Monty Don shared a poignant reflection on the death of his pets just months before the passing of his beloved dog Patti this week.
On Wednesday, the Gardeners’ World presenter announced that his beloved seven-year-old Yorkshire Terrier had died after a “very short illness”.
“I have sad news,” Don wrote. “Our lovely Patti died suddenly this morning after a very short illness. She was much loved, and lit up our lives. We are all heartbroken.”
Patti was one of Don’s two dogs, and had appeared on Gardeners’ World since 2020, making her beloved by his fans as well as the presenter himself.
Three months before Patti’s passing, Don had happened up about the death of his pets on a podcast appearance, where he revealed that eight of his family dogs had all been buried beneath the garden at Longmeadow.
Don and his wife, Sarah, have lived at the home in Ivington, Herefordshire since the 1991, and have built a stunning garden on the site over the years.
Talking about burying his pets on the property while appearing on the RHS Roots podcast, Don said: ”That’s quite important, really. I try not to be sentimental – and Sarah’s not remotely sentimental – about animals or anything really, but I like having them here.”
“They’ve been part of the garden… all of them have been in the garden and always with us.”
Just days before Patti’s death, Don – who has previously credited his dogs with helping him through depression and “simmering anxiety” – sent fans into a panic with an Instagram post that they believed was a sign that the dog had died.
Don posted a snap of his Patti and his four-year-old Golden Retriever Ned’s names engraved into the stone pathway of the Doghouse, which he initially designed as part of his show garden for The RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2025.
In the comment section, fans took the post as a sign that Patti had died, although others pointed out that both dogs’ names were engraved in the stone last year and that they were still alive.
However, the post turned out to be sadly prophetic, as Don shared the sad news of Patti’s death with his 1.4 million Instagram followers just days later.
In response, Countryfile presenter Matt Baker, who also recently said goodbye to his beloved dog, wrote: “Thinking of you Monty – As I always say, the reason we love our dogs so much is because the only time they break our hearts is when they leave us.”
