Monty Don's American Gardens

We laughed at Monty in his trademark jacket and scarf on Miami beach. Everyone else was in swimwear.

He looked well out of his comfort zone.

I watched the second episode last night. It’s just wonderful. I want to do a tour of American gardens, now!

Thank you for the head’s up on this. I’ve downloaded the first episode on catchup.

Gardens in the US are so different from ours, with all their varying conditions. What baffles me is how so few houses have any fences or hedges. I don’t know how they stop their children from running off all over the place!

Where my son lives was designed in the 1930’s as a garden city area. It’s all a heritage protected area now and they can only paint the outside of their house in certain colours and no fences are permitted. The houses were all positioned on their plots a good way back from the roads so that anyone walking past would get to enjoy the benefit of the front gardens. We were out there last May and I was amazed at the number of irises in gardens. They really seem to thrive there. Yet I didn’t see any rose bushes and when I looked at their horticulture zone, it is unsuitable for roses.

I’ve never seen a garden centre such as we are used to in the UK. Their equivalents of B&Q sell plants as do some drug stores(!), outdoor lifestyle stores and there are the occasional roadside stalls but nothing like we have in the UK.

One place that has lovely gardens in California is the Getty Centre, which is gorgeous. I’ve also visited Hearst Castle, which has extensive gardens. It messed with my mind, though, to see roses, orange blossom and daffodils all blooming at the same time in March!

We have grass snakes, lemon. I know they're harmless but it scares the s**t out of me when I find one curled up on the compost heap.

Add a few rattlesnakes for authenticity Merlot ???

I tried a prairie border here but Monty is right. If your soil is too rich the plants get off to a good start then flop all over the place. I got fed up with all the staking so I took out a fair bit of it and shoved in some self supporting plants. It's more of a cottage border now with a bit of prairie in the middle.

Weren’t they beautiful gardens, some so unusual, I love listening to him, he’s so enthusiastic.

Oh, knew there was something I wanted to watch last night!

Thanks for posting this Merlot. I love watching Monty, especially the dogs.

That’s the next hour taken care of as we watch it on catch up. A good fix no doubt as I patiently wait to get to work on the garden again.

Lovely relaxing programme.
(Now I want a bit of prairie planting in our front garden)
We can all dream.

Brilliant, I’ve just watched it on catch up. I now want to go and visit them all!
Monty is certainly a lucky man.

Thank you, I'll watch on Catchup!

I have never given American gardens a thought, so it was all discovery for me. I’d have liked much more about domestic gardens. It was interesting that they don’t fence/hedge them off as we do.

I had always imagined the prairie being much more bare and desolate than the flowery meadow shown.

Watched it just now, brilliant.That garden ( longlands?) with the amazing fountain displays, and Central Park.
Also the eccentric people ( in a good way!) who created unusual garden spaces, like the prairie garden.?

I watched it last night and again just now and found it relaxing. ??

Just watched it - brilliant!

Some will probably know that I am not a Monty Don fan, but last night’s programme was fascinating and a visual feast. Watched it again this afternoon.

Absolutely loved it. Even OH watched it ?

Lovely wasn’t?