MONTY DON

THE TOP 5 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER NIGEL - One of Britain's favourite dogs! When Monty Don's golden retriever Nigel became the surprise star of BBC Gardeners' World inspiring huge interest, fan mail and his own social media accounts, Monty Don wanted to explore what makes us connect with animals quite so deeply. In many respects Nigel is a very ordinary dog; charming, handsome and obedient, as so many are. He is also a much loved family pet. He is also a star. By telling Nigel's story, Monty relates his relationships with the other special dogs in his life in a memoir of his dogs past and very much present. Witty, touching and life-affirming, Nigel: My family and other dogs is wonderfully heart-warming. Monty Don is a great writer coming out of the garden and into the hearts and homes of every dog lover in the UK. 'I have always had a dog, or dogs. I cannot imagine life without them. I am just as much a fan of Nigel as any besotted viewer. In the book I explore why we love dogs and what they mean to us emotionally and domestically. I look back on all the dogs in my life - all of which I have loved deeply and which have been an essential part of my life. So, this is the book of Nigel - but also the book of all our dogs in every British family and a celebration of the deep love we feel for them' Monty Don

This is not a book about French Gardens. It is the story of a man travelling round France visiting a few selected French gardens on the way. Owners, intrigues, affairs, marriages, feuds, thwarted ambitions and desires, the largely unnamed ordinary gardeners, wars, plots and natural disasters run through every garden older than a generation or two and fill every corner of the grander historical ones. Families marry. Gardeners are poached. Political allegiances forged and shattered. The human trail crosses from garden to garden. They sit in their surrounding landscape, not as isolated islands but attached umbilically to it, sharing the geology, the weather, food, climate, local folklore, accent and cultural identity. Wines must be drunk and food tasted. Recipes found and compared. The perfect tarte-tartin pursued. None of these things can be ignored or separated from the shape and size of parterre, fountain, herbaceous border or pottager. So this is a book filled with stories and information, some of it about French gardens and gardening, but most of it about what makes France unlike anywhere else. From historical gardens like Versailles,Vaux le Vicomte and Courances to the kitchen gardens of the Michelin chef Alain Passard. There will be grand potagers like Villandry and La Prieure DOrsan and allotments and back gardens spotted on the way. Monty also celebrates the obvious French associations of food and wine and finds gardens dedicated to vegetables, herbs and fruit. It is a book that any visitor to France, whether gardeners or not, will want to read both as a guide and an inspiration. It is a portal to get under the French cultural skin and to understand the country, in all its huge variety and disparity, a little better.

Lavish ... a celebration of the history and enduring romance of Islamic gardensWashington PostAs seen on the highly acclaimed BBC2 series Monty Dons Paradise Gardens, a glorious celebration of the richness of Islamic culture through some of the most beautiful gardens on earth.In the Islamic tradition, a garden with its central elements of water, the scent of fruit trees, and places for rest and reflection, celebrate heaven on earth. Paradise gardens play a central role in everyday life in the Islamic world, yet little is known about them. Monty Don and acclaimed photographer, Derry Moore, set off on a journey to find out more about the principles and immersive delights of paradise gardens and how a very different culture and climate has influenced garden design round the world. Their journey covers twenty-nine gardens from the Real Alcazar and the Alhambra in Spain, and Le Jardin Majorelle in Morocco, to Highgrove and a Mughal garden in Bradford in England. There are some spectacular and rarely seen examples such as Pasargadae and the Maidan in Isfahan, Iran, the birthplace of paradise gardens, as well as the more renowned examples such as Turkeys Topkapi Palace and the Amber Palace and Taj Mahal in India.A garden, green and filled with water is heaven on earth - it is paradise. Monty DonALSO BY MONTY DON & DERRY MOOREJAPANESE GARDENS: A JOURNEYAn exploration of the exquisite beauty and fascinating history of the most beautiful and famous gardens across Japan, from Kenrok-en to the Zen gardens of Tokyo.A fabulous, bonsai-filled bookDaily Mail

