Gardeners' World host Monty Don has spoken about spending the coronavirus lockdown at his home in Herefordshire, where his famous Longmeadow garden is located.
Mr Don, who is back on BBC Two at 9pm this evening (Friday) as the new series of the popular gardening show airs, has rarely ventured from his home in Ivington, near Leominster, during the coronavirus pandemic.
He admits he has popped out to buy bird seed, as well as a short break to London in summer 2020, but other than that he has stayed at home.
“The last time I went anywhere, other than buying bird food from the shop once a month, was a few day trips to London last summer after I came back from Los Angeles in October 2019," Mr Don, 65, told The Sunday Times.
On the plus side, the lockdown has meant that Monty has be able “to see peak everything: the autumnal colours, the roses, the bulbs in spring” at Longmeadow.
Like many of us, he has used the pandemic as an excuse to “garden a lot more” – and admits that, for all that he misses seeing his children and grandchildren, it has been rather wonderful.
ALSO READ:
- Peter McAleese: ex-SAS operative hired to kill Pablo Escobar
- Coronavirus in Herefordshire: map shows deaths by area
- What 'stay local' will mean for Herefordshire as lockdown eases
The new series of Gardeners' World begins on March 19, and Monty Don has plenty of changes at Longmeadow to share with viewers.
During the show, Mr Don will get on with some essential pruning, but he will also be seen lifting and dividing perennials, starting to sow chillies, and get started growing this year's vegetables.
More people have reportedly been getting green fingered over the past 12 months, and not just Monty Don.
As a result of more people taking an interest in gardening, fruit and vegetable seed sales are reported to be jumping in the UK and worldwide.
“The message I’m getting from seed growers is that the demand is greater than ever,” Monty says.
“I want everybody to grow as much as possible,” he says.
“If we can start to eat more seasonally and locally and responsibly, so much the better. And that begins in a garden or an allotment.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here