His Majesty King Charles III, 77, has his pick of incredible royal homes up and down the country, but one of his favourites has to be his stunning countryside abode, Highgrove House. It is nestled in the Gloucestershire countryside and boasts award-winning gardens. On Tuesday, the Highgrove team shared a before-and-after video of one of their garden transformations…
The team have been busy pruning the iconic topiary hedges into magnificent shapes. The hedges themselves remained verdant but beneath them, the scorched lawn was clear to see, due to the current UK drought. Record-breaking hot weather and lack of rainfall have caused most grass to turn yellow and only some of Charles’ gardens are exempt from the hosepipe ban.
Charles is a keen gardener and takes great pride in his stunning outdoor space, and he likes nothing more than showcasing that to others. A quote from His Majesty on the Highgrove website reads: “One of my great joys is to see the pleasure that the garden can bring to many of the visitors and that everybody seems to find some part of it that is special to them.”
Special experiences at Highgrove
© Finding Harmony: A King’s VisionFrom afternoon tea to expert garden tours, there are an array of offerings at the property. In September and October, there are two sold out dates where visitors will get to explore the gardens guided by Melissa Simpson, the Head Gardener at Highgrove. The website explains that Melissa will guide guests through the grounds, explaining how “his Majesty’s philosophy of Harmony underpins all, with a strong emphasis on encouraging biodiversity, sustainability, and organic practices”.
Award-winning garden
The Carpet Garden within the Highgrove estate was originally created for the 2001 RHS Chelsea Flower Show, where it won a prestigious Silver-Gilt Medal. This space is often described as an “outdoor room” and its creation was thanks to King Charles himself. The monarch personally designed the space alongside Michael Miller for Clifton Nurseries, drawing inspiration directly from a sketch he made of a treasured pair of Turkish carpets located inside his property. It has Moroccan and Turkish elements, and is still a draw for visitors today.
When he entered the design into the show, the son of the late Queen Elizabeth II made royal history, as it marked the very first time that a member of the British royal family had ever designed a garden for the prestigious event.
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