For more than two decades, Monty Don has inspired millions of viewers with his calm, thoughtful approach to gardening. But behind the peaceful scenes at Longmeadow, the beloved Gardeners’ World presenter has quietly been adapting to the realities of getting older.
Now, the 70-year-old has revealed a subtle health change that has completely altered one of his long-standing gardening habits.
“I Have to Listen Harder Now”
Speaking candidly to Country Life magazine, Monty explained that he no longer works in the garden while listening to music—a routine he once loved.
For years, Baroque music, particularly the works of Johann Sebastian Bach, helped him focus while gardening. Today, however, he says it has become more of a distraction than a comfort.
“I used to, but in the last five years or so, whether it’s because my hearing is going a bit and I have to listen harder, I find it distracting.”
Rather than helping him concentrate, music now competes for his attention, making it difficult to fully immerse himself in the work he loves.
Bach Was Once His Gardening Companion
Monty admitted that classical Baroque music once created the perfect atmosphere for gardening.
“I found it put me in the right space in order to focus,” he explained.
Despite still describing Baroque music as “sublime,” he says he has never regarded music as something to relax with. In fact, he joked that background music often has the opposite effect.
He even confessed that he dislikes music playing during dinner parties, believing it reduces something valuable into mere background noise.
These days, he says, he has reached a simple conclusion:
“I can’t listen to music and garden at the same time.”
A Lifetime Shaped by Gardening
Gardening has been part of Monty’s life since childhood, although he admits he wasn’t always enthusiastic.
As a young boy, he dreaded helping weed the family garden. But over time, that reluctance transformed into genuine passion. During his teenage years, he learned practical country skills, including caring for vegetable plots and livestock, before eventually working as a professional gardener in Aix-en-Provence, France.
That lifelong dedication eventually led him to become the face of Gardeners’ World in 2003, taking over from Alan Titchmarsh and becoming one of Britain’s most trusted gardening experts.
Reflecting on Time and the Future
Monty has also spoken openly about how turning 70 has changed the way he thinks about life.
He has previously admitted that reaching an age older than both of his parents ever lived to has made him more aware that time is precious.
Speaking to The Guardian, he reflected:
“I haven’t got endless time left. If I’m still going strong in 20 years, that will be brilliant.”
While he once imagined he might leave Gardeners’ World before reaching 70, that no longer appears to be his plan.
In a more recent interview with The Telegraph, Monty reassured fans that he would happily remain with the BBC for several more years if given the opportunity.
“I’d be very happy to do another five years. If the BBC renew my contract, I’d happily take it.”
