Gardeners’ World star Monty Don once opened up candidly about how he coped with his depression.
The TV star and horticulturist – who is on Gardeners’ World on Saturday (December 14) – previously explained that he had suffered from depression for “many years”.
In a 2020 interview with the BBC, Monty said his depression “comes and goes” and it would tend to be “worse in winter”.
Monty Don on depression
He told the BBC in 2020: “I have for many years, suffered from depression, which comes and goes but tends to be something that is worse in winter.
“And, touch wood, it’s been much better for the last few years. But for me, the benefits of nature are all about the physical connection with the rhythm of the natural world.
“Some of that rhythm is bleak – winter is cold. And yet even if inside you are bleak and grey and cold, if you believe that spring will blossom inside you, as well as outside in the garden, that’s powerful. So that’s how it works for me.”
At the time, Monty also offered advice to people suffering with their mental health who didn’t have access to a garden. He suggested looking out windows as the sky is “fascinating”.
Monty said to “notice what birds are in the sky” and be “curious, name them, find out”.
Monty is known for presenting his BBC gardening television series Gardeners’ World.
What else has Monty said?
This wasn’t the first time that Monty opened up about his struggle with depression. In his book, The Jewel Garden, Monty also spoke about it.
The star wrote that his temper became “unreasonable”. He added: “[In the end] I went to see a healer. I can’t remember if he was a herbalist, acupuncturist, homoeopath or white coated faith healer, but I liked him.
“He had me abstain from tea, coffee and alcohol and described my various symptoms with unerring accuracy.”
Monty said: “After a few months of this puritanical regime they told me I was unhealable.”
Watch Gardeners’ World on Saturday (December 14) at 9:15am on BBC Two
Read more: Heartbreaking confession Monty Don made about debilitating health condition: ‘I was unhealable’
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