Beloved UK gardener's dog lends a paw at top flower show
LONDON - The English love their gardens, and they love their dogs. Now the two passions have been married at the Chelsea Flower Show thanks to the talents of the nation's beloved gardener Monty Don.
Don has designed a unique garden for the show to delight both man's best friend and his master (or mistress).
The lawn is for dogs to run and play, and roll and rest, set with a wooden bench and comfortable cushions.
The green-fingered Don has become a national celebrity, beguiling television audiences for the past 22 years presenting the popular BBC programme "Gardeners' World".
Each week, the self-taught horticulturist shares his knowledge, gentle words of wisdom and tips and tricks to keep UK gardens blooming through each season.
Padding faithfully at his side have been his dogs, including golden retriever Ned, delighting audiences with his antics as Don walks the 8,000 square metres (two acres) of his garden in Longmeadow, close to the Welsh border.
And since he has always gardened with a dog by his side, Don said it was natural that he would lean on Ned for inspiration when he was asked to design a dog-friendly garden for the Chelsea Flower Show.
Ned was let loose a few weeks ago at a plot packed with plants so the designers could copy the routes he took as he followed his nose and tracked interesting smells.
"We had imagined that Ned would create sweeps and curves through the planting. However, every time he ran off, he returned to Monty via the same route, and as such we have changed the design accordingly," said landscape gardener Jamie Butterworth.
At the Chelsea garden, there's a frisbee on the lawn, and a little stream where dogs can wade to cool off after a boisterous game of fetch. They can flop on the bench, or head for some calm in a little house.
"I wanted it to be a very simple garden," Don said. "There's no message, there's no hidden back story. It is what it is. What you see is what you get."
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