John, have made it from a field. It’s their creation.
“They’re a team. It’s actually for sale, which is very sad. When a garden like Wollerton Hall is for sale, and it’s been made by two people over 45 years, it cannot continue. It will change.
“I feel very relaxed about that. The terrible mistake inexperienced gardeners make is to somehow think it’s finite, it’s finished. It’s never finished.”
Monty Don(Image: PA)
It comes after Monty named an “ugly” plant he “hates” because it just “doesn’t work”. The Gardeners’ World host is not a fan of begonias, the flowering plants known for their bright, showy blooms and decorative foliage.
Recalling the moment he revealed his dislike live from the Chelsea Flower Show, he joked about needing “a bodyguard” afterwards.
Speaking on the Dig It podcast, the 70-year-old said: “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 laughed.
“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.”
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