Down To Earth

by Montagu Don

Unrivalled gardening wisdom from Britains favourite gardener. Written as he talks, this is Monty Don right beside you in the garden, challenging norms and sharing his advice based on years of experience. Month-by-month, Monty reveals the jobs he does in his own garden, that he hopes are relevant to you. Discover Montys thoughts and musings on nature, seasons, colour, design, pests, flowering shrubs, containers, and much more. Montys intimate and beautifully written narrative is accompanied by photos of his own garden.

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Nature, Horticulture, Reference, Memoir

272 pages, Hardcover

Published November 12, 2019

About the author

Montagu 'Monty' Denis Wyatt Don is a German-born British television presenter, writer and speaker on horticulture, known for presenting the BBC television series Gardeners' World.

Reviews

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book and I love Monty Don. He's so easy to watch and listen to on Gardener's World, and that easy listening is conveyed well in this book as well. It has jobs to do for each of the seasons (akin to jobs for the weekend that features on Gardener's World every week) and has good, general tips all around. I especially liked how the book was split into segments with ideas for a country garden, a tropical garden, etc, and tips on how to achieve these.

This is my gardening bible, and I keep referring to it for information on what to do each month, and just general gardening queries. Great read, would recommend to gardeners and Monty Don fans.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good read full of lots of useful information.

It is intended for people who live in a UK environment so if you live in the USA the times of year for planting will be different.

I've always enjoyed watching Gardener's World because of Monty's soft-spoken easy manner, and his influence comes across well in this book which has lots of nice pictures too.

Thanks for reading.

[Alisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I discovered Monty Don about a month ago during a virtual event from the Hay Festival called, "A Night in with the Wordsworths." It was a series of poetry readings. Some of the readers were celebrities I was familiar with. But this guy? I had never heard of him, but I was stunned by his reading voice. It was gentle, it was deliberate, it was authentic.

Here you go.
Go ahead, listen. I'll wait.

:)

Anyway, to the Google I went, and found out that he's one of the UK's leading garden writers and presenters.
Now, this discovery just happened to coincide with my own newly embarked upon hobby of gardening. I'm doing way more with it this year than ever before, and enjoying it.
So downloading Monty Don's audiobook (which he reads himself!) and plugging in my headphones during my daily times of weeding and watering seemed like the perfect thing to do.
And it was.
Monty Don reads his own words with a conversational flair and a well articulated passion for the subject. He's my gardening guru now the same way Rick Steves is my travel guru. The book is a mixture of practical advice as well as slightly philosophical musings about how a garden feels at different times of year and how to approach your role in it.

But I also think even if you're not intensely interested in gardening, you would find this relaxing as an audiobook.

[Nic Margett · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a gardening beginner, this book contained some invaluable wisdom for me, and it was told in such an easy going and natural style.

[Debbi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved listening to the audio version of this book. Monty Don is warm and engaging and his voice is easy to listen to. While the information is excellent because it has a British bend I think the best way to appreciate this book is print +audio. My memory for plant names is just not that great, even so, there are great recommendations here. I highly recommend it.

[J.P. Ashman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic audiobook. So very full of a wealth of knowledge and information, and all delivered in Monty Don's ever calming voice and manner. Highly recommended for anyone interested in gardening, or anyone who wants to relax!

[Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nobody makes the monumental task of beginning to learn about gardening seem as possible as Monty. Likewise, nobody makes my inevitable failures and missteps seem as forgivable. This is my third year gardening our 2 acre lot and the first year I don't feel overwhelmed and inept by the enormity of the undertaking and it is fully because of having found Monty Don and Gardener's World.

[Cora · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a feeling that I missed a lot of great photography by listening to the audio version of this, however, I found Monty Don’s voice extremely soothing, and January was the perfect time to experience this month-by-month guide to the garden (even though here in Vermont bulbs start emerging a good deal later than in the English Midlands) - I was even inspired to do some minimal pruning of my little crab apple tree today in the snow!

