Quote Of The Day By Monty Don: There Are Two Types Of Gardeners

Monty Don knows every gardener brings something different to the garden. The British horticulturist is a world-renowned garden journalist known for his insightful takes and clever advice. For three decades, he's been hosting shows on TV and writing about gardens — he's particularly known for his many years hosting Gardeners' World, the BBC's flagship gardening show. 

Don was born in Germany in 1955 and started gardening as a young boy growing up in Hampshire, England. He studied English literature at Cambridge and specialized as a horticultural journalist early on in his journalism career, becoming a gardening editor in the 1990s. While working as the lead presenter of Gardeners' World since 2003, he continued to write weekly columns and has published several books, some of which are bestsellers.

Don climbed his way to gardening mastery thanks to his calm charisma and astute advice, mixing practical tips with inspirational life advice. Over the years, he has touched millions of people, inspiring them to embrace gardening, learn about plants, and add a bit of horticultural joy into their lives. Don never seems to run out of wise takes and deep analyses, which is why he's today's quote of the day.

The full quote reads: "The more I garden, the more convinced I am that fundamentally, we are all divided into two groups of gardeners: You're either someone who focuses in on plants and gets huge pleasure from knowing as much as possible about them, and these people tend to be great plants people and just a fount of plant knowledge. And then there's the other group which goes out and wants to see as many different gardens as possible, and loves plants because they make gardens. However, whether you're a plant lover or a garden lover, you still have to do the basics of gardening."

The quote comes from BBC's Gardeners' World, which Monty Don hosts and stars in. This particular quote is from episode 18 of the 2026 season (the show's 64th season), and was shared as a clip on Instagram by Gardeners' World and Monty Don, where it garnered more than 14,000 likes in a couple of weeks. As with many of Don's hot takes, this insightful piece of analysis seems to have resonated with many gardeners, who commented on the post with which type of gardener they believe themselves to be.

With this quote, Monty Don takes a close look at what, exactly, makes a gardener and what truly drives people to love the art of gardening. The two types of people he's identified — those who love plants, and those who love gardens — seem like the same thing at first, but if you dig a bit deeper, you'll see what he means.

Loving plants means learning about them, what they do, what helps them thrive, and what they bring to an ecosystem. It's learning about species, cultivars, habitats, soils, pollination, propagation, and all other aspects of botany. People in this category are the type to test different vegetable subtypes, and can tell you exactly why no two zucchini varieties taste the same. They might have ancient herb gardens full of plants with medicinal properties. 

The latter, which Don refers to as "garden lovers", are people who love plants for what they bring to a landscape. These gardeners are most interested in the overall beauty and design of a garden, and love to visit different ones to gather inspiration. They love to see how plants can work together to create a space that's beautiful and full of life. These people might know everything about classic garden design styles, cottage-style gardens, meadows, and everything in between. 

So think about it: What makes you want to garden? Do you love to grow specific plants and learn everything there is to know about them, or do you choose plants based on how they'll contribute to your garden's overall design? Of course, some people can be both! But no matter what, Don reminds us that every gardener needs to know basic gardening skills: pruning, planting, soil maintenance, watering, and the like.

• "Modern life is, for most of us, a kind of serfdom to mortgage, job, and the constant assault to consume. Although we have more time and money than ever before, most of us have little sense of control over our own lives. [...] But in the garden or allotment we are king or queen. It is our piece of outdoors that lays a real stake to the planet." — from "My Roots: A Decade in the Garden"
• "You need nature more than she needs you. It is not an equal relationship. Serve her well and she will look after you. Abuse her and everyone loses." — from "Down to Earth: Gardening Wisdom" 
• "To spend just 10 minutes a day immersed in roses, relishing them, taking [in] the fragrance and the sight of these incredibly delicate petals [and] the powerfulness of the effect they have. In the end, this is what gardening is for. It's about joy. So enjoy every second of it." — from a 2026 Gardeners' World segment 
• "An immaculate garden is a hostile place to most wildlife. Beautifully weeded borders, with every fallen leaf and twig gathered and disposed of, hedges kept constantly crisp and grass mown to within a fraction of its life may make a certain sort of gardener glow with pride but will provide little comfort for most of our birds, mammals, and insects." — from "Down to Earth: Gardening Wisdom"
• "The point is that this is all gardening. The garden runs through our lives like a river through a field, like air in our lungs. The garden does not end in space any more than it does in time. The flowers grow as much in our minds as in the soil. There are very few nights when I do not lie in the dark, everyone else sleeping inside this creaking, bony house, and go through the garden, seeing it with the clarity of a dreamer, taking it to pieces and putting it together again, mending everything in my head." — from "My Roots: A Decade in the Garden"