Monty Don, the face of British gardening, has written a weekly Observer column on his garden for the past ten years. Over time the columns have been a practical guide, a poetic record of the gardens changing seasons, and also a personal account of how the garden has kept his feet firmly planted on the ground through bad times and good. This is a collection of fifty of Montys best columns, that will delight his readers and gardeners everywhere. Growing vegetables, herbs and fruit should be done in the same spirit as choosing your music or clothes: with a mix of precision and adventure. 4.1.98 Gardens are complex and messy and, as in life, there are few easy fixes. 17.1.99 One swallow may not make a summer but it damn sure made my day. 7.5.00 Planting trees is deeply satisfying and good for the soul, especially on a winters day. What else can a human do that leans so far into the future? 27.12.98

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERWhen Monty Dons golden retriever Nigel became the surprise star of BBC Gardeners World, inspiring huge interest, fan mail and his own social media accounts, Monty Don wanted to explore what makes us connect with animals quite so deeply. In many respects Nigel was a very ordinary dog; charming, handsome and obedient, as so many are. He was a much loved family pet. He was also a star. By telling Nigels story, Monty relates his relationships with the other special dogs in his life in a memoir of his dogs past and very much present. Since it was first released in 2016, Monty Dons Nigel: my family and other dogs has sold over a quarter of a million copies, with Nigel, who sadly passed away in 2020, ensuring his place in the hearts of readers and dog lovers everywhere. This life-affirming memoir of the importance of dogs in Montys life and in all our lives, is never more true than now.I have always had a dog, or dogs. I cannot imagine life without them. I am just as much a fan of Nigel as any besotted viewer. In the book I explore why we love dogs and what they mean to us emotionally and domestically. I look back on all the dogs in my life - all of which I have loved deeply and which have been an essential part of my life. So, this is the book of Nigel - but also the book of all our dogs in every British family and a celebration of the deep love we feel for themMonty Don

Monty Don made a triumphant return to our screens as presenter of Gardeners World. A firm favourite with viewers, Montys infectious enthusiasm for plants, attention to the finer details of gardening technique and easy charm have seen the ratings soar. Here Monty invites us into the garden at Longmeadow, to show us how he created this beautiful garden, and how we can do the same in our own.Following the cycle of the seasons, Gardening at Longmeadow will introduce readers to the garden from the earliest snowdrops of January through the first splashes of colour in the Spring Garden, the electric summer displays of the Jewel Garden, the autumn harvest in the orchard, and on to a Christmas feast sourced from the vegetable gardens. Describing the magic of each area at different times of the year, Monty will explain the basics of what to do when and how to get the most from each plant. Hell talk through the essential techniques and more complex processes, accompanied by easy-to-follow, step-by-step photography.Longmeadow is a gardeners garden, but this will be a book for gardening enthusiasts of all skill levels who have been inspired by what theyve seen, and who would like to achieve something similar for themselves.

For over a decade, Monty Don has travelled the world, using gardens and green spaces to get under the skin of our most beloved cities and countries. Many of his destinations were well-known to him. For his latest journey, though, he explored Spain as a relative newcomer - and he kept a detailed record of his travels.Starting in Madrid and working his way north through the verdant gardens of Galicia, the Basque country and Barcelona, Monty then heads south to the rugged tropical climes of Mallorca, Alicante, Andalucia, Malaga, and Seville. Its a chance for him to explore how Spain has evolved from the darker days after the civil war to its successful transition to democracy over fifty years ago, tracing those changes through its gardens - from the more conventional gardens created after the war to the rich and inventive approaches of contemporary designers.Accompanied by Derry Moores stunning photography, Spanish Gardens is a remarkable and personal journey through one of the most popular country destinations on earth.

Join Monty Don, Britains pre-eminent gardener, and acclaimed photographer Derry Moore on their historic journey through the most stunning gardens of Venice and the Veneto.Few world cities hold the romance and historical sweep of Venice. Thousands visit every year - and a mixture of crowds and climate leave it vulnerable, so much so it is often said to be in danger of sinking - but away from the usual tourist haunts around St. Marks square are exceptional hidden treasures, some 500 gardens, many of them with fascinating stories.Starting in the heart of the city and working their way out to the Veneto, Monty and Derry celebrate the beauty of these places and tell their unique stories: from a beautiful nunnery garden with a history of exotic animals and a kitchen garden of the historic Foundation to the Madonna church to the estates of famous Venetian families, like the spectacular Giusti Renaissance garden.With stunning full colour photography throughout, Venice Gardens will give readers new insight into one of the worlds most beloved cities - you wont see Venice the same way again.

