Beloved UK gardener's dog lends a paw at top flower show

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.

Even before some 140,000 visitors were expected at the five-day show organised by the Royal Horticultural Society, there was due to be a special visit from the country's top canine-lovers, King Charles III and Queen Camilla, on Monday.

The green-fingered Monty Don, 69, 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.
Simple
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."

On Sunday, a fox even snuck in for a snooze.

It is the first time Don has been asked to design a garden for the prestigious show, run by the Royal Horticulture Society since 1913.
Tousled lawn
The lawn is replete with dandelions, daisies and clover - a far cry from the neatly cropped grass usually favoured by the Brits.

Don aimed to keep things simple with hazelnut trees, hyacinths and spring flowers.

Brick pathways inspired by his garden at Longmeadow are inscribed with the names of dogs, including Camilla's beloved terriers Bluebell and Beth, who were adopted from a dog shelter.

Beth died from a tumour in November, and the royal family announced the passing on social media.

Camilla even had the dogs' silhouettes embroidered in gold thread on her coronation dress in May 2023.

Monty Don's garden won't be judged among 30 others as part of the competition at the Chelsea Flower Show. But he knows he will be judged by public opinion, and confessed to feeling nervous.

After the show, Ned's garden will be donated to London's Battersea Dogs and Cats Home to continue delighting four-legged friends.