Gardeners' World: Monty Don reveals what really goes on behind the scenes at Longmeadow

Preparations are underway for the return of much-loved horticultural show, Gardeners’ World, but ahead of its return, host Monty Don has opened up about what really goes on behind the scenes. The gardening guru described the schedule of work taking place ahead of each show as “demanding”, “complicated”, and at times “frustrating”.

Writing for BBC Gardeners' World magazine, the 69-year-old spoke about the “complicated jigsaw” of filming as they plan episodes weeks in advance. He explained: “Each programme starts on a Monday morning with a pre-production meeting - nowadays always via Zoom.

"Filming at Longmeadow takes place on a Tuesday and Wednesday for the Friday of the following week, i.e. 10 days ahead of broadcast to allow time for the editing process. This means that the programme coming up that Friday has already been shot and is being edited.

"However, the programme that we are preparing on our Monday morning meetings is the one we shall be filming in a week's time and which you will see almost three weeks later."

He added: “The crew will go on to other work. I will prepare the garden with my team for next week, and the following Monday, we start the process all over again - and continue to do so week in, week out, until the end of October. It is demanding, complicated, at times frustrating - and I absolutely love it."

And Monty really must love it as 2025 will be his 15th year at Longmeadow and 20th "at the helm" of the much-loved gardening show. His passion for gardening began with planting carrots when he was 17 which ultimately led to his TV debut on ITV's This Morning before being recommended for Gardeners’ World by friend Alan Titchmarsh in 2003.

Explaining how plans begin weeks in advance of the show hitting screens, Monty added: "So, when I go round the garden prior to the meeting I am weighing up what will be relevant in three weeks' time, as well as what is looking at its best right now. I also list the real-life garden jobs I want to get on with and share with you.

"The production team then converts this plan into a filming schedule, while I brief my team in the garden on what they have to do for that programme, as well as what they must NOT do. Last October, the leaves on the Long Walk were immaculately raked and taken to the leafmould bay, but we wanted to film the process, so I had to scatter them over the grass again, ready for filming!"

When is Gardeners’ World back on TV?

The 2025 series of Gardeners' World looks set to return to BBC Two on March 14, with the show having taken its usual break from November to February.

In the meantime, fans can enjoy four compilations with the first airing tonight (February 14) at 8pm. The shows look back at seasonal highlights, and tonight will show the transformation that Monty Don's cottage garden has undergone over the past year.

Also featured is Frances Tophill’s visit to Newby Hall in North Yorkshire - a place where candelabra primulas light up the garden in a dazzling display of colour - and Toby Buckland at the double herbaceous borders of Arley Hall in Cheshire.