Something about Matt Biggs’ description of chemotherapy—”being sprayed with weedkiller”—tells you almost everything you need to know about him. It wasn’t arrogance. It wasn’t forced optimism. Even as his body was being disassembled by treatment, it was a gardener reaching for the language he knew best. Biggs was given a bowel cancer diagnosis in December 2020, and scans were clear for a short while following surgery in 2021. Then the cancer came back, settling into his lungs and liver with the kind of silent persistence that makes oncologists cautious about what they say.
Over the next five years, there was no major public conflict. Biggs did not turn into a traditional cancer advocate. He simply carried on with his routine, responding to inquiries on BBC Radio 4 about roses and soil drainage, dressing brightly for his chemotherapy sessions at Mount Vernon Cancer Centre in Hertfordshire, and observing the birch trees outside the window from his hospital bed. The final detail, a gardener hooked to an IV drip and finding comfort in branches and bark, feels almost too perfect. However, those who knew him claim it was completely sincere. Resilience was not what he was doing. He just couldn’t ignore a good tree.
Before cancer struck, Biggs, who was born in Leicester in 1960 with a mild form of cerebral palsy affecting his left side, had already spent a lifetime overcoming challenges. Before arriving at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, he gathered 72 rejection letters from horticultural employers, a figure he recalled with a hint of sardonic pride. Even though his illness was devastating, there’s a feeling that he met someone who had long since concluded that obstacles were just part of life. You make adjustments and continue planting.
On May 15, 2026, he made his last appearance on Gardeners’ Question Time, which was captured at The Serge Hill Project during Mental Health Awareness Week. He was aware that it would be his final one. The production crew was aware of it. Chloe and Jessica, his daughters, and his wife Gill were present. However, the show wasn’t as solemn as one might anticipate. The tone was one of warmth rather than sorrow as Biggs talked openly about his terminal illness and the significance of gardening to him during his treatment. The audience’s reaction was overwhelming, according to producer Dan Cocker. It’s difficult to imagine how many listeners, driving somewhere unremarkable or alone in kitchens, were suddenly moved by a man discussing mortality and petals in the same sentence.
Where Biggs focused his remaining energy during his last few months may have been the most revealing aspect of his life. Not inward, but toward the garden project at the Mount Vernon Cancer Center, a healing area he assisted in creating, financing, and planting for other patients. He referred to gardeners as “billionaires,” meaning they were wealthy in spirit if not in money, and he wanted them to have a lovely place to spend their darkest moments. He continued to advocate for the project, make calls, and consider the comfort of others even as he was receiving palliative care. You can’t sustainably fake that instinct, which is to turn outward when everything pulls you inward. He was simply built that way.
In April 2026, the Royal Horticultural Society violated its own regulations by bestowing upon him the Victoria Medal of Honour. Traditionally, there are only 63 current recipients of the medal—one for each year of Queen Victoria’s reign. They made a 64th for Biggs. It was presented by Roy Lancaster, an old friend and collaborator from Channel 4’s Garden Club days. As usual, Biggs appeared almost ashamed. “I’m totally overwhelmed,” he declared. “In my mind, I’ve just been having fun.” Six days later, on May 21, 2026, he passed away. At least the gardens are still there.
