Mar 18 2024 - What's in a name Monty Don?

 

We watched Monty Don's Gardens of America yesterday.  It seems to be the series that is licensed for North America.  He never seems to get anywhere else, even though we know he's been all over - even travelling around the world in 80 gardens. And what about his name?  Monty?  Is that Montgomery or possibly Montagu.  It is Montagu.  And then the surname Don?  This last name is common among overseas Chinese communities.  It is also a variant of Dun from Scotland.  Monty Don's parents were British. His first name has its own story.  His parents named him George Montagu Don and then renamed him Montagu Denis Don - this was because of a family fight over the name. Born George Montagu Don named after his two grandfathers, he admitted it was changed after his dad's father George, refused to have his name associated with that of Monty's mother's dad.  More details in the Express article HERE.  I guess the rich legacy of the two sides of the family might account for that  -  he is a descendant of botanist George Don and of the Keiller family - inventors of Keiller's marmalade.  His mother is from the Wyatt family of architects.  You can read his biography in Wikipedia and it is interesting - from a successful jewellery business to BBC garden show host.  And the many dogs in he has had and featured in his shows - in particular Nigel seems to be a favourite.  Monty Don's wardrobe is the subject of much comment as well.  Here's a Wikipedia example: Don's sartorial style in the garden has been the subject of some critical attention, with Richard D. North commenting, in 2013: At home and abroad, Monty Don is the paysan manqué. Where an arts presenter might eschew the little black Armani suit and the dazzling white shirt for the crumpled linen, Don’s gear retreats into the manly rumpledon of a workman’s cotton drill. He is not quite the Mr McGregor of the Potter books: real-life ancient gardeners wore mighty cords and moleskins, tweeds and flannels – and sacks if the weather was bad enough. The Don affectation is one tad more painterly than that. ... I guess that this is where we come up against the row within Monty Don, between the lightly earthy garden enthusiast and the grimmer unworldly hippy moralist. Well, we all have an inner cheerfully accepting Cavalier, and it does battle with our gloomier Roundhead. Monty Don has received much mail on the subject of his wardrobe and what clothes he wears to garden in.  And back to his name:  "My real name was Montagu and family and real friends still always called me that," he said before admitting his wife Sarah has "never, ever" called him Monty. This popped up in a search and it looks like Monarch Butterflies.  I think I'll put a few in for effect.

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