The Chelsea Flower Show (BBC1 3.15pm, 7.30pm and BBC2 8pm)

MONTY Don admits that his own grown-up children found the show gardens at Chelsea "a bit dull", but I can't see that putting the rest us off gardening's week of glorious colour and green-eyed competition.

"The RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) and all of us really should not be about pulling people into our world, but for us to go towards them, to experience a pull towards this youthful energy and get away from the dull conservative Rotary Club view of the world. Shows such as Chelsea do have a part to play. It's the pinnacle of the horticulture mountain and you do see more excellence there than anywhere else. It is part of the social season and while some may find that alienating, it's better to be able to change that from the inside," says the Gardeners' World presenter who will lead the team of familiar faces – Joe Swift, Sophie Raworth, Carol Klein, Rachel de Thames, Chris Beardshaw and Andy Sturgeon – prowling the flower pavilions for the latest news.

"Chelsea, for me, follows the zeitgeist –- it reflects general feelings of recession and wealth. It tends to follow what's happening rather than set the trend," adds Don.

Yesterday, 24 hours before the gates open to the public, there was a glimpse of the garden set up by Prince Harry's charity Sentebale, which is raising awareness of the plight of African children who are suffering from HIV.

Today there is the traditional visit from the Queen and that important look ahead to those who are vying for those important gold medals, with a gardening experts making their predictions before the winners are announced tomorrow. Other highlights to come, during the week-long visit to London's paradise of plants, include the team talking to the winner of the RHS Plant of the Year award and a chance to catch up with Kamelia Bin Zaal about designing her first show garden, which was intended to reflect the Islamic culture. On Thursday, those of us with tiny gardens will be given some advice by the designers who have come up with this year's midget gems. There’s also likely to be a look at the show garden by Ashington’s Sean Murray, who won last week’s BBC amateur designer award.

Monty Don admits that he's worried about the future of places like Chelsea, in spite of the RHS reporting a surge in interest by the young.

The 59-year-old has criticised councils for building on allotments and said that spiralling property prices meant that younger generations did not have the opportunity to get green-fingered.

"My generation grew up expecting some sort of ownership and access to gardens. I had my first home, aged 26, and started growing things then," he told Radio Times magazine. "My three kids are in their 20s and none of them rent or own homes with gardens. A generation is growing up with no access to green space," says the garden guru who wants to see a set percentage of new housing given access to allotments.

Episodes (BBC2, 10pm)

MATT learns that his financial situation is even more dire than he thought. To make matters worse, his ex-wife's upcoming marriage, which would save him millions in alimony, is suddenly on shaky ground. Meanwhile, Beverly is still reluctant to do another TV show in the US, but Sean is insistent and they decide that they'll move forward if they can find one network that won't destroy their vision. Stephen Mangan, Tamsin Greig and Matt LeBlanc enjoy the entanglements of another episode.

Class of '92 (ITV, 10.40pm)

SOCIAL and cultural events are intercut with the adventures of a fresh-faced David Beckham, who recently turned 40, and the other young players who helped Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson spearhead a remarkable challenge on the Premier League title. This documentary charts the group's rise to prominence and their biggest moments, as well as their continuing friendships. Eric Cantona, Zinedine Zidane, film director Danny Boyle, Stone Roses bass player Mani and ex-Prime Minister Tony Blair are among those offering their opinions.

Viv Hardwick