King Charles reportedly spent the last weekend at his official family home, Highgrove House, in Gloucestershire, South West England. It comes after news that he had visited the hospital with side effects from his cancer treatment. The monarch was seen driving through Highgrove House gates after clearing his diary to prioritize his recovery, which reports say is a precaution following the temporary side effects. A look at Highgrove's gardens, however, shows exactly why it's the ideal place for him to recover.
When King Charles first moved into the home, the gardens were famously overgrown and unkept. Following consultations with celebrated gardeners Rosemary Verey and naturalist Miriam Rothschild, the monarch transformed the grounds into a healing sanctuary.
The gardens include rare trees, flowers, and heirloom seeds, and practice organic lawn management techniques that create a sustainable habitat for birds and wildlife. Homes & Garden's content editor, and master gardener, Thom Rutter, explains that these conditions contribute to a sensory retreat that is perfect for the King.
'Highgrove was acquired by HRH King Charles III in 1980, and ever since, the gardens have been a continuing project and passion,' Thom says. 'Highgrove, found in Gloucestershire, is visited by many thousands of visitors in the UK every year, and is famed for its dense planting, topiary and wildflower meadows. Any visitor will tell you that the gardens are a calming, tranquil retreat.'
According to Thom, the garden owes its therapeutic qualities to the aromatic plants that bring aesthetic and sensory values. 'Some plant highlights include aromatic herbs and fragrant climbers, such as wisteria and honeysuckle, as well as colorful perennials, including delphiniums – known to be King Charles' favorite flower,' he says.
'Water also plays a central role in the garden, with ponds, lily pools and fountains adding a sensory element to the estate.'
Despite being so special to the King, Highgrove's gardens welcome more than 30,000 visitors a year. The royal residence and grounds uphold the King's environmental principles and have been the subject of several books (including the one on Amazon below).
They've inspired generations of gardeners by showing that a gorgeous landscape can be achieved through completely organic and earth-friendly methods.
Written by King Charles, alongside author Bunny Guinness, this book describes the thinking behind each planting, lessons learned from trial and error, the highlights and triumphs, as well as future plans for Highgrove.
You can plan your visit to the King's special gardens via the Highgrove House website.
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