10 Things I have Learned from Monty Don

A lot of people find solace in their gardens during these times of social isolation. I have been no exception.

My first memory of "gardening" is stopping at a local florist shop on my way home from school and buying a scrawny succulent plant with my pocket change, bringing it to my room and giving it pride of place (plus perhaps too much water). I was 7 years old.

A year later, I was burying my face in budding Nasturtiums in my grandfather's garden, dreaming of Ikebana arrangements and beautiful roses that were nowhere to be seen. It went on from there, with enthusiasm that had no place to go, as I never truly had a patch of dirt where I could stick my hands in rich loamy soil to grow beautiful things. I was so obsessed with greens, flowers, and trees, that my high school boyfriend threatened to show up at my door for my birthday carrying on his back a gigantic potted tree that I can grow in the house. That would have been awesome by the way, but it didn't happen.

One of the happiest memories I have of my Dad is of him in an old sweater and muddy wellies, pruning trees and tying grapevines on whatever property he invested himself at a given moment. Dad believed that places are not inherently sacred, and that we humans make a place sacred - that learning from the land and doing things with one's hands is the most satisfying thing one can do in one's life - and as a professor, he took those lessons and instilled them further into his students' minds.

Today, I finally have a 7,000 sq ft garden and a vegetable allotment, so I have been thoroughly obsessed and positively unleashed. With gardening, while everything is an experiment, you can eat the results and feast your eyes upon it to boot. Win-win.

Because in this lifetime I have caused the early demise of more plants than I care to admit though, I needed some expert knowledge to absorb and follow, so who best to learn from other than Monty Don, one of the most beloved and respected gardener in modern British history? Also, Monty with his old sweaters and muddy wellies looks a lot like my Dad...

I have learned a lot from Monty's experience, not just about plants and gardens. I think the lessons apply in all areas of life, and I want to pass them on:

1. Before you start a garden, you need to clean the space to the bare ground.
2. Know what you want, know who you are and what you love, and then go with that. Follow your heart. And never settle for ugly just because it’s already there. If it’s in your garden and you don’t love it, uproot it and compost it (sounds like Elizabeth Taylor’s marriage strategy).
3. Understand your environment - where the sun is, what kind of soil you have, what do the plants you love and want require? Don’t work against your environment, work with it.
4. Make a very clear plan and be bold about it. If you are going to dig and get dirty, you might as well not be timid about it. Then follow the plan.
5. As you dig your garden, be prepared for some unexpected big rocks under the surface.
6. Don’t fight the seasons. Take advantage of the summer to produce as much bounty as you can and learn to preserve what you produced so you can sustain yourself through the winter.
7. Plant few varieties of things, but as much of each variety as you can. In other words, depth, not breadth. Repeat.
8. Be prepared to work hard and don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty.
9. Some plants will die. You just continue to water and feed as needed. Is not that complicated. Grow only what wants to grow.
10. Know that nothing stays the same and that your garden will constantly change.

Pretty good rules, for gardening, for business, and for life in general. Now if only I can restrain myself until true spring arrives...

And when you need help with your professional garden, drop me an email. I will help you.

Cristina (at) skylarx (dot) co