His Majesty King Charles III has made no secret of his wholesome hobby of gardening. He's extremely proud of his award-winning gardens at his Highgrove home and loves nothing more than a "therapeutic" session planting outdoors.
On Wednesday, it was announced that the monarch will collaborate with landscape designer Catherine MacDonald on a garden for the RHS Sandringham Flower Show. Plus, it will be the first time an RHS show has been hosted on royal soil. While the Sandringham Flower Show is a historic fixture in the royal calendar, this year marks the first time it will be an RHS show instead.
The post read: "We're thrilled to announce that the Feature Garden at the new RHS Sandringham Flower Show will be designed in collaboration with His Majesty The King. The RHS Royal Legacy Garden will be designed by award-winning garden designer, @catherinemacdonalddesign, in consultation with The King, to create a garden that celebrates His Majesty’s passion for horticulture, including many of his favourite plants as well as local Norfolk materials and showcasing rural skills.
"RHS Sandringham is the first RHS Show to be hosted at a royal residence and will also include two new awards from Their Majesties The King and Queen. The King will personally select his favourite exhibit for biodiversity whilst The Queen will choose her favourite Upcycled Container, a category where communities will repurpose discarded materials to create a mini container garden."
The news got royal fans very excited, and they couldn't help but comment. "Can't wait to see this one," penned one fan, another wrote: "This sounds wonderful, I can't wait to see it." The RHS Sandringham Flower Show will run from 22 - 26 July and tickets start from £38.90, but RHS members can get a discount.
Green-fingered Princess Kate
It's not the first time we've seen a royal flex their horticultural skills at a flower show. Princess Kate masterminded a space at the Chelsea Flower Show, creating the RHS Back to Nature Garden in 2019. The incredible area was thoughtfully designed with children in mind, complete with a hollow log for children to climb through, a den, a waterfall, a stream and a tree house.
At the time, the royal told Monty Don in an interview for the BBC: "I really feel that nature and being interactive outdoors has huge benefits on our physical and mental wellbeing, particularly for young children. I really hope that this woodland that we have created really inspires families, kids and communities to get outside, enjoy nature and the outdoors, and spend quality time together." She even invited her three children along to see the space for themselves, and they looked like they loved it.