Monty Don

WE’VE all done it.

Spotting a plant you think will look amazing in your garden – rushing out to buy it – and then realising that on its own it suddenly looks, well, a bit naff.

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But happily, a new book by Jamie Butterworth could be about to banish the embarrassment of a badly put together garden for good.

‘What Grows Together’ – which comes out next weekend – offers up over 60 ‘fail safe plant combinations for every garden’ with no confusing horticultural jargon or lecturing.

You may recognise Jamie from his RHS Show Feature Dog Garden at Chelsea Flower Show this year – which he created alongside Monty Don and DJ Jo Whiley.

He’s appeared many times on Gardeners World, and cites Monty Don as the gardener who inspired him to get into horticulture.

His nursery Form Plants also supplies plants to Windsor Castle – and when he met King Charles at Chelsea Flower Show, the King said: ‘I know Jamie — you are delivering plants to me on Wednesday. Please don’t be late.’”

But it was another famous Jamie that actually inspired his book.
“I love cooking, but I never know what ingredients to put together as to what will taste nice,” he told Sun gardening.

“But when I came across Jamie Oliver’s Five Ingredients Book – where he just goes – take these ingredients and do this and this is what you’ll get, it was just brilliant. It was exactly what I needed.

“I just thought – we need to do this for gardening. We’ve even laid it out like a recipe book – in terms of making it look really crisp and simple – it’s like no other gardening book that’s ever been written.

“There’s so much synergy between cooking and gardening – people want to garden, they want to have nice gardens but they’re time poor and they don’t know what to plant that will a. Survive and b. look good, and that was the starting premise of the book.

“We’re forever learning with plants – my particular passion is growing plants, putting them together and making nice displays – it’s how I like to make people happy.

“It’s about getting rid of the old gardening rules – the ‘you must do this, you must do that, you must plant carrots at this exact time or everything will fail.

“What I wanted to do was make growing more accessible – there is no right way – but learning even just a few combinations and what will grow well together – then that gives people confidence to have a go themselves.”

“Jamie’s an idol of mine – and I want to make gardening as accessible as he did for cooking.

“You pay garden designers hundreds of pounds to tell you where to put plants – hopefully this book will negate all of that and give people the accessibility they need to go ‘oh actually this is what I need to do’ and it’s that simple.”

JAMIES’ FAVOURITE COMBINATIONS

COMBINATION ONE
Hydrangeas Limelight and Agastache Blackadder – both plants individually are brilliant and will flower for a long long time each – Hydrangeas from June to Autumn and even once they’ve finished flowering they’ll hold their seed heads and look great in the winter. Agastache Blackadder is a perennial and has dark purple liquorice flowers and if you plant the two together the darkness of the Agastache looks brilliant against the white of the hydrangea – but will also grow up through it. If you want to add to it – just add in some yellow Cosmos.

COMBINATION 2
Calycanthus ‘Aphrodite’, Japanese Forest Grass, Penstemon ‘Pensham Plum Jerkum’
Calycanthus has really rich ruby wine red flowers which look stunning in their own right. It flowers from late May through to September/October, leg it up by taking off lower branches – then you’ve got a specimen rather than just a shrub – and underplant with Hakonechloa Macra – AKA Japanese forest grass and the Penstemon with dark rich ruby colour flowers the same as the calycanthus. Individually they’re great plants – but put together that’s an incredible combination.

 What Grows Together: Fail-safe Plant Combinations for Every Garden by Jamie Butterworth (11 September, DK)

Also in Veronica’s Column this week…

News, top tips, Plant of the Week and a competition to win two hedge trimmers

NEWS! Catherine’s Rose is finally available to buy on the high street – with B&Q taking the honours as the main bricks and mortar stockist.
Named after HRH Princess Kate, and launching in store at the end of this month, funds from every sale will go to the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.
The pink ‘Catherine’s Rose’, which is scented, was developed by Harkness Roses – and in May we ran a competition for Sun Readers to become the first in the world to own a rose.
Now everyone can get one from their local B&Q..
The RHS and Harkness joined forces with Kate after she underwent a “very spiritual and very intense emotional reconnection” with nature after undergoing treatment for cancer.
The princess announced in January she was in remission after completing a course of preventative chemotherapy.

WIN! WIn one of two Webb ECO 20V 15cm Cordless Mini Chainsaw/Pruning Saws with Telescopic Pole Reach PLUS battery – worth £124.99 each. To enter visit www.thesun.co.uk/WebbPruner or write to
Sun Webb Pruner competition, PO Box 3190, Colchester, Essex, CO2 8GP. Include your name, age, email or phone. UK residents 18+ only. Entries close 11.59pm. September 20, 2025. T&Cs apply

PLANT OF THE WEEK! Heuchera Berry Timeless is evergreen and will still be sending up sprays of pale pink flowers well into September. It’s heat resistant and hardy – and doesn’t seem fussy about soil or shade or too much sun.

JOB OF THE WEEK! You can start with your onion sets now – to overwinter and get a bountiful crop next year. Red Winter is a great one to get in the ground. Potatoes and raspberries are ready to harvest and sweetpeas can be sown under cover.

TOP TIP! IF you fancy growing your own salad leaves over Winter – now is the time to start.
Lambs Lettuce is very hardy and perfect for Winter Gardens. Get the seeds in the soil now – either in pockets you know are milder – or in a cold frame.
The best thing about sowing rocket is that you’ll get your first crop with four to six weeks – and it also thrives in cooler temperatures.
If you plant Arctic Spring butterhead lettuce now – you’ll get a crop early next year. But also keep an eye out in garden centres, as they often sell a ‘Winter Mix’. Sarah Raven currently has one that includes ‘Can Can’, ‘Salad Bowl’ and ‘Merveille de Quatre Saisons.’

NEWS! Harrogate Autumn Flower Show is taking place from September 19th to 21st. As well as the usual floral marquees – there’s an Incredible Edible pavilion showcasing the best fruit and vegetables – as well as the giant versions – including a National Onion Championship. Plus talks, live demonstrations, expert gardening advice and competitions. And there’s a plant creche so you don’t have to carry your purchases round all day.

Monty Don was on hand to give viewers at home tips on how to harvest elephant garlic, but some BBC Gardeners’ World fans were left ‘in shock’ at the results

Gardeners’ World fans were in for a treat as the show aired on Thursday, a day ahead of its usual schedule, to make way for the Glastonbury Festival coverage. In the latest episode, Monty Don demonstrated how to harvest elephant garlic, explaining to viewers that despite its name, it’s actually a type of leek and boasts a milder flavour than traditional garlic.

The green-fingered guru, aged 69, approached a bed of the oversized plant, declaring it was ripe for picking. He advised BBC viewers to always use a fork when lifting the garlic to preserve the roots, essential for storage, reports the Express.

Monty shared further advice, noting, “It stores very well, it’s easier to use, and it doesn’t dominate in the way that garlic can do.”

However, the episode took a turn when he discovered some of the regular garlic bulbs had succumbed to rot. He remarked, “That’s no good. Interesting.”

Upon unearthing another spoiled clove, Monty described it as “completely horrible” and added “Look how that’s rotted. The cloves are in there, but I don’t think they would keep.”

Puzzled by the unexpected decay, Monty wondered: “No, no, no. What I am asking myself is why this garlic from a very reputable supplier, for the first time ever since I’ve grown garlic, is no good. It’s rotting. It’s difficult to see if there’s a virus or a fungal problem.

“But the elephant garlic in the same bedding and in the same growing conditions is untouchable.”

Monty revealed his decision to avoid planting in that particular garden bed for the next three years after showing his garlic crops succumbing to rot.

The response from viewers watching at home was swift, with several taking to X to express their reactions to Monty’s gardening mishap.

One viewer sympathised on Twitter, “Oh a garlic fail for @TheMontyDon Disaster! #GardenersWorld.”

Another joined in with a sigh, “Disappointing garlic.”

A third shared their concern, tweeting “That was worrying about @TheMontyDon’s garlic #GardenersWorld.”

A fourth found humour in the situation, jokingly tweeting “Maybe a vampire is buried under that bed. #gardenersworld.”

Gardeners’ World is available to stream on BBC iPlayer

BBC’s Gardeners’ World is facing a wave of backlash as fans have accused the programme of becoming “a lifestyle program”.

The BBC’s treasured show Gardeners’ World has left its viewers reeling with some claiming the programme is leaning more towards becoming “a lifestyle program.”

The episode, which aired on June 20 to coincide with the summer solstice, took viewers to Damson Farm’s enchanting setting in the stunning Somerset countryside where Frances Tophill was gardening.

Yet, seasoned watchers promptly alleged that the series had veered dramatically from its original intentions.

One irate viewer vented on X, once known as Twitter, saying “Percy Thrower would be turning in his grave. He was a great gardener,” recalling the esteemed presenter who led the show during the 1970s.

On screen, Frances delved into edible gardens and wildlife-conscious planting and Carol Klein dispensed advice for creating vibrant summer pots.

Meanwhile, Adam Frost visited a gardener customising her garden to withstand recurring flooding. Despite the captivating scenes and moving narratives, a portion of the audience remained discontented.

But the gripes don’t stop at the perceived shortage of actual gardening advice – even the birdsong at Monty Don’s Longmeadow abode has been caught in crossfire, with dubious viewers levying charges against the BBC for allegedly adding artificial chirps, reports the Express.

Monty himself, however, has assured fans that the mix of bird calls is completely authentic, though sometimes it’s more overwhelming than intended.

Monty Don has responded to a common gripe from Gardeners’ World viewers on the podcast, saying: “We’ve had a number of letters along the lines of, ‘I watch Gardeners’ World and I really enjoy it, but it’s spoiled for me by the fact that you impose this bird song which is so unrealistic and so over the top… why don’t you just record the natural sounds?’ And the answer is, ‘I hate to disappoint you, but that is the natural sound’.”

One disgruntled fan tweeted their dissatisfaction with the show’s direction, commenting: “Not much horticultural guidance on #GardenersWorld these days.”

Another viewer expressed their longing for the programme’s past focus, tweeting: “#GardenersWorld is becoming a lifestyle program for people with chronic anxiety. I remember when it taught you how to garden. Now anything goes.”

Monty also revealed that the birdsong at Longmeadow is sometimes so overwhelming it disrupts production: “It is really loud. And occasionally when we’re filming, we delay filming because the bird song is so loud, that even to us it feels a bit odd and unnatural.”

Since Monty and his wife Sarah took charge of Longmeadow in 1991, they have turned a two-acre patch of neglect into a verdant sanctuary featured on the series.

The couple’s garden stands out as a wildlife refuge amidst neighbouring farmland ravaged by excessive use of chemicals.

“So Longmeadow is like, literally an oasis surrounded by not-so-good,” Monty said. “We have great density of blackbirds and song thrushes and blackcaps and all kinds of songbirds.”

Gardeners’ World is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.