Monty Don’s iconic Herefordshire garden has been hit by flooding once again after a stormy night left water rising across Longmeadow.
The Gardeners’ World presenter shared images on Instagram showing brown, muddy water creeping over familiar paths and borders, yet he remains surprisingly upbeat.
While the floods are inconvenient, Don finds small joys in the soggy conditions and highlights practical ways he keeps his garden thriving even in wet winters.
Storm Chandra hits Monty
After a night of heavy rain, Monty shared on Instagram: “After a very stormy night the floods are now rising and coming into the garden and bringing with them brown, muddy water. However it’s not all bad for everybody…”
The photos show his garden paths partially submerged and borders turned into reflective pools, yet he emphasises that even in these conditions, the garden has its charms: “It is a little soggy today, but on the upside it is sunny and very beautiful.”
Life on a floodplain is familiar for Monty, who has long accepted that Longmeadow will occasionally be underwater, and his reflective approach shows a gardener’s ability to see beauty amid chaos.
Monty makes chestnut hurdles to stay productive
Rather than letting the floods disrupt him, Monty uses the wet winter months to focus on hands-on tasks in the garden.
He wrote: “In winter, when it’s wet, and when I have time – I make chestnut hurdles to keep plants from spilling onto paths. I love doing it and they are really useful.”
Chestnut hurdles are woven fences made from chestnut stakes and twigs that act as barriers around plants. They prevent creeping perennials and other greenery from spilling into walkways, helping maintain tidy paths and protecting delicate plants during soggy weather, meaning Monty is still helping prepare his garden, even when it's underwater.
Not the first time Monty has dealt with floods
Flooding has long been part of life at Longmeadow. Last November, Monty’s garden was hit by a major flood after a storm dropped a month’s worth of rain in just 24 hours.
At the time, he described the waters as having “transformative beauty” and reflected on life on a floodplain, while expressing gratitude that homes and businesses were spared.
The current flooding echoes that history, reminding gardeners and fans alike of both the challenges and the rewards of tending a garden that’s lived with extreme weather for decades.
Monty’s approach – practical, reflective, and positive – shows that even when the ground is soggy and paths are submerged, there can still be beauty and purpose to be found.
