The formal lawn at one of King Charles III’s royal homes is to undergo a climate-friendly makeover and will be replaced with a ‘topiary garden’ – a biodiverse alternative that reflects the King’s climate-friendly ideologies.
Sandringham Estate in Norfolk – a favourite royal residency of the late Queen Elizabeth – will be the home to the new topiary garden. It has housed a parterre garden since the 1800s and was also used to grow vegetables for the Dig for Victory campaign during World War II.
In a statement the estate said: “In recent years, with changing weather patterns, the current expanse of lawn has been affected by warm weather and excessive rainfall.
“The newly developed garden will introduce new species that are more robust, hardy and better able to withstand the impact of emerging weather patterns.”
In addition, the new garden is expected create a rich source for pollinators and the provision of new habitats, the estate confirmed.
The work is scheduled to begin this week, with any topsoil and turf removed from the lawns to be reworked back into the new garden’s beds. More than 5,000 yew tree hedging plants in a range of sizes and shapes will be planted to eventually become topiarised.
As well as thousands of trees, over 4,000 herbaceous perennial plants and bulbs, including echinacea, phlox, and lavender will also be grown in the new garden as well as yellow and pink rose varieties.
The sustainable garden will be ready for mid-May, in time for the summer visitors to enjoy. King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla were seen walking to church in Sandringham yesterday, January 22, ahead of the scheduled garden refurbishment. Their outing marked the first time the couple was spotted at church since releasing details of the King’s coronation that will take place on May 6, 2023.
The King is well-known for his dedication to sustainability and for carefully ensuring that many of his properties are eco-friendly. Famously, Highgrove House, his official residence in Gloucestershire, South West England, was designed as a wildlife haven – featuring a host of rare heirloom seeds, flowers, and trees.
The royal estate has been home to British monarchs since 1862 and was where the late Queen spent most of her Christmases. It is also where the annual Sandringham Flower Show has been held for 139 years.
