Monty Don

[Skybunnee]

I was reading an article about Lawrence Llewelyn -Bowen (I’m old) and he mentioned selling Monty Don’s jewellery back in the day.

Monty Don ‘studied English at Magdalene College, Cambridge, and has a background in running a successful costume jewelry business before fully dedicating himself to gardening and broadcasting.’

Who’d have thunk it.
Thought others might be interested.

Wow that's a bit bonkers! I wonder what sort of jewellery it was. I can imagine Lawrence LB getting involved in flamboyant pieces of jewellery but Monty Don not so much.

There’s a lot of his jewellery for sale on Etsy

It was wild, big costume pieces, but wearable in the 80’s. He had a shop on the Fulham Road

This. You can see exactly the same artistic eye in his use of colour and form in the garden.

Yes, any photos I’ve ever seen scream ‘eighties’ and ‘not subtle’.

And yet he still wears the absolute worst blue jacket that I'd have donated to the cat bed about 5 years ago. On the tellybox. National TV.

And I'm a scruffy old bint.

Yes I had some Monty Don Earrings in the 80s/early 90s. I remember them well.

Wow, yes, a man of many facets.

Loved it when he took over Gardeners' World. Before him, it had essentially become a shopping programme. How To Go To The Garden Centre for An Instant Makeover. He pulled it back towards what it had been in the old days (though not the same). He is a very thoughtful person.

BTW, I clicked into this thread to see if he had died

Yes, he and his wife had the jewellery business together. She was the main designer and he was more the salesman. Princess Diana was a fan of the jewellery and It was very popular in America. It collapsed and they lost everything, including their home.
He made the Jewel Garden in Longmeadow in homage to the business.

How interesting!

He’s written a number of autobiographical books, some with his wife, Sarah.

I have the Ivington Diaries (which is mainly a ‘gardening through the seasons’ volume) but has some autobiographical content.

His main account is The Jewel Garden which documents the failure of the jewellery business and the creation of the Jewel Garden as part of his recovery.

Wow, interesting

Yes, I knew about that. When he got the GW gig I remember wondering why they'd given it to someone who wasn't a professionally-trained horticulturalist. To be brutally honest, I've never really rated him all that much, although in recent years he has improved a lot.

oooh no. Quality clothes from a quality shop. Now unfortunately closed

https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2024/dec/19/goodbye-to-old-town-beloved-utility-inspired-norfolk-clothing-company

Yes he sold pieces to Diana, apparently

I remember the jewellery being in magazines in the 1980s. Theo Fennell too.
TF's DD is famous.

MD is effortlessly stylish.

I don't think he's the best gardener but it's a vast improvement on many RV gardeners. I can't stand AT some of them.

@Skybunnee I’m envying your (apparent) youth! I’m sure I remember MD and his wife appearing on breakfast TV when they started their jewellery business.

He’s inspired more than one style thread on MN, btw.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/style_and_beauty/4281220-If-Monty-Don-was-a-woman?reply=151104965

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/style_and_beauty/5503720-remember-the-if-monty-don-were-a-woman-thread-heres-monty-don-himself-on-his-clothes-and-style?reply=151141310

When he wears a Panama hat he looks so natural in it, as compared to Joe Swift for example, who unfortunately just can't carry one off.

His old blue jacket look is presumably inspired by the blue overalls and jackets which used to be worn by rural and other workers all over France.

My DH aspires to look like MD. He misses the mark by mile! But i still love him.

I love Monty Don. Random fact - he was expelled from school as a child!

"successful costume jewelry business" I only knew it went bust, had no idea that it was actually doing well for a good while.

I don't particularly care for him on GW - saw him be a bit of dick to James Wong during Chelsea years ago, so I'm quite looking forward to a regular rotation between different gardens rather than it being tied to one person.

@StylishAndBeautiful finally Emerald Fennell's first name is explained! I had no idea. Wonder whether Monty Don's kids are named after plants or precious stones...

https://youtube.com/shorts/d2gUqcdXgmI for the fans

I remember my Mum had Monty Don inspired earrings. Dangly crystals with a wee bow. I loved them. They got lost in her house move. ☹️

I have a grudge against Theo Fennell … He brought out one of the very best ever perfumes (early 2000s?). Gave some to my DM for Christmas and it was heavenly on her.

So then he stopped producing it.

😡

@Agapornis , Emerald has a sister, Coco, and the surname is said as Fen-elle, so they don't sound like emerald fennel and cocoa fennel.
Monty Don has three children: Adam, Freya, and Tom.