Since 1980, when he first bought Highgrove, King Charles has spent hundreds of hours and thousands of pounds turning its gardens into some of the best in Britain.
He has had the support of a team of experts, but everything in his Gloucestershire garden has his mark.
Everyone knew that before you could cut down a tree or remove a bush, you had to consult Charles.
It had and maintains a unique concept. There should be nothing (tree, bush, fern or even a single plant) that is not one hundred percent necessary.
When he first saw them, the gardens were an embarrassment. It was also the first time I was allowed to see a real residence or garden.
Even then it was a rare privilege. But no one had cared about Highgrove for many years.
They were a scene of total abandonment. The fifteen acres that Charles has turned into a place where people come from all over the world to see it once again looked more like pasture than gardens.
Since 1980, when he first bought Highgrove, King Charles has spent hundreds of hours and thousands of pounds turning its gardens into some of the best in Britain. Above: Horse grave outside an underdeveloped Highgrove in 1980
Prince Charles stands in Highgrove Gardens in 1986, when its refurbishment was underway.
But over fifty years of hard work (including that of Charles himself) has transformed the gardens into some of the most inspiring and innovative in the UK.
They are open to the public from April to October and all profits from doors, tours and sales at Highgrove Shop are donated to charity.
So, in addition to his royal heritage, King Charles III has a lot to be proud of.
Since 2021, The King’s Foundation has officially taken care of the gardens. They recently exhibited at the Chelsea Flower Show, which is the highlight of the gardening social year.
Carlos made his traditional visit to Queen Camilla and was crowned King of Compost by the children. He was very funny.
Back at Highgrove, there are many highlights of the gardens, including Stumpery.
The Victorians first had the idea of planting ferns between tree stumps, rather than letting them become useless eyesores.
Gardeners tend to the topiary bushes at the private residence of King Charles III and Queen Camilla in Highgrove Gardens, Gloucestershire, ahead of World Topiary Day on May 12.
King Charles, then Prince of Wales, attends a hedge laying event in Highgrove, December 2021
When the king was still Prince of Wales, his grandchildren loved to play at Hollyrood House, a thatched tree house nestled in a holly grove in Highgrove.
The Cottage Garden has two sides: the New Cottage and the Old Cottage. Charles loves colors and was inspired by the bright, vibrant hues he saw during his first visits to the Far East.
The Old Cottage is more English in style and colour, with conventional bushes, trees and borders creating a calmer atmosphere.
The King has also ensured that his gardens are managed with ethical ideas. Everything that can be recycled is never wasted. Organic methods and materials are at the heart of Highgrove.
There is a sundial garden, so named because of the gift of a sundial from the Duke of Beaufort.
A gardener tends to a beautiful topiary design in Highgrove last month ahead of World Topiary Day
Camilla, then Duchess of Cornwall, seen outside Highgrove with General Sir Patrick Sanders during a ceremony for the transfer of Colonel-in-Chief of Prince Philip’s Rifles to her, 2020
The exterior of Highgrove seen in 1994. The property and its gardens have undergone a transformation.
Highgrove and its gardens seen in 1986. The grounds are unrecognizable today
Prince Charles is interviewed by members of the Welsh press at Highgrove ahead of the 25th anniversary of his investiture, 1994.
Highgrove is seen from the air in 2006. The estate is the King’s pride and joy.
Highgrove House seen in 1999. Charles bought the property in 1981
It was originally designed as a rose garden by Lady Salisbury. The hedges have small “windows” that reveal stone busts of Charles at various stages of his life.
Highgrove itself will be hosting a Father’s Day luncheon on Sunday, June 16. The cost is £57.
A look at the menu shows the value of the ticket. To start, you’ll be greeted with a chilled glass of Highgrove Cuvee Champagne, followed by a magnificent three-course meal of smoked salmon, beef tenderloin or mushroom Wellington, with chocolate and mango creme brulee or Rhubarb Eton Mess for dessert.
Prince of Wales tea or freshly brewed coffee with soft drinks will also be offered for younger guests.
A gardener tends to a stunning topiary bush last month, ahead of World Topiary Day
A gardener tends a topiary bush at the private residence of King Charles III and Queen Camilla in Highgrove Gardens, May 2024.
And parents and children alike will leave with a special gift from Highgrove. But if you want to enter the gardens, you will have to pay more.
They are living proof of Charles’ dedication and love of nature, but there is an irony in Highgrove.
Due to the hereditary property system, the property now passed to Prince William, Prince of Wales, who inherited it as Duke of Cornwall.
So the King has to pay his son rent to visit and stay at Highgrove. How much does it cost? A pinch for £700,000.
