Monty Don mourns the loss of his beloved dog, who passed away in January 2026.

Monty Don has shared another sad update from Longmeadow: his dog Peggy has died, just a few weeks shy of her 16th birthday. In a brief message to followers, he said she went “gently and without fuss,” and described her as “eccentric, quirky, infinitely gentle and loving” — the kind of dog whose personality fills a house even when she’s not trying to be the centre of attention.

Peggy wasn’t one of the dogs viewers saw as often on Gardeners’ World, but she was clearly part of the rhythm of Monty’s everyday life. Reports describing her as a pug and Chinese crested cross suggest she was more “private companion” than on-camera co-star — a dog who didn’t need an audience to be adored.

And like many of the dogs Monty has loved over the years, Peggy’s goodbye didn’t come with a dramatic public moment — just the quiet reality of a family losing a much-loved pet. He shared that she has already been buried at Longmeadow, in the coppice area that’s become a resting place for the dogs who shaped his home life and, in many ways, his on-screen world too. Peggy, he said, now lies alongside Nigel and Nell, as well as other past dogs.

For long-time fans, that detail hits hard, because it pulls you straight back to the loss that still feels like the heartbreak chapter in the Monty Don universe: Nigel.

The loss that changed Gardeners’ World forever: Nigel (2020)

Nigel wasn’t just “Monty’s dog.” He was practically a co-presenter — padding into frame, choosing the sunniest spot, and somehow stealing focus without doing anything at all. When Monty announced Nigel’s death in May 2020, it landed with viewers like losing a familiar face from the show itself.

BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine reflected on how Nigel became part of filming almost by accident — he simply followed Monty outside, stayed nearby through long shoot days, and waited patiently until the perfect moment to drift into shot. That calm presence wasn’t just good TV, either. The magazine also noted Monty has spoken about how Nigel helped him through depression, and how he believes pets can be a kind of medicine for anxiety and low moods.

That’s why the grief around Nigel felt so intense. Fans weren’t only mourning a “famous dog.” They were responding to the bond they’d watched grow over years — the steady companionship that made Longmeadow feel like a real home, not just a set.

Then came Nell (2023) — and the grief returned

Just when viewers had adjusted to a Gardeners’ World without Nigel, Monty faced another loss: golden retriever Nell, who died in October 2023 after being diagnosed with cancer earlier that summer. In his message at the time, he spoke about how each day had felt like a gift — but also admitted that even a peaceful ending doesn’t make it easier.

Nell, too, was laid to rest at Longmeadow beside Nigel — a detail that now echoes again with Peggy’s passing.

Why Peggy’s goodbye feels like a “full circle” moment

Peggy reaching nearly 16 means she wasn’t just a pet in the background — she was a long-running thread through Monty’s life at Longmeadow. And while Nigel’s death was a moment the public grieved loudly, Peggy’s feels quieter… and that almost makes it sharper. A gentle dog, a gentle exit, and then the stillness after.

If there’s one thing Monty’s updates consistently show, it’s that his garden is never just about plants. Longmeadow is a place built around living things — seasons, routines, and the dogs who followed him through all of it. And now, Peggy’s name joins that same resting place beside Nigel and Nell, a small but heavy reminder that even the happiest gardens still carry loss.