Following its success at the Chelsea Flower Show, The Duchess of Cambridge’s RHS Back to Nature Garden today had a new home at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival. The RHS Back to Nature Garden, co-designed by the Duchess of Cambridge with the award-winning landscape architects Andree Davies and Adam White, is based in a woodland setting as a space for families and communities to come together and connect with nature.
Kate chats to the children about how many things there are to find in the treasure hunt… sounds like she says George and Charlotte found five! @The_RHS #hamptoncourt pic.twitter.com/IQauIj1owv
— Emily Nash (@emynash) July 1, 2019
Duchess arriving at the RHS Hampton Court where thousands of more families will be able to enjoy the garden, in addition to over 19,500 visitors who saw it at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. She was welcomed by a group of excited children. It was announced in January this year that Duchess has been co-designing a garden named ‘Back to Nature’ that will be displayed at the Chelsea Flower Show.
👀 A bird’s eye view of The Duchess of Cambridge’s Back to Nature garden, which highlights how time spent in nature can help build the foundations for positive physical and mental wellbeing that last through childhood and over a lifetime #RHSHampton
🎥 @bigladderdrone pic.twitter.com/pmCNaZ4jYA
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) July 1, 2019
Inspired by the original Chelsea design, the Hampton garden is double the size and includes new playful features to stimulate engagement with nature and free play, including a hill, a bee-friendly meadow and a pond to paddle in.
The garden that was inspired by Catherine and her kids’ childhood memories demonstrates the pivotal role that being outdoors can play in a child’s future health and happiness. To encourage the children to spend time outside in nature Catherine has invited children from her patronages and Hampton Hill Junior School to a picnic in the garden this afternoon.
Children from the Anna Freud Centre, Evelina Children’s Hospital, Action for Children and Place2Be joined her in a treasure hunt and insect spotting activity. kids also brought their family members, carers and teachers to enjoy the garden, and demonstrate the importance of their role in raising a child.
Children from Catherine’s patronages were excited to spend time in the garden. Catherine asked them about their time. “It’s really pretty. I liked the swing, the den and the tree-house” – 10-year-old Megan from Place2Be school said. She asked kids how many things they needed to find in the treasure hunt.
As part of her longstanding work on Early Years, The Duchess believes that spending time outdoors plays a pivotal role in children’s future health and happiness. Her garden highlights how time spent in natural environments can help build the foundations for positive physical and mental wellbeing that last through childhood and over a lifetime.
In addition to the physical and mental health benefits of being in nature, spending quality time with parents and carers outside has a valuable impact on children’s early development. In the garden, families can explore together and enjoy nature as a playground.
The design has the same wild and natural feel but has been developed further in order to create additional opportunities for children and families to interact with nature.
Features like the hollow log and rustic dens will return from Chelsea, in addition to a new hidden burrow, rolling hill and stream. These environments enable children to develop skills for life through free play, building their confidence, strength, resilience and social skills.
There is a pond to paddle in, a bug hotel that provides habitats for all sorts of wildlife, as well as a bee-friendly wildflower meadow.
The plant list includes Amelanchier lamarckii, Carpinus betulus, Tilia tomentosa, Viburnum opulus, Blechnum spicant among many. Find a complete list of plants and shrubs here. The garden brings to the life the beauty and joy of nature encouraging people of all ages to spend time outdoors.
Boulders, Moss, informal planting and running water give the garden a feeling of the undiscovered landscape, encouraging the passerby to slow down, stop and take in the view surrounded by the beauty of nature.
Craftsmen from The Prince’s Foