Earlier this year, the Princess of Wales marked her 44th birthday with a personal video celebrating the power of nature and the personal consolation it had provided her with during her recovery from cancer. ‘To be at one with nature, a quiet teacher and a soft voice that guides… Helping us to heal,’ she said.
Catherine was filmed walking in woods and putting her hand in a stream, in locations that spanned Berkshire, Cumbria, Gloucestershire, East Sussex and the Cotswolds. But flora and fauna closer to home are important to her, too, suggests former royal gardener Jack Stooks, who spent more than two decades working at Highgrove House for King Charles.
When it comes to gardening, ‘Catherine has always had a love for roses,’ says Jack. He highlights the ‘Catherine’s Rose’, a coral-pink and richly scented flower bred by Harkness Roses and shown for the first time at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show last year.
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Catherine’s Rose
It’s a passion she shares with other royals, explains Jack, speaking on behalf of Savoo: ‘Camilla, Catherine and Sophie all have similar tastes in florals, with another crowd favourite being lily of the valley.’
The flowering plant comes into its own in May, explains gardening expert Dan Cooper: ‘Nothing else smells like lily of the valley, and bunches of its pure-white flowers are highly sought after in spring. It’s usually grown from bare-rooted crowns (known as ‘pips’), which should be planted in autumn or spring. You can also pot up some pips in March and grow them as temporary houseplants, transferring them back to the garden after they flower.’
Lily of the valley likes moist, rich, warm soil and dislikes getting cold and wet or drying out completely, he adds. Be warned: ‘When it’s happy, it can be invasive, so plant it with plenty of room to spread,’ says Dan. Plus: ‘All parts of the lily of the valley are toxic to humans and animals, so beware if you have inquisitive pets and children.’
Catherine’s other flower favourite? ‘She had Sweet Williams in her wedding bouquet, as well as lily of the valley,’ says Jack. ‘This was because the bouquet was made by Shane Connolly. He is very invested in the language of flowers, so he would have designed the bouquet with Prince William in mind – hence the Sweet Williams.’
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Sweet Williams with delicate multi-flower heads in a variety of colours; red, pink purple and white
Sweet Williams are biennial plants, explains Dan, which means they bloom in the year after you sow them: ‘Occasionally, they may go on for a year or two more, but eventually they will lose their vigour and fade away.’
‘They need sun and well-drained soil, which is the opposite of lily of the valley,’ he adds. ‘They enjoy a neutral to alkaline soil, too, flourishing on chalk and limestone. Grow them as a crop for cutting or as a cottage garden plant with lupins, hollyhocks and lavender.’
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