Monty Don's Adriatic Gardens

Monty travels to Europe and explores the influence of the Venetians on gardening, starting in their home city at the top of the Adriatic coast and travelling on through Croatia and Greece. Visiting a range of public and private gardens, Monty learns about the impact that history, climate change and culture have had on the people who live there. To begin with, he explores Venice on one of the city's famous barges, stepping out to visit green spaces large and small that are often hidden from view behind high walls. He is invited in to see wonderful gardens along the Grand Canal, as well as meeting those who have managed to create a productive garden on a disused rubbish dump behind one of the city’s famous churches. He then samples wine grown in vineyards inside the city limits before visiting a restored public garden with a secret passageway that leads to St Mark’s Square.

Monty begins in the city of Trieste to visit a public garden first created by an obsessive royal plantsman more than 150 years ago, which is now being carefully restored. He then heads down the Adriatic coast through Croatia to pick up the trail that the Venetians followed, ending his journey on the beautiful island of Lopud, near Dubrovnik. Along the way, he discovers spectacular natural lakes and wildflowers, is given a tour of ancient olive groves, discovers a nursery where over 200 varieties of Iris – the national flower of Croatia – can be found, and is allowed into one of only two monastic gardens in the whole country.

Monty begins the last leg of his journey in Corfu, a Greek island with strong Venetian links, including olive trees planted by them that are still grown today. Here, Monty visits a spectacular garden made by an Englishman with Greek connections, as well as meeting up with the widow of the English writer Gerald Durrell, who takes him up into the mountains on a wildflower trail. Next, Monty travels to Greece’s capital, Athens, and the place where the study of botany first began. As well as the Royal Gardens, which act as a green lung through the city and provide much needed shade from the Mediterranean summers, Monty visits a reforestation project on Mount Hymettus and two modern gardens in and around the city. Finally, he rolls up his sleeves and gets to work on a garden he has helped to create on another Greek island.