
Gardeners' World star Monty Don travels to the Adriatic coast, exploring gardens in Venice, Croatia and Greece in a new three-part series, Monty Don's Adriatic Gardens, on BBC Two.
What is Monty Don's Adriatic Gardens about?
While we're used to seeing Monty's glorious Longmeadow garden at his Herefordshire home, the broadcaster and gardener heads is putting the spotlight on gardens across Europe, as he travels to the Adriatic to discover all about the Venetians and explore the beautiful – and often hidden – gardens along the way.
Monty inSibenik Monastery Garden, Croatia
Episode two: Monty in Lopud, Croatia
'Despite the restrictions of the pandemic I did manage to make three trips to the Adriatic in the summer of 2021 to film my latest series Monty Don's Adriatic Gardens,' Monty wrote on his website. 'This journey begins in Venice, and continues round to Trieste, down the Croatian coast, on to Corfu then mainland Greece and finishing on the small island of Hydra where I have been making a garden with friends for the past five years.'
When does Monty Don's Adriatic Gardens start?
• Episode one: Friday 7th January at 8pm, BBC Two
• Episode two: Friday 14th January at 8pm, BBC Two
• Episode three: Friday 21st January at 7pm, BBC Two
The Palazzo Campello Malipiero Barnabo, Venice
Monty in Trsteno, Croatia
What happens in each episode?
Episode one: Venice
Monty travels to Europe and explores the influence of the Venetians on gardening, starting in their home city at the top of the Adriatic coast and travelling on through Croatia and Greece.
Visiting a range of public and private gardens, Monty learns about the impact that history, climate change and culture have had on the people who live there.
Exploring Venice on one of the city's famous barges, he steps out to visit green spaces (both large and small) that are often hidden from view behind high walls, as well as wonderful gardens along the Grand Canal. He also meets those who have transformed a disused rubbish dump behind one of the city’s famous churches into a productive garden.
Monty in Villa Barbarigo at Valsanzibio, near Padua
Episode two: Croatia
In the city of Trieste, close to Italy's border with Croatia, Monty visits a public garden first created by an obsessive royal plantsman more than 150 years ago – and it's now being carefully restored.
He then heads down the Adriatic coast through Croatia to pick up the trail that the Venetians followed, ending his journey on the beautiful island of Lopud, near Dubrovnik. Along the way he discovers natural lakes and wildflowers, is given a tour of ancient olive groves, discovers a nursery where over 200 varieties of Iris – the national flower of Croatia – can be found, and is allowed into one of only two monastic gardens in the whole country.
Trsteno, Croatia
Episode three: Greece
Monty kicks off the last leg of his journey in Corfu, a Greek island with strong Venetian links, including olive trees planted by them that are still grown today. Monty visits a spectacular garden made by an Englishman with Greek connections, and meets with the widow of English writer Gerald Durrell, who takes him up into the mountains on a wildflower trail.
Next on the list is Greece's capital, Athens, the place where the study of botany first began. As well as the Royal Gardens, Monty visits a reforestation project on Mount Hymettus and two modern gardens in and around the city.
Finally, he rolls up his sleeves and gets to work on a garden he has helped to create on another Greek island.
Mediterranean Garden Society, Garden at Sparoza, Greece
Follow House Beautiful on Instagram.
21 great gardening books for tips on plants, design and wellbeing
Most gifted gardening book
Gardener’s World: How I Garden: Easy ideas & inspiration for making beautiful gardens anywhere
Adam Frost's practical, no-nonsense approach will help you plan and build a garden that works for you. The Gardeners' World presenter takes you step by step through the whole process, whether you have a window box or a charming veg patch.
Struggling to keep your houseplants alive? Wondering why leaves are turning yellow? This is the book for you. Sarah, also known as @theplantrescuer, is a self-taught houseplant obsessive who fills each page with her top tips on how to revive wilting plants. It has been described as a book to 'help your plants not only survive but thrive'.
Wellbeing gardening book
Gardening for Mind, Body and Soul: How to Nurture Your Well-Being with Nature
Gardening for Mind, Body and Soul celebrates the benefits of gardening — and how nature can boost our wellbeing. Highlights include learning about birdsong, exploring which plants release scents to soothe the mind, and how we can all promote feelings of balance and calm.
Modern gardening book
The Modern Gardener: A practical guide to gardening creatively, productively and sustainably
Slip on your gardening gloves...Francis Tophill's book is packed with everything the modern gardener needs. You'll find plant advice, plant-based recipes, and tips on how to reduce your carbon footprint. Create a space that looks beautiful and attracts wildlife.
Whether you want to create a mini wildflower meadow or make the most of your houseplants, this beautifully illustrated book from the National Trust is a fresh take on gardening. Plant lovers, this one is for you...
Nancy Birtwhistle's The Green Gardening Handbook does what it says on the tin. Featuring over 100 tips to help you grow with confidence, chapters include composting, seasonal recipes, guides to freezing, storing and preserving, and basic gardening equipment. It also features clever tips that will help you save money and reduce waste at home.
Container gardening book
Modern Container Gardening: How to Create a Stylish Small-Space Garden Anywhere
Now 88% Off
Isabelle Palmer shows you how to make the most of every little space with a series of projects for small gardens, singular containers and window boxes, that can be completed in a day or weekend. Perfect for novice gardeners, Modern Container Gardening offers beautiful photography and clear step-by-step instructions.
The National Trust employs over 500 gardeners with an extraordinary wealth of expertise. And now, in this in-depth guide, they pass on their wisdom and provide the answers any new and seasoned gardener is looking for. This book is intended to give you inspiration and confidence to make the most of your garden, without being overwhelmed with unnecessary technical detail.
Veg In One Bed explains how to build your bed and grow from seed, as well advice on planting, feeding, and harvesting. YouTube gardening star Huw Richards shows how to guarantee early success by starting off young plants on a windowsill and suggests what to grow in each part of the bed.
Create a beautiful wildlife haven at home with the RHS' Little Book of Wild Gardening. Divided into sections for different areas — including lawns, flower beds, edibles, trees and water features – you'll find tips, tricks and helpful ideas for every space.
The Practical House Plant Book by the RHS contains a dozen step-by-step projects to help you assemble an eye-catching terrarium, create a floating kokedama 'string garden', or propagate succulents. Complete with 175 in-depth plant profiles, this is an essential practical guide for indoor gardeners.
A small garden space – an urban patio, a tiny backyard, or even just a pot by your door – doesn't have to sacrifice style. In Small Garden Style, garden designer Isa Hendry Eaton and lifestyle writer Jennifer Blaise Kramer show you how to use good design to create a joyful, elegant, and exciting yet compact outdoor living space.
No dig gardening book
Charles Dowding's No Dig Gardening: From Weeds to Vegetables Easily and Quickly: Course 1
Charles Dowding, innovator of no dig, teaches you everything you need to know about this method of organic gardening. With 19 chapters, you'll learn how to use no dig on different soil types, recognise and massively reduce the different types of weeds, know the difference between soil and types of compost, and grow an abundance of vegetables using the no dig method.
Get all the inspiration you need for planting cut flowers, and fill your home with colour and the gorgeous scent of the garden year-round with In Bloom. Clare Nolan reveals her secrets for growing a bountiful harvest as well as styling spectacular homegrown displays in this beautifully designed book.
The RHS' Complete Gardener's Manual will help you choose plants that will thrive in your space, design a border for year-round colour, grasp different pruning techniques, discover how to protect your veg patch from pests, and make the best compost.
Do you want to attract more bees, birds, frogs and hedgehogs into your garden? In Wildlife Gardening for Everyone and Everything, Kate Bradbury teams up with the Wildlife Trusts and the RHS to help you discover how you can make your garden, balcony, doorstep or patio a haven for garden wildlife. You'll find handy charts, practical projects and fact files.
Gardener and TV presenter David Domoney is a firm believer that indoor plants can make 'a practical and emotional contribution to our wellbeing'. In this book, David explains the hard science behind the positive effect of the humble houseplant on wellness, and provides expert tips on how to keep your plants thriving, plus shares his top 50 life-enhancing houseplants.
Garden design book
RHS Encyclopedia of Garden Design: Planning, Building and Planting Your Perfect Outdoor Space
Now 33% Off
If you're looking for new garden ideas, the RHS Encyclopedia of Garden Design will guide you from planning to planting, such as choosing the correct materials for your structures and assessing your drainage, to laying patios, making ponds, and planting perennials.
Eco gardening book
How to Create an Eco Garden: The practical guide to sustainable and greener gardening
This planet-friendly book is filled with ideas for creating your own eco garden on any scale, from a small courtyard to a large garden or allotment. Discover organic techniques that improve biodiversity, learn the value of using recycled and reclaimed materials for landscaping, and take on simple projects such as making a pond and a wildlife hotel.
Drawing on expert advice from the RHS, this best-selling reference book – organised by colour, size, and type, rather than as an A-Z directory – will help you select the right varieties for your outdoor space.
Joyce and Ben Russell have devised 30 kitchen garden projects, devised to either extend the season, protect crops from pests or improve yields. These projects transform your vegetable plot into somewhere more productive, more attractive and more secure.
Olivia Heath
Daily Editor, House Beautiful UK
Olivia Heath is the Daily Editor at House Beautiful. Heading up all things digital, Olivia loves uncovering tomorrow's biggest design trends and sharing the best decorating tips, small space living solutions, and houseplant care advice. She also enjoys curating stylish and affordable homeware on the high street, as well as spotlighting the hottest properties on the market.
Olivia covers some of the biggest events in the calendar, including all the action from the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Colour of the Year forecasts from Pantone to Dulux, and exclusive previews of all the new Christmas collections before it hits the shops.
Olivia has been writing about homes and interiors for the past seven years, and her work has also been published on House Beautiful US, Elle Decor US, Country Living, Good Housekeeping, Red, Prima, Town & Country, Elle Japan, Modern Living and Micasa Revista.
Prior to joining House Beautiful, Olivia worked at Reveal magazine, where she reported on celebrity and entertainment news by day, and attended showbiz parties and red carpet events by night!
Olivia has an MA in Journalism with an NCTJ qualification, as well as a BA in Journalism and Media & Cultural Studies.