The Secret History of the British Garden

Monty visits Levens Hall in Cumbria, the sole surviving British garden of the 1600s, to investigate what influenced and inspired the creation of such gardens. At Hampton Court he finds that politics, civil war, and religious conflict played a key role in the evolving designs of the nation's finest gardens.

This was an age that gave rise to the landscape garden, which began to appear on a scale that had never been seen before. To witness this gardening revolution, Monty travels to Croome Court, Rousham, and Stanage Park, discovering how these great landscapes were created: from the Georgian clay recipe that transformed garden sculpture to the secrets of mowing with a scythe.

During the 1800s, British gardens become more exotic, more colorful, and more widely accessible than ever - a consequence of an expanding empire, scientific and technological innovation, and social change. Monty visits the most influential gardens of the period, including royal retreats such as Osborne, the very first public parks like Derby Arboretum, and the botanic gardens at Edinburgh and Kew.

Monty considers the profound effect that two world wars had on Britons' attitude to gardens and gardening. Today gardening is one of the nation's most popular pastimes, and the horticultural industry is an important part of the UK economy. Monty uncovers the stories and reveals the pioneers who have continued to lead this gardening revolution.