Few things are as painful as losing your best furry friend. It’s a grief that lingers long after, altering daily routines and leaving a significant sense of emptiness. Renowned horticulturist Monty Don knows this pain all too well. Even two years after losing his beloved Golden Retriever, Nell, he continues to honour her memory and share his ongoing journey with grief on social media.
Taking to his Instagram page a few days ago, the BBC star shared an emotional post showing primroses blooming around his late dog’s grave. In the photograph, Nell’s final resting place is blanketed in vibrant green moss, with a small, pristine tennis ball statue standing as some sunlight gently illuminates the serene spot.
“Primroses coming into flower around Nell’s grave,” Monty wrote in the caption. The heartfelt image of Nell’s grave resonated with many, as an Instagram user commented: “As beautiful as Nell herself, in all our thoughts forever.”
A person wrote: “I have three cat graves around my gardens and I always feel happy and sad when the plants I’ve grown around them come back.” Someone else penned: “Beautiful just like Nell.”
Another fan shared: “I just watched the episode where she brought you your spade, what a beautiful girl.” A further commentator added: “Sweet Nell. We have orange crocus and tulips around the grave of our wild cat ‘Dinger’. Gardens represent so many stages of life.”
And others praised the sweet tribute area in Monty’s garden. One said: “I love the stone tennis ball! Lovely Nell.” A separate individual chimed in: “My 2 dogs are in a special spot in our garden. They’ll never be forgotten, same as Nigel and Nell.”
Monty, known for sharing his love of dogs, previously opened up about his grief amid celebrating his other golden retriever Ned’s second birthday last year. At the time, the Gardeners’ World presenter shared: “I have lived with dogs all my life and so it is absolutely natural to me that wherever I am in the garden I should be accompanied by a dog or two.”
Back in October 2023, Monty announced that Nell had sadly passed away from cancer. He revealed: “She was diagnosed with cancer in June and every day this summer has been a gift but it is over now.
“We buried her in the garden next to Nigel wrapped in one of my jackets with flowers, balls and her favourite biscuits. Her end was peaceful and dignified and ended obvious suffering but it never gets any easier to bear. So life goes on, but for the moment we are very, very sad.”