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER & BEST GARDENING BOOKS OF 2020 - Sunday TimesEvery page a joy NIGEL SLATERFrom a very early age I loved the countryside as much as any garden and was fascinated by the life that I saw all around me from trees, wildflowers, birds, insects and mammals. In a sense this book has been over sixty years in gestation. I have kept notebooks and journals ever since I could write and I have drawn upon these as well as the events of the past year.Spend a year with Monty Don. My Garden Worldis a celebration of every living creature and the natural world that we all share. Recent times have given us the enforced opportunity to learn more about the fascinating natural world around us. Whether you live in the countryside or the town, Montys observations and insights are relevant to each and every one of us. My Garden Worldis Monty Dons personal journey through the natural year, month by month, season by season, observed from the immediate world around him.Wildlife is not something that we watch happening in remote and exotic parts of the world on our screens, but right here in our own back yards and the more that we encourage it and learn to live with it, the more rewarding it becomes.If, in our own modest back yards, we can help preserve and treasure our natural world then we will make the world a better place -- not just for ourselves but for every living creature.

What do our gardens say about us?Monty Don has spent many years travelling the world, from America to Japan, from Italy and the Adriatic to Spain and the Mediterranean, getting under the skin of a country through its gardens and gardening traditions. In British Gardens, he finally brings his focus to home, journeying from the northern tip of Scotland to the Cornish coast, seeking to understand what our gardens tell us about ourselves as a nation.Encompassing historical gardens and public parks, mountains and seascapes, urban gardens and rural nurseries, glasshouses and community plots, each encounter is another link in a larger story of British identity: marks of ingenuity, eccentricity, and adaptation to changing environments. From Northumbrias Alnwick Gardens and Beatrix Potters Lake District farmhouse to the rewilded walled garden on the Knepp Estate and the story of Britains first garden gnome, Montys account brings in an astonishing range of British experience.Accompanied by a landmark five-part series on BBC2, and illustrated by stunning photography from Montys long-time collaborator Derry Moore, British Gardens is a definitive, and uniquely British, account of a nation like no other.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE EDWARD STANFORD PHOTOGRAPHY TRAVEL BOOK OF THE YEAR A fabulous, bonsai-filled bookDaily MailThe complement to the BBC2 series, Japanese Gardens: written by the nations favourite gardener Monty Don, and beautifully produced with over 200 original photographs from Derry Moore. Traditional Japanese gardens combine aesthetics with ethics in a perfectly curated celebration of nature. A Japanese garden is the natural world made miniature: rocks represent mountains, ponds represent seas. In this personal and lyrical exploration of both the traditional and the modern aspects of Japanese gardening, Monty Don takes a look at the traditions and culture which inform some of the most beautiful gardens from all over Japan, from Kenroku-en to the Zen gardens of Tokyo and the historic beauty of Kyoto.Monty Don and Derry Moore guide us through the history and spectacular seasons of Japanese gardens, from the famous cherry blossom celebration hanamito the autumnal crimson magnificence of momijigari. Monty Don also explores the creative forms uniquely associated with Japanese gardens, from stone-masonry and ikebana to the intricate skill of bonsai. Stunningly photographed by Derry Moore, Japanese Gardens is a fascinating exploration of a unique relationship with gardens.An illuminating insight not only into the history and horticulture of some remarkable gardens but also into the Japanese culture and psycheGardens IllustratedALSO BY MONTY DON & DERRY MOOREPARADISE GARDENS: THE WORLDS MOST BEAUTIFUL ISLAMIC GARDENSAs seen on the highly acclaimed BBC2 series, a glorious celebration of the richness of Islamic culture through some of the most beautiful gardens on earth.Sun-filled escapismCountry LifeSimply breathtakingLove it!