Monty Don has caused quite a stir after sharing details of his encounter with King Charles and Queen Camilla at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. The Gardeners’ World star appeared to be sharing a joke with the King, while Camilla looked on, clearly amused by the conversation. Monty took to Instagram to share a picture of the moment, captioning it with praise for the royal couple’s love and support for gardens and gardeners. Fans were quick to comment on the post, expressing their admiration for Monty and his work. One fan even suggested that Monty should be knighted for his contributions to the gardening world.
Monty has been busy filming at the Chelsea Flower Show, alongside fellow gardening experts Joe Swift, Carol Klein, and Sophie Raworth. The team was seen interacting with visitors and posing for pictures, including one with celebrity guest Dame Judi Dench. However, Monty recently raised eyebrows when he questioned the judges’ decision in choosing the winner of the top prize. Both Monty and Joe had predicted a different winner, and were surprised to find out that neither of them were correct. The award went to Ula Maria’s Japanese-inspired forest garden, which was designed for individuals with muscle wastage. While Monty and Joe acknowledged the beauty of Ula’s garden, they expressed their disagreement with the judges’ decision.
During a BBC Two show, Monty voiced his support for Ula’s garden, describing it as fabulous and deserving of a gold medal. He also highlighted Ula’s talent as a young and brilliant designer. However, he couldn’t help but question the judges’ choices, as many people he had spoken to shared the same confusion. Despite the disagreement, Monty’s passion for gardens and his dedication to showcasing the best of the gardening world remains unwavering.
Joe and Monty are not happy with the current state of gardening competitions. According to Joe, it has become too technical and focused on creating a faultless garden, rather than showcasing unique and standout designs. He is trying to understand why their predicted winners didn’t actually win.
Monty believes that the judges have become too focused on being transparent and objective, and as a result, they have lost the sense of delight that makes a garden special. He compares the judging process to passing a driving test, suggesting that it has become too procedural.
Joe agrees with Monty, mentioning that there is even an algorithm coming into play. Despite their concerns, they still congratulate the winner on her “fantastic” garden.
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