Monty Don is a real gardening inspiration for me. I’ve watched him present Gardeners’ World for many years now, and seeing him at work in his amazing garden never fails to give me new ideas and enthusiasm for our own plot. I love the way his passion for gardening is so obvious, and his knack for sharing his extensive knowledge and experience in a way that always feels accessible, even to the most amateur gardener.
So, as you can imagine, I was absolutely thrilled to be offered his new book, Down to Earth, to review and give away. I’ve got three copies up for grabs; it really is a brilliant book for anyone interested in gardening, read on to find out how to be in with the chance of winning one!
In Down to Earth, Monty Don shares the wealth of gardening knowledge he has built up over the years. The book is broken up into chapters that deal with things like design, colour, seasons, weeds, pests and growing your own. Each of these chapters is written very much in the style that Monty uses when he presents; when you read them, it feels like you’re sitting there having a chat with him. Underpinning all of the knowledge and advice is Monty’s belief that gardening promotes mental and spiritual wellbeing; there are regular references to these less tangible benefits, as well as plenty of anecdotes from his own personal experience of the transformative powers of gardening.
There’s also a whole section of the book dedicated to the gardening year, with jobs to do each month. If you watch Gardeners’ World, it’s a bit like the Jobs for the weekend feature, and as such it’s a really useful reference to help shape your gardening to do list.
To give you a taster of the book, here’s what Monty has to say on the topic of garden design.
See what I mean about the conversational style? It really is a lovely book to read; it’s packed with practical advice, but not at all hard-going. The practically organised sections allow you to dip in and out if necessary, and no matter what size your garden, there’s plenty of relevant information and advice. There is also a wealth of lovely photographs from Monty’s garden at Longmeadow to enjoy (the image below is from the book), many of which reveal the garden in a way that you don’t really see on TV.
Credit: Monty Don
Down to Earth is certainly a gardening book that I’ll come back to again and again, I also think it would make a great gift for anyone interested in improving their gardening knowledge. What aspect of gardening would you be looking for Monty’s advice on first?
Win a copy of Down to Earth by Monty Don
I’m giving away three copies of Down to Earth by Monty Don, each with an RRP of £17.99. To enter, just follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter widget below. Good luck!
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Dorling Kindersley provided the books for review and prize purposes. All opinions and comments are honest and genuine.
What plants are best for patio pots and how to care or them during the colder months.
When to plant really I love lots of plants but don’t know when it’s best to plant them out
Simple pest control. From slugs and snails, to pesky pigeons.
How to take cuttings
pest control
I’m pretty new to gardening and not sure what flowers are best put together and the same with veg .
What plants go better in different areas of the garden
I would love to find out what vegetables i can grow throughout the winter on our allotment and as we grow our food organically, how to prevent the slugs from eating them.
The best plants to plant for privacy in the garden
I’m moving house so any advice on getting started with a veg patch would be great
How to take cuttings
How to get interest and structure in the garden all year round,not just in the summer months!
vegetable diseases
How to keep colour in my garden through Winter.
I need a recommendation for a small, upright-ish growing ornamental tree for our front garden. Not too wide a canopy – don’t want one that casts too much shade. It will be in a south facing garden. Reason – I have to replace a winter flowering cherry that has died of old age and need a similar open branched, delicate looking tree – but not a cherry again.
On growing plants in pots.
Growing fruit especially strawberries blackberries and blueberries
The latter two have been really poor this year
Even though I had a rubbish year with my veg plot this year – I’ve put my name down for an allotment – so all growing advice would be greatly appreciated and maybe I can see where I’ve gone wrong 🙂
Thank you for the chance to win a copy of Monty Don’s new book! I’m particularly looking out for his advice of flowers and bulbs. I’ve had my allotment for a few years now and have always concentrated on fruit, veg and structures but I’ve begun to realise just how much pleasure I get from flowers too! I love the way he uses colour palettes, texture and shape! Hopefully I’ve have a couple more flower beds on my plot next year 🙂
Pruning at this time of year so I don’t kill anything whilst trying to tame it.
I love white flowers and his white garden is so pretty and romantic, I would love to achieve this in my garden
taking cuttings and keeping them alive
when what and where to put plant s
when what and where to put plants
best time to plant flowers?
I would be looking for containers advice and pests and how to manage….
making sure cuttings are valid x
Growing more vegetables in a small space
What annuals to grow to cut for an event in June. Love him on Gardener’s World.
What to plant for winter colour as my garden can start to be a little lacking in colour during the colder months!
would love to learn how to correctly prune shrubs and at what time of the year
Advice I need is how to get anything done whilst also fielding a toddler with a love of water and sticks…
Making the most of a paved space
How to cut back things properly
How to grow from seed and maintain.
Same with cuttings .
Protecting my vegetables fom bugs & caterpillars
Veggie plot advice
We always sit down as a family to watch Monty in Gardener’s World and are particulalry interested in his tips for growing fruit and veg as we have an allotment. My wife has even named our cat Monty as a tribute to the Don of the garden
None, this would be for a friend who grows fruit, veg and flowers in her garden
How and when to cut plants back
how to stop cats digging up my plants
For me it would have to be how to stop the plants from overgrowing
I’d be looking for advice on how to keep on top of the brambles that just seem to keep coming back!
What plants are likely to grow in our shady garden
I would like some advice on seeds. Where to grow them and how x
I would love some advice on how to create a vegetable garden and to sustain it throughout the seasons. Thanks for the chance xxx
Caring for my lawn
I would like some advise on pest control.
Getting rid of moss from my lawn.
taking cuttings and keeping them alive
I would be looking for advise on garden design
We have such a small courtyard space I would love some advice on maximising its visual appeal all year long. We currently have a bit of a summer burst then its really sad for the rest of the year!
We moved last year to an old house with a very overgrown garden that had been used as a dumping ground for junk. This past year I have spent clearing the brambles and nettles, digging up the worst of the perennial weeds and removing all kinds of debris ranging from rotten old carpet to old metal pipes and other rubbish that probably accumulated over a couple of decades.
Come next Spring, I want to start putting in place a suitable garden design, but I don’t really have much idea how to start. I hope to get some inspiration and advice from Monty Don’s book.
I need advice on how to get the most out of my clay soil, for both flowers and vegetables.
How to encourage my jasmine bush to flower more
The best plants for growing in clay soil, also advice on fruit & vegetable growing, and advice on lawn maintenance
The best plants to use in a boggy garden