Monty Don has appealed to dog owners to be "sensible" about plants that could harm their pets as he readies to unveil his garden at the Chelsea Flower Show. The renowned horticulturalist and BBC Gardeners' World presenter has collaborated with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) to create his first - and what he hopes will be his last - at Chelsea.

The garden is designed with canine companions in mind, featuring a lawn, water for them to play in, and trees to provide shade. justified the , such as alliums and foxgloves, in the garden, explaining that he has these flowers in his own garden alongside his pets without issue. The RHS and Radio 2 dog garden, which will not be judged, is set to be relocated to the nearby Battersea Dogs & Cats Home after the event.

Don assured any plants the charity does not wish to keep will be removed.

Having presented at Chelsea since 1990 and covered the show for the BBC without a break for over a decade, Don found creating the garden to be a "humbling" experience which has given him immense respect for designers and makers of gardens at RHS Chelsea. Speaking at the site where his garden is under construction, he told the PA news agency: "It doesn't matter what kind of garden or how good or bad it is, it's an almost unimaginable amount of work because of the detail you have to attend to."

Monty Don is thrilled to return to presenting next week's show, after temporarily swapping his role for that of a landscape designer-a job he jovially refers to as "moonlighting".

He discovered a newfound appreciation for the design process during this period, saying: "I now have real insight into the whole process. I didn't know I needed that and I do, it's humbling."

When approached by the RHS to create a dog-friendly garden, Don, with horticulturist Jamie Butterworth, intentionally avoided any grand themes. He aimed to create something relatable: "I wanted to see a garden at Chelsea that didn't have a message, that didn't set itself in an exotic situation, was absolutely set fair and square in 2025 in England and that was full of plants that either I did have or everybody could buy from their local garden centre, and with trees or shrubs that were native or long adapted to this country."

The imaginative scheme features a lawn at its heart, bordered by plants that craft meandering trails for dogs, and includes a spacious, sofa-equipped "dog house" for four-legged companions to enjoy downtime.

Additionally, there are swathes of tall meadow grass perfect for canine lounging, and, inspired by Radio 2 presenter Jo Whiley's pet experiences, Monty incorporated a water zone for dogs to splash in.

The garden's design is imbued with a sense of fun, showcasing dogwood and spherical alliums to evoke the balls dogs adore and terracotta pots embossed with pawprints from Don's own dog Ned, a familiar companion on his Gardeners' World jaunts.

Despite meticulously crafting a garden to appear as though frequented by canines and humans alike, the designers have refrained from adding unsightly disruptions like holes or "pee rings".

And Don said: "There are plants in the garden that are technically poisonous to dogs. However, there are no plants that I don't have in my own garden and I've always had dogs.

"My view on this is actually the main plant I worry about is yew and we don't have that in the garden. In my experience dogs are sensible and owners are sensible."

Don added: "We have a brief to make a beautiful garden for Chelsea. The only dogs that are going to be allowed on here are mine or others specifically invited and on a lead and under control.

"When it goes to Battersea it will not have any plants Battersea doesn't want to be there, we will remove any that they feel has any toxicity to their dogs," he said.

"We're not saying these are plants that are perfectly safe, what are you making a fuss about? What I am saying is in my experience I've not had any problems with these plants, and I've had dogs for the last 65 years."

Highlighting a broader perspective on risk, he commented that typical actions such as using sharp knives or crossing streets pose greater threats to canines than these specific plants.

And closing his thoughts, Monty said: "Just be sensible, don't get hysterical, but at the same time don't dismiss it."