Highgrove garden - beautiful journeys

A natural garden like no other….

Roundhead or cavalier, royalist or republican…. it really does not matter. Whatever your views on the royal family, visiting the gardens at Highgrove, the private residence of King Charles, are a must if you appreciate great gardens and want to visit one of best the UK has to offer.

Of course, you can’t enter the home itself and you usually have to book ahead months, but the chance to enjoy and experience a tour of King Charles’ gardens is an opportunity not to be missed.

When he moved into the house (which although it’s a large house is by no means palatial) the grounds were…just grounds.

Since then he’s built and developed wonderful gardens following his widely-known beliefs and commitment to working with nature and to organic principles.

The tour itself lasts around one and a half hours. It takes you through the main features of the gardens including the Thyme Walk, the Sundial Garden, the Wildflower Meadow, an azalea walk, kitchen and cottage gardens, the wildflower Meadows and a Moorish garden.. There’s also a stumpery (where ferns are grown amongst upturned tree stumps). Here you will see the most wonderful tree house still adored and enjoyed, apparently, by children in the royal family.

What strikes you is the level of thought and care that’s gone into the planning and upkeep of an incredibly beautiful and natural environment.

With the help of friends and experts Charles has, over the last 40 years, slowly nurtured and developed a timeless and wonderful English garden which is totally in tune with nature and the natural world.

It’s a great shame that we weren’t allowed to take pictures (for fairly obvious security reasons) as we walked through the various gardens and features. We were, however, allowed to take a picture outside the cafe which we share with you today. These give you just a glimpse of the visual and sensory delight on offer at Highgove.

We loved it.

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