Gardeners’ World star Monty has said he can sometimes feel “overwhelmed” due to his career in a candid admission.
The 69-year-old gardening expert confessed: “I often feel overwhelmed by what needs to be done.
“Once we get into February, which encourages a lot of jobs to be ticked off and it’s flooded or it’s snowy – the weather is not always easy – but that business continues for us.
“Right through till December, we’re always busy here. There are no downtimes, because of Gardeners’World.”
But he did say that filming for Gardeners’ World provides a sense of structure in his life, despite being exhausting at times. “The easiest things for me are filming days, because whatever is done is done well,” he said.
Monty’s a great believer in accepting the rhythms of nature
(Image: (Image: BBC/BBC Studios))
“We’re making the program rather than constantly planning ahead and trying to do things that will come good in the future. But I now think, because I’m so old, that I worry less about that… I mean, I now accept failure.”
Monty emphasised the importance of finding time to relax and recharge, suggesting that a period of hibernation during the depths of winter is crucial.
Speaking to the Gardeners’ World Magazine podcast, , he said: “The Finns, who are famous for being the most melancholy nation in the world, because they have so much winter, dark purple winter in the month of October, descend into a kind of low level of hibernation, where they speak a bit less, they become a bit more gloomy.
“They close down, and not necessarily in a good way. In other words, it’s not a romantic thing, but in doing so, that enables them to deal with it. And I think we all do that.”
Monty confessed that he personally struggles through the last couple of months of each year, adding: “I find November and December dreadful. Maybe that’s why I love January and February so much.
Monty admits that he finds November and December ‘very hard’
(Image: (Image: BBC))
“The rhythms of nature are not just spring, summer, and so on. And so they’re much more subtle than that, and they more varied. Trees have a rhythm, you know, bulbs have a rhythm. Roses have a rhythm.”
He added that being aware of these rhythms allows people to connect with the natural world and appreciate its complexity and beauty. “Every plant has its own rhythm. It goes through. And the more aware of that you are the most sensitive you are to that, the more you you connect with the natural world and you realise how incredibly complex and beautiful it is and that’s available to you. You don’t need a degree in botany or biology or animal behaviour.”