His Royal Highness, Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, is known for his love of nature, devotion to a countryside life and organic farming. He is a passionate environmentalist who advocates conservation of nature and wildlife.
When not in London or Scotland, he spends most of his time at Highgrove, his private estate in Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England.
Highgrove Estate
The estate has a home farm from the duchy of Cornwall, magnificent gardens with blooms in season, and a nine-bedroom Georgian mansion.
The home farm is run with the best possible innovative agricultural system free from pesticides that could harm the environment.
It is purely organic and is a model of sustainable farming, self-sufficient and maintained with clean energy.
The entire estate is surrounded with sweeping greenery, beautiful landscape of nature and planted with a variety of wild species, trees and flowers.
Life works of Prince Charles
Highgrove is Prince Charles's life works. It's his life long project and invested so much time, energy and money to make it a model of sustainable development.
It has a personal touch of the Prince of Wales, very much his personality. It is run according to his environmental principles. The agricultural innovation, organic farming and elaborate gardens he personally supervised.
Highgrove is a peaceful escape.
He acquired the property in 1980 before he dated Lady Diana Spencer and transformed the estate into an organic home farm with extensive gardens and wild meadows. It is an extension of his duchy of Cornwall.
There's a three-storey Georgian mansion within the estate with nine bedrooms and six bathrooms. Prince Charles remodeled it in early 80s applying some neo-classical designs especially in the interior.
Diana, Princess of Wales spent weekends at Highgrove during happier days. She lived there with their sons prior to the royal separation in December 1992.
The Prince of Wales made sure Highgrove reflects his environmental advocacy. Solar panels are installed and the mansion is heated using wood chip boiler.
The property also managed its own waste disposal. It has a machinery installed that filtered and recycled waste. And none would go to the public landfills.
Prince Charles is a keen gardener and his beautiful gardens in Highgrove is one of the most elaborate and modern country gardens in the United Kingdom.
Garden Tours at Highgrove
The gardens opened its door to the public in 1994. Guided tour packages are available from April to October. However, due to the pandemic, Highgrove is close to the public for the rest of 2020, it will resume in Spring 2021 according to its website Highgrove Gardens.
Income of the garden tours go to the Prince of Wales charitable funds.
Prince Charles worked on the garden designs with his architects. It has three different sections, wild garden which has meadows and wild flowers, formal garden and walled kitchen garden.
Colorful flora and fauna, wild flowers, beautiful blooms in season and a wide stretch of greenery are planted on either side, creating a peaceful scenery of nature.
Highgrove Gardens Tour
Highgrove Gardens website offers a preview how breathtaking the property is. An ideal destination for nature lovers, garden lovers and those who are seeking serenity and calmness in travel.
It is one of the most magnificent, most modern English countryside gardens in the United Kingdom and probably, all Europe.
Sweeping view of nature will greet visitors upon entering the estate. Different species of blooms, wilderness and greenery are planted in the property and most of the species are personally grown and tended by the Prince of Wales.
The Stumpery
One of the most tranquil corners in the Highgrove outdoor scenery is the Stumpery. It is situated in the middle of the wild gardens and the meadows. The tree house in the center was originally built for the young Prince William and Prince Harry in 1989.
It was at the tree house where the royal brothers, William and Harry, spent many happier weekends of their young lives playing around and sometimes joined by their mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.
His Royal Highness designed the flowerbeds that connect to the pathway on either sides leading to the house. The view looks refreshing and exudes tranquility, similar to the scenes in fairytale books. Awesome scenery of nature!
Thyme Walk
Apart from elegant blooms in season and wildflower meadows, Highgrove is also renowned for its spectacular Thyme walk, a unique in urban gardening.
Clipped golden yew lines the Thyme Walk, a stunning garden avenue planted with more than 20 varieties of Thyme, interspersed with primrose and marjoram species.
This corner of the gardens draws visitors' eyes to the terrace garden of the Highgrove mansion. Lily pool garden is located at the bottom of Thyme walk.
Other Areas
Apart from the opulent gardens, there are other interesting sections within the Highgrove estate that guests can explore and enjoy during visit.
The Orchard Tea Room - a dining area where guests can enjoy a variety of fresh meals prepared from the home farm of the estate, delightful culinary desserts, champagne and refreshment.
The Estate Shop - a variety of artisan products, home and garden ware, artworks and other unique items inspired by the gardening principles of Prince of Wales are on display and can be bought by visitors.
Highgrove Gardens tour will resume in 2021 Spring, to plan and book your visit, visit the property's website: HIGHGROVE GARDENS
A passionate environmentalist
Not so long ago, the Prince of Wales had been mocked for talking to his plants in Highgrove but now scientists really proved that talking to plants is beneficial to its healthy and vibrant growth.
Prince Charles has devoted most of his adult life promoting environmental ideas, conservation of nature, modern gardening and organic farming.
His Highgrove estate is the perfect embodiment of a clean and thriving natural beauty of nature and sustainable living. He personally tended his own gardens.
His Royal Highness is ahead of his time when it comes to environmental science. In 1990s, when most people never think too much about climate change, Prince Charles already expressed his worries about the impact of the global warming to humanity and the environment.
Now, the world is picking up and recognized this greatest challenge in human existence. Prince Charles eventually is recognized as one of the world's high profile conservationist.
Happy Birthday Prince Charles
Prince Charles celebrates his 72nd birthday today. He is the longest-serving Prince of Wales in history and the oldest king-in-waiting.
In the 1980s to the 1990s he was put in a bad light due to his extramarital affair with now wife, Camilla Parker-Bowles, and had been the source of sorrow of Diana, Princess of Wales. Now, the future king is largely seen as an affectionate man dedicated for his role as heir-apparent.
Highgrove estate is his life works, defining who he is in private. It reflects his love for the environment and nature and desire to prefer a country living than the urban living.
Many have speculated that Prince Charles might move the working office of the monarchy to Windsor castle from Buckingham Palace when he becomes king due to his devotion of the countryside life.
A speculation that is not confirmed by the palace.
He has been heir-apparent since 1952. At the time of his birth in 1948, he was second in line to the British throne behind his mother.
In 1952 when the Queen ascended the throne, he became Duke of Cornwall. In 1967, he was invested Prince of Wales.
Happy birthday Prince Charles! Thanks for the love of the environment and for inspiring us to embrace nature and support organic farming! 👑 🎂
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