Spanish Gardens

Based on his new BBC travel series, best-selling author Monty Don takes us on a personal journey through the gardens and green spaces of Spain

For over a decade, Monty Don has travelled the world, using gardens and green spaces to get under the skin of our most beloved cities and countries. Many of his destinations were well-known to him. For his latest journey, though, he explored Spain as a relative newcomer - and he kept a detailed diary of his travels.

Starting in Madrid and working his way north through the verdant gardens of Galicia, the Basque country and Barcelona, Monty then heads south to the rugged tropical climes of Mallorca, Alicante, Andalucia, Malaga, and Seville. It’s a chance for him to explore how Spain has evolved from the darker days after the civil war to its successful transition to democracy over fifty years ago, tracing those changes through its gardens - from the more conventional gardens created after the war to the rich and inventive approaches of contemporary designers.

Accompanied by Derry Moore’s stunning photography, Spanish Gardens is a remarkable and personal journey through one of the most popular country destinations on earth.

Monty Don O.B.E. is the UK’s leading garden writer and broadcaster. He has been lead presenter of Gardeners’ World since 2003 and since 2011 the program has come from his own garden, Longmeadow, in Herefordshire. He has written a weekly gardening column for the Daily Mail since 2004, and published over 20 books, including the bestsellers Down to Earth, Nigel: My Family and Other Dogs, and My Garden World. Japanese Gardens, his book with Derry Moore, was shortlisted for the Edward Stanford Travel Writing Award.