Monty Don sets the record straight after too many COMPLAINTS!

Many fans of Gardeners’ World have raised the same unusual complaint: the birdsong in Monty Don’s Longmeadow garden is too loud. Some even think it’s been added in post-production. But Monty says otherwise—it’s completely natural.

On a recent episode of the Gardeners’ World podcast, Monty opened up about the feedback he’s received. “We’ve had quite a few letters,” he shared, “from people saying, ‘I love watching Gardeners’ World, but the birdsong ruins it. It sounds fake, too much, and totally unrealistic. Why don’t you use real garden sounds instead?’”

Monty’s reply? “I hate to disappoint you, but that is the real sound.”

He admits the birdsong can get intense—even for him. “It really is loud,” Monty said. “Sometimes while filming, we have to pause because the birds are so noisy, it feels almost surreal—even to us.”

Monty and his wife Sarah have lived at Longmeadow since 1991, when they first bought the property. Back then, it was just a worn-out two-acre field with a neglected patch near the front. Over the years, they’ve turned it into the now-famous garden filled not only with stunning plants—but clearly, very vocal birds.

Longmeadow, nestled in the heart of open farmland, has naturally transformed into a haven for wild birds. According to Monty Don, the surrounding fields offer little refuge for them. He says the widespread use of agricultural chemicals in nearby areas has stripped the land of natural food sources, making it a rather inhospitable place for birds.

That contrast makes Longmeadow even more vital. “It’s literally an oasis surrounded by not-so-good,” Monty explains. “We have a really high population of blackbirds, song thrushes, blackcaps—just all sorts of songbirds.”

And their presence isn’t subtle. Around the first or second week of June, Monty says the birds kick off the Dawn Chorus at about 4:15 a.m. “It builds and builds,” he describes, “and reaches a glorious peak at 5 a.m. before starting to fade by half past five.”

But the day’s music doesn’t stop there. As the sun sets, the birds strike up again for what Monty calls the “Dusk Chorus.” This evening performance, he says, is all about the birds asserting their territory before nightfall. “One blackbird will start singing loudly, then another picks it up and challenges him, and then another joins in from a different part of the garden,” Monty shares. This back-and-forth continues into the twilight hours, eventually giving way to the haunting calls of owls through the night.

Monty also encourages gardeners to make their own outdoor spaces more inviting for birds. His top tip? Don’t over-tidy. “If you want birds in your garden, the most important thing you can do is provide cover—trees, hedges, and shrubs,” he advises. Other simple additions like leaving areas of long grass, allowing a few logs to rot naturally, or installing a small pond can attract insects, which in turn draw birds.

“And once you’ve got all that,” Monty says, “you don’t need to do much else. It just works. We feed the birds in winter, but that’s it.”

In short, Longmeadow isn’t just a garden—it’s a refuge where birds thrive, compete, sing, and create a daily soundtrack that some find overwhelming… but for Monty, it’s the pure sound of nature doing exactly what it’s meant to.