On 28th July a group of us from our Club had a tour of the Royal Gardens at Highgrove House, near Tetbury.
It started with a lunch at the nearby Hare and Hounds pub and then we admired these life-sized elephants by Highgrove Gardens reception area. Then 10 of us joined a guided walk through beautifully planned areas with an immense diversity of plants very imaginatively used. There were areas of formal gardens, enclosed by trimmed box, as well as informal planting, beautify topiary, artistically constructed wooden shelters, water features and sculptures. The colours in the garden were simply stunning and accompanied by the wonderful scent of so many plants.
We learned that King Charles has the national collection of hostas at Highgrove holding over 150 distinct types. There is a stunning four-acre, ever-changing Wildflower Meadow with bee hives nearby where Highgrove honey is produced.
The 15 acres of gardens are looked after by just 11 gardeners, including the head gardener and two trainees. The emphasis is on conservation, recycling and organic sustainability methods throughout. Biological pest control rather than pesticides is used.
Rainwater is collected in a tank under the terrace which holds 500,000 litres of water used for irrigation. The collected rainwater is pumped around the garden using solar heated panels, ground-source and air-source pumps to produce the energy. As our climate changes, the importance of rainwater collection and storage has never been so great.
King Charles, through the Duchy of Cornwall, bought the house 40 years ago and arrived there to a blank canvas with almost no planting, except for a very old Cedar of Lebanon tree near the house. Looking at the garden today it is difficult to imagine such a transformation.
After a wonderful tour, we stopped for tea, coffee and truly delicious cakes at the Orchard Room within the grounds. All beautifully presented. The Orchard room was build to host the many charities and organisations supported by King Charles.
We were enchanted by the visit. It was a true delight for the eyes and enrichment for the soul.
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