I cried watching a gardening television show. Not during the reveal of some kind of makeover for a deserving family. I cried watching Monty Don talk about American gardens.
Let me back up a bit. For those who are unfamiliar, Monty Don is perhaps the most well-known gardener in the world. I own at least two of his books, maybe three. Finding these shows can be difficult, but some are available on BritBox or Netflix.
Others can be found with a rather aggressive search of YouTube or through a highly sketchy website called HD Clump. Warning: the BBC is on top of people who record and repost these shows on YouTube, so they often come and go on random channels.
So when I found out via Instagram that Monty was coming to the U. I struck out on the stalking, but I was delighted to see the first episode last Friday. Why was I so excited about this series? But I wanted his approval of our best gardens in this country. I found a bit of personal satisfaction in hearing him comment on noticeable aspects of some of these gardens in the same terms I myself have used or at least thought.
I was also disappointed that he seemed underwhelmed by what I think are excellent examples of creative, interesting and important gardens. I mean how could you say that to Monty? James clearly is one of those people who has a great deal of confidence and he was speaking the truth to Monty.
