Monty Don claims children ‘can’t afford to buy a house’ as he makes rare family finance admission
Gardening expert Monty Don has revealed that his adult children cannot afford to buy homes with gardens, unlike his own experience as a young man.
The 69-year-old Gardeners’ World presenter shared that he was able to purchase a house with a garden in his twenties, a luxury his children Adam, Tom and Freya now find unattainable.
Don reflected on the stark generational divide in housing affordability that has emerged over recent decades.
He began gardening as a teenager in Hampshire, where he mowed lawns and collected strawberries with his brothers.
After studying at the University of Cambridge, where he met his wife Sarah, the couple settled in London and created what Don describes as an “unusual” garden for the time.
This impressive garden caught media attention when it was photographed for magazines, launching Don’s career in the spotlight. He considers himself “lucky” to have afforded such a space during his younger years.
The stark contrast in housing affordability becomes clear when examining London property prices over the decades.
In the 1970s, the average London house price started at around £4,480 (equivalent to approximately £60,500 today) and rose to £19,925 by 1979 (about £96,600 in today’s money).
Fast forward to 2025, and the average London home now costs £556,000, with semi-detached properties commanding even higher prices at around £714,000.
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This dramatic increase illustrates the financial hurdles facing younger generations.
Speaking on the VandA Dundee podcast, Don shared his personal connection to gardening, saying: “I don’t want to sound precious about it but I really needed it. It wasn’t a question of feeling inspired to go be creative, it was a question of going to the garden to save my mind.”
He added: “I was really lucky because I am of a generation where we could afford, in our twenties, to buy a house or rent a house and live on our own and have a garden. My children can’t afford to do that.”
Don and his family left London in 1991, relocating to Longmeadow in Herefordshire.
Despite its initial poor condition, he has transformed the two-acre plot into a showcase garden regularly featured on Gardeners’ World.
Viewers can see Don on television today (May 21) as he hosts the RHS Chelsea Flower Show coverage on BBC Two, beginning at 8pm.
This year marks a special occasion as Don presents his first garden at the prestigious show, with a theme dedicated to dogs.
This comes after Don recently hit back at critics who took to social media to disapprove of the placement of two large conifers in his garden.
Several followers expressed their disapproval of the towering specimens, suggesting they were out of place.
The criticism centred on how these substantial trees appeared to clash with the more delicate flowers that typically characterise a traditional cottage garden aesthetic.
Don quickly responded, clarifying that the trees are actually “Irish yews,” which are often used by gardeners to create focal points in a landscape or to add vertical accents.
He said: “Each to their own… and not conifers but Irish yews looking lovely with their flat tops!”