My Garden World: The Natural Year

by Monty Don

From 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 60 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.

A year at home in the country with Monty Don - the UK's favourite gardener, dog owner, writer and broadcaster - on a personal journey through the natural year, season by season, month by month.

My Garden World by Monty Don is a celebration of every living creature that we all share. This year has given us the enforced opportunity to learn more about the fascinating natural world around us. Whether you live in the countryside or the town, Monty's observations and insights are relevant to each and every one of us. My Garden World is Monty Don's 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.

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction

Hardcover

Published September 17, 2020

About the author

Montagu Denis Wyatt Don OBE VMH (born George Montagu Don) has been gardening on TV for over 25 years for ITV, Channel 4 and the BBC, and since 2003 has been the lead presenter on BBC TV's Gardeners' World which from 2011 has been filmed in his own garden in Herefordshire - Longmeadow.
He is a longstanding organic gardener and was President of the Soil Association from 2008 to 2017.
A prolific journalist and author, he was gardening correspondent for the Observer from 1994 to 2006 and has written a weekly gardening column for the Daily Mail since 2004. He has published 18 books, including his recent Sunday Times bestseller, Nigel: My Family and Other Dogs.

Reviews

[KnittingSarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my go-to audiobooks when I’m working in my own garden. Monty Don speaking softly to me about his garden while I work in mine - what could possibly be better?

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was thrilled to no end when I saw Monty Don was narrating his own book in the audio version. I could listen to him for hours, and I did! although I’m not from the UK, this was an absolutely enchanting adventure in nature through the lens of Monty Don, a garden aficionado and over all naturalist. Each chapter is a different month in the year where Monty reads as if from a naturalist journal all the encounters with wildlife and notable differences in flora. The reason I mentioned not being from the UK is that about 50% of the species he spoke of we do not have in the United States. So it was not entirely relatable, but the parts where we shared a similar species like the Robin or the Woodcock, hemlocks that have been introduced here and birch; I nodded along in agreement with many of his observations. Not only as Monty Don a gentle and calm influence in a garden world, but he’s very real and his understanding of both life and death. I truly enjoyed this time which seems shared with the author, in many understandable situations and thoughts.

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed listening to this book read by Monty Don. The observations he made transport you there and give somewhat of a sense of his world. I kept thinking we need more like this from others to preserve glimpses of life through time as it changes, lost, and gained. It has a sense of remembered history, like I used to hear from older generations as I grew up.

[Danielle French · Rating 5 out of 5]

This brought me so much joy on my commutes to work on early summer mornings. Monty voiced this story amazingly, I really do think listening to the audio version was the best decision I could have made. I truly cannot recommend this book enough. Make sure you have some tissues on you for the closing chapter; rest in peace Nigel.

[R.C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily my favorite work of Monty's. The love he holds for wild nature shines through, not least from the many connections he brings in from his younger years which serve to paint a picture of a man who has loved the natural world beyond the garden all his life. A complete delight.

[S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like a love letter to the British countryside. There's a mixture of plant and animal facts, personal anecdotes and folklore which ultimately makes for a pleasant read.

[Mariam · Rating 5 out of 5]

it’s a slow and reflective book that I really loved and I want to come back to :) a really good calm before bed or just time to be calm book

[Babs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative and enjoyable.