Viva EPANA!

MONTY DON on his latest journey of horticultural discovery...

- CAREN CLARK

MONTY DON'S SPANISH GARDENS 
NEW FRIDAY, 8PM, BBC2 FACTUAL

Monty Don has travelled to countless stunning locations across the globe to bring botanical beauty into our living rooms. But the green fingered presenter admits that before he filmed his new BBC2 travelogue, Monty Don’s Spanish Gardens, Spain was never on his radar as a horticultural hotspot.

‘I thought it wasn’t particularly a gardening country, but this was an eyeopener,’ enthuses Gardeners’ World host Monty, 68, when TV Times catches up with him for an exclusive chat. ‘Spain’s enormous, diverse and like a collection of states each with its own customs, climate, and, of course, gardens. It was very exciting!’

In the three-parter, which begins in central Spain before taking in the south and the north, Monty showcases a range of green spaces, including private gardens, city parks and neighbourhood schemes, plus he reveals how they have been influenced by the country’s varied terrain and its rich heritage.

Here, Monty tells us more…

How would you define Spain’s approach to horticulture?