Monty Don's simple tip for protecting vegetable patches from pests is wowing gardening fans

Bill and Ben inspired...

If you're trying to grow your own fruit and vegetable this summer but can't get the birds and insects to leave your cabbage patch alone, you need to see this Monty Don garden netting tip.

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When it comes to gardening Monty Don is a font of all knowledge. He has been the lead presenter of BBC's Gardener's World since 2003. And he practices what he preaches, so much so, that for the last nine years the show has been presented from his own garden.

monty don with blue denim

(Image credit: Colin McPherson / Contributor / Getty)

The gardening guru regularly posts shots of his glorious garden on Instagram. In one of his latest posts he shared a shot of his cabbage patch.

Monty Don garden netting tip

To protect the cabbages from pets and wildlife, the gardening expert had covered the patch with netting. But fans were quick to note Monty Don's ingenious hack for supporting the netting covering the patch.

Instead of investing in a netting frame or hoops, Monty Don had simply supported his using canes. These were topped with plant pots to stop the net slipping down the poles.

This simple cost-effective tip is easy to make with objects lying around the garden. The only investment you need to make is in netting. We even think it looks quite pretty.

Fans were smitten with the simple tip. One fan commented: 'Love your set-up here. Have been looking for an alternative to hoops.'

'Fab idea with the flower pots, never thought of that!!! ❤️❤️❤️,' wrote another.

garden with glass roof and trees

(Image credit: Future PLC/Polly Eltes)

Garden netting is a great way to protect a vegetable patch from birds, insects and other wildlife. However, this week the RSPCA has put out a warning over the danger it can pose to animals, urging gardeners to reconsider using it.

If you do decide to opt for netting always ensure that it is tight to the ground so smaller animals can't get underneath and caught. To make sure it won't harm wildlife choose a densely woven net, ideally one that you can't poke your finger through.

Related: Four expert tips to help protect your home and garden from storm damage

Have you been inspired by Monty Don's cabbage patch?

Rebecca Knight
Deputy Editor, Digital

Rebecca Knight has been the Deputy Editor on the Ideal Home Website since 2022. She graduated with a Masters degree in magazine journalism from City, University of London in 2018, before starting her journalism career as a staff writer on women's weekly magazines. She fell into the world of homes and interiors after joining the Ideal Home website team in 2019 as a Digital Writer. In 2020 she moved into position of Homes News Editor working across Homes & Gardens, LivingEtc, Real Homes, Gardeningetc and Ideal Home covering everything from the latest viral cleaning hack to the next big interior trend.