Monty Don has found his forever home in Herefordshire, and while his three children – Adam, Freya and Thomas – have flown the nest, the presenter and his wife, Sarah, relish family reunions at Longmeadow.
While Monty, 68, rarely divulges details about his kids, the Gardeners' World star has shared a few, rare photos of his oldest son, Adam, 37, on Instagram. Introducing fans to his first grandchild, George, Monty revealed that Adam and his wife Emily had welcomed their bouncing baby boy in the spring of 2019.
Posting two snaps, the first from Adam's arrival in 1986, and the second of Adam holding his own little bundle of joy, the caption read: "On May 28 1986 my first child, Adam was born and 33 years later, on May 28 2019 his first child, our first grandchild, George, was born too."
The following day, Monty shared another photo of Adam and newborn George, alongside the caption: "Father and son, son & grandson."
Coincidentally, Adam's life has paralleled Monty's on a number of occasions. As well as welcoming his first son on the same date that his father welcomed him, Adam even tied the knot on the same date as his parents.
In July 2020, Monty shared the heartwarming coincidence after posting a throwback photo from Adam and Emily's 2017 wedding, noting: "3 years ago on this day Sarah and I were celebrating our son Adam's marriage to Emily. On the same day 37 years ago we were married too."
Chatting about what it's been like seeing his two sons, Adam and Tom, become parents, in 2022 Monty told The Times: "Well, it makes life interesting. Having grandchildren is one of the great landmarks of anybody's life. I think that all the things one reads about it and talks about it are true. It's pleasure without responsibility.
"It's more than that though. What I find moving is my children — obviously, I changed their nappies and looked after them and drove them to school and failed and failed and failed again as a father, as one does. [They] are now starting that journey and that process and very tenderly. My two sons are wonderful fathers."
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Reflecting on his own fatherhood journey, in a 2018 interview with The Guardian, the 68-year-old revealed that he'd "most like to say sorry to" his children for being away "an awful lot" when they were younger. He said: "I was away an awful lot when they were little and not very good at being a father when I was around. I could have done better."
Speaking in a separate interview with The Guardian in 2009, Monty echoes this sentiment, remarking that at times, his work has gotten in the way of spending quality time with his wife and children. "Ask Sarah what the worst thing is about living with me and she would probably say that I always put work above everything else," he explained candidly, adding: "To the detriment of my children, my wife, my health, my life. And what I am really bad at is saying no."