‘I visited King Charles’ Highgrove gardens – one thing is banned’ | Royal | News
King Charles’ belief that humans should work with nature rather than dominate it is evident in every corner of his gardens at Highgrove, where a striking rule has been enforced for decades: pesticides are never used. This week, i Paper visited the King’s gardens and King’s Foundation projects at Highgrove in Gloucestershire; here Charles was developing his vision of “harmony” with the natural world shortly after purchasing the property in 1980, when he became Prince of Wales. The gardens are now maintained by a team of 11 gardeners and two apprentices, all working to principles based on sustainability and respect for the environment.
Because the plants and soil are managed organically, chemical pesticides are completely absent. Irrigation is not dependent on mains water. Instead, rainwater runoff from the main house is collected and used to sustain the productive walled kitchen garden; This reflects a system designed to minimize waste and maximize natural resources. Rather than striving for perfection, gardeners allow nature to take its course, embracing irregularities rather than uprooting or correcting them.
This approach extends to the trees on the landscape. When branches are lost due to disease or trees are cut down, the timber is reused instead of being thrown away. Students on the King’s Foundation’s Create course are using wood to learn furniture-making skills and giving fallen trees a second life.
Oak and beech trees that fell during storms have also been moved to a forest area where they can now support wildlife. Stumpery includes a fun personal touch: a dwarf that the King periodically moves around the garden, nestled among woodland foliage and a nationally important collection of 160 varieties of broadleaf hosta.
At the Arboretum, visitors can view the King’s extensive maple collection, as well as the late Queen Elizabeth II. They can see three Himalayan birches donated by Elizabeth. There are other reminders of Charles’s hands-on involvement, including the low barriers he created during lockdown due to hazelnut trees being felled on the property.
Elsewhere weeds are allowed to grow freely unless they begin to dominate, at which point they are selectively reduced. The wildflower meadow is cut only once a year using traditional scythes and then cattle and sheep are brought in to graze, helping to preserve biodiversity. The topiary of rows of golden yews on the Thyme Walk shows how formal planting has been allowed to soften over time. A wedding cake-shaped shrub is gradually losing its layer, but is left to grow into a more natural form.
The gardens capture the message at the heart of King’s upcoming Prime Video documentary. Finding Harmony: A King’s VisionIt encourages people to place nature at the center of daily life. Narrated by Kate Winslet, the film explores Charles’ deep-rooted environmental philosophy and aims to reach new, young audiences.
Kristina Murrin, chief executive of the King’s Foundation, described the film’s message as urgent, saying: i Paper: “The world is asking us to change our behavior right now. I hope this movie inspires some people to do that.”
The film will be released in 240 territories worldwide on February 6.