[Overbooked ✎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Monty Don and I am a fan of his TV programs (my favourite is the Japanese gardens series). This is an interesting little book with plenty of garden advice which is delivered in the author’s characteristic simple and conversational style.
3.5 stars rounded down as the growing guides for plant varieties, weather conditions and the included recommendations for cultivation and the garden calendar at the end of the book are related solely to the British climate and therefore of limited use to us living in the southern hemisphere with warmer and drier zones.

[Kiera Beddes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Britain’s favorite gardener narrates his best gardening advice for the year, going through each type of plant and what to do for each month of the year.

I adore Monty Don. I watched his Big Dreams, Small Spaces series on Netflix and was utterly charmed by this sincere, salt-of-the-earth gentle man who helped homeowners create their dream spaces, regardless of yard size.

It is the same with this book. He shares a lifetime of advice, but always with room to grow with your own experience. I’m not a nature person, but listening to Monty brought back so many tender memories of working in the garden with my grandfather so this book was doubly precious. Very practical and informative, with loads of charm from Monty himself.

[Jayne Peckitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful book ,just like having a conversation with Monty...I assume that is.I loved the clear exact layout,the way the book is sectioned and organised to invite and encourage a readership.The information is written in such a user friendly manner that both experienced and novice gardeners can all take from this handy volume.The photographs are excellent and well placed as are the defining subheadings.
I am a keen gardener myself but one with only limited knowledge really,this book,like the episodes of the beloved Gardeners World has enhanced my world!!!!!Thankyou so much Monty for clarity,your shared passion and common good sense.I will return to this time and time again!!!

[Agrita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Isn't this the perfect description of July:

"The garden is ripe and rich like a plum ready to be plucked from the tree. This is its hour and should be relished, and yet a slight shadow of melancholy is caught in the corner of my eye. The days start to shrink. That youthful, irrepressible freshness of June cannot be recreated. Something infinitely precious has gone and with it - always - the overriding sense of not having paid enough attention, of not having valued each moment with the rapture that it surely deserved."

It reminds me to stop and appreciate all the different shades of green this week when everything is still so lush and fresh.

[Trudy Macy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Monty! Very "Down to Earth" garden advise and thoughts. I've watched every TV series Monty has some, from Italian + French Gardens, Big Dreams, Small Spaces, to Gardeners World. Monty is my Gardening Guru! I've read "The Jewel Garden" and now this. I'm constantly learning more + more. Monty has such a great way with words and his demeanor makes it easy to understand new tips + tricks. But what I appreciate most is how he encourages everyone to be creative and make their garden uniquely their own, however small.

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very useful and informative book, easy to read as it's written in Monty's approachable style - just as if you are listening to him on Gardener's World. Short sections on numerous subjects with a month-by-moth things to do at the back. Illustrated with some informal photographs of Long Meadow, it's full of uncomplicated, down-to-earth "garden wisdom". Love it! (And a great price on Amazon as a pre-order too)

[Michaela · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite gardeners out there is Monty Don, this book is incredibly informative I would encourage every gardener, especially a hobby gardener to add this to your list. I have this on audible (which he narrates) and it is absolutely one of my favorite books to listen to.
I like this book so much I do intend to purchase a hardback so I can have a handy reference book, this is one of the best garden books I have ever read

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is written with Don's usual comfortable style. It's like sitting with him by the fire, with a cup of tea, while he tells you small bits of advice on all the typical topics associated with gardening. It's enjoyable, but nothing new. It would be a great book for someone just beginning in gardening, but not if you have a few years under your belt.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been gardening with mixed success over 40 years. While this book offered some pearls of wisdom, they were few and far between, chapter on pruning excepted. Bit of a cynical "get something out for Christmas", but we'll written, nice pictures and lots of encouragement to get out in the garden after a miserable winter and late spring.

[Bonnie Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic, very poetic read about the joys of keeping a garden. This book includes lots of tips, glimpses into Monty’s beautiful garden and a helpful planting and task calendar in the back. Would recommend!

[Carol Rasberry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sound gardening advice.

[Tricia Hooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reread this in 2022 as we plan for our garden. Lots of helpful tips!

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is partly a diary of Monty's own garden, but it is also full of wisdom and love. A must read for any gardener.

[Mario Zimmermann · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great resource for everybody interested in gardening, even if it's not on the British Isles

[Lotte | Sprouting Wheel · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is like having Monty right next to you, calmly talking and explaining how to do all the different things in the garden and what to take into account. It is written just the way he speaks, and that is meant in the best way possible. It is like a hug in a book, encouraging you to enjoy your garden.

[D Brothers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This probably would have been more useful as a physical book, where I could dog ear and return to certain sections as a reference. That said, as an audiobook it was pleasant and immersive, more of a ramble through the garden with a few tips I may remember later, rather than an instructive guide.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely better for the Northern Hemisphere...but I still enjoyed Monty Don's voice and much of his advice could be used here in Australia too. The only chapters which held little relevance were the chapters that spoke about what to do across each month of the year...even if we flipped the months, our seasons look different.

[Izybeck]

Monty don is a hero

[Yvette · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book on gardening is completely left of field of the books I normally read. However, lately I’ve been trying to teach myself about gardening. I first learned about Monty Don through his Netflix series Big Dreams, Small Gardens. I love to watch how people can transform something dreary and boring into a beautiful, awe inspiring landscape. I love gardens. I have one that is full of weeds at the moment that consumes part of my time yanking them out of the ground. No chemicals, pesticides, or fungicides.

I listened to Monty Don’s audiobook as I gardened. It was actually quite soothing and relaxing to listen to his calm voice. This book comes loaded with information about the seasons, best time for planting seeds, bulbs, vegetables, herbs, fruit, and trees, etc. He lays out the chapters and summarizes each before moving on to the next. I will probably need to view the hardcover copy and go over this again as I’m more of a visual person when it comes to planning and designing my little garden oasis.

[Dirk · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the distilled wit and wisdom of Monty Don from his lifetime of gardening. My local radio gardening show used to disparage his knowledge when Monty first took on Gardener's World. But Monty is not classically trained in the art of gardening, he has learned from his experience and talking to others. Now he is seen as fairly mainstream, but his championing of organic methods and gardening for mental health was not always as fashionable. The book is split into fairly short and manageable chapters on various aspects, such as types of gardens and growing your own. The book finishes with a ramble through each month and how the time of the year reflects Monty's mood comes through. Monty's instinctive approach shines through and his views are forthright. I liked the idea that you cannot ever have too much green in the garden, "Green saves the day, the month, the year. Green endures and sustains in a way that no other colour can begin to match." Talking about plant names, he says "And remember, nobody knows everything. Not even Roy Lancaster."

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

My background:
No experience with gardening. No garden to garden in yet.

Description
Monty Don expertly takes you through different aspects of gardening and planning and adapting to your garden.

Concerns
As a not-even-beginner-yet gardener this book was an information overload. This is a book for the intermediate to experienced gardener to get new insights and inspiration.
The focus of the fauna suggested is also focused on Britain and therefore mostly relevant to people living in a similar climate.

Strengths
There is a huge wealth of knowledge, experience and inspiration in this book. I think this is a book any gardener aficionado will return to again and again.
The book is well structured addressing different types of gardens, tools and intensions in a structured way.
The author is also the narrator and shares his knowledge with a calm and passionate voice that is a pleasure to listen to.

Conclusion
If you are completely new to gardening, this might be a book to write behind the ear for later.
If you already have some experience this is a great book for you.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever since watching Monty Don on TV I've admittedly had a slight girlie crush on him. This is the first book of his that I've read and, although I love gardening, gardening books are not something that i'd normally read.
I don't consider this your usual gardening book however. Firstly I live on the other side of the world, in Australia, so our seasons are back to front, our weather and soil are totally opposite to the UK where it seems you can plonk anything in the soil and it grows. I still found this book relevant and a delight to read.
Monty has a calm gentle nature about him and looks at gardening through an artist eyes, noting colour, shape and composition, things a lot of people don't actually 'see'. His writing has an element of poetry, with basic common sense, nothing technical or hard and years of experience through trial an error. It's a beautifully written book and a delight to read and shows Monty's obvious passion for nature and nurture.