Monty Don, one of the UK’s most beloved gardening personalities and a long-standing presenter on Gardeners' World, is no stranger to sharing his passion for plants and gardening tips with viewers. Yet, behind the scenes, Monty has faced a personal struggle that many people endure but few openly discuss—the challenges of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
SAD is a mood disorder that affects approximately one in 20 people in the UK, causing depressive symptoms that coincide with the changing seasons. Monty has been candid about his battle with the condition, revealing on Kate Thornton’s White Wine Question Time podcast how deeply it affected him. At its worst, his mood swings and bouts of black depression took a toll not only on him but on his family life as well.
His wife of over 40 years, Sarah, who he shares three children with—Adam, Tom, and Freya—played a pivotal role in prompting him to get help. Monty recalled a turning point: “Sarah said to me, ‘Look, I just can’t take any longer your moods and your black depression, you’ve got to do something about it because if you don’t, I can’t live with you – I’ll take the children and I’ll go’.”
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This heartfelt intervention encouraged Monty to seek professional help. Initially prescribed antidepressants, he has since shifted to using a light therapy box as a sustainable, medication-free way to manage his symptoms. On the Gardeners’ World podcast, Monty shared insights into his coping mechanisms: dedicating one day a week solely to gardening alone, a practice that provides him solace and rejuvenation amid the seasonal gloom.
Interestingly, although Monty and Sarah have enjoyed gardening together for years, they rarely work on plants side-by-side. He explained, “Even my wife and I, who have always gardened together, we hardly ever physically garden together, we just are in the garden at the same time.”
Monty previously spoke about his mental health in Gardeners' World magazine, describing how December can be psychologically challenging for him. Despite this, he finds comfort and hope in gardening activities like sowing seeds and pruning the orchard—rituals that signal the approach of spring and a brighter future.
Viewers can look forward to Monty’s latest series, Monty Don’s Rhineland Gardens, airing Fridays at 8 pm on BBC Two, where his passion for gardens continues to inspire.