King Charles‘ gardens at Highgrove House have been under the monarch’s dutiful care for decades, and draw many visitors each year for their delicate beauty.
The King has always had a core role in the design of his gardens, and is well known for his love of the outdoors – and for using sustainable growing methods to create beautiful green spaces. Since taking the throne he has also turned his eye to the gardens at Sandringham, creating a new climate-friendly topiary garden in his Norfolk residence.
As many keen gardeners know, this time of year is a great moment to get planting, and if you’re looking to take your own green space to the next level and fill it with plants fit for a member of the Royal Family, then you should take note of these three recommendations from one of his gardeners.
Jack Stooks, who is a member of the Highgrove Estate team, explained to Fabulous his top three plant recommendations for people looking to take things up a notch in their garden design, while remaining on a budget of course.
The royal gardener explains that if you are looking to add some height to your planting, then his first port of call would always be a clematis. He said: “I always recommend for height you want like a clematis which are really really good. The Montana Clematis – they normally like either pinks or whites – and once you’ve got them and they go up and over a wall or a fence, they do amazingly and they just keep coming year after year after year.”
The royal gardener’s second recommendation is the Hydrangea Annabelle. This variety is a little bit less fussy than other hydrangeas when it comes to the soil it needs. Most hydrangeas need ericaceous soil, but this one can be planted happily in any kind – and it produces a gorgeous display of voluminous, dome-shaped white flowers.
Jack’s final recommendation is a staple of British gardens, and for good reason: lavender. Hardy, colourful, and bringing a delicious scent to your garden, this plant is absolutely beloved by pollinators and will help attract much-needed wildlife to your green space.
