Monty Don is the lead presenter of Gardeners' World. He is a horticultural writer and speaker, Sunday Times bestselling author, and has presented several programmes on gardening and outdoor living, including Around the World in 80 Gardens and Italian Gardens , for which he wrote the accompanying books. He was The Observer 's gardening columnist from 1994 to 2006. His books include The Complete Gardener , The Jewel Garden and The Ivington Diaries.