The former Head Gardener to King Charles for over 20 years, Jack Stooks, has shared some of the essential secrets to having a gorgeous garden just like the Royals do
A gorgeous garden(Image: Getty Images)
Everyone would love to say that they have a garden just like the Royals – but now you actually can.
We asked the expert on royal gardening, former Head Gardener to King Charles, Jack Stooks, exactly that.
Jack worked for the Royal Family for over 20 years, and here is what he had to say.
“Each of them likes different things, so there isn’t just one formula you can follow. If you take the King, for example, he’s always been very keen on growing his own organic vegetables and fruit. Things like rhubarb were a particular favourite. He also had his preferences when it came to veg, like purple Brussels sprouts and pink fir apple potatoes,” he explained to RSVP Live.
“So one ‘royal’ approach, if you like, is to grow what you genuinely enjoy – have your own favourite varieties and take a real interest in them.”
The King definitely had some recurring favourites that he asked Jack to plant in his garden.
“He’s very fond of magnolias, flowering cherry trees, delphiniums, and certain azaleas. Those sorts of plants tend to appear more often simply because he likes them. Scent is another big thing, plants like Lily of the Valley are popular across the board, not just with the King but with others as well. Fragrance in the garden is definitely something the royals appreciate.”
If you have the space in your garden, topiary is another must-have for the Royals.
“Topiary is another key element. Traditionally, that’s often been done with Box, but with issues like Box blight and Box moth, it’s become a bit of a challenge to maintain. So it’s worth looking at alternatives like Ilex Crenata or yew. Yew, in particular, is brilliant for shaping – you can create everything from small clipped balls to larger, more sculptural pieces,” Jack explained on behalf of BetVictor Casino.
“At Highgrove, for example, there’s the thyme walk, where thyme is planted along the base so that as you walk through, you release that scent underfoot. Alongside that, you’ve got shaped yew – golden yew and green yew – formed into all sorts of topiary shapes. You see similar styles at places like Sandringham and Balmoral as well, where more topiary has been added over time.
“The secret is a mix of things: grow what you love, include plants with scent, and bring in structure with something like a topiary. That combination gives you a bit of that classic royal feel.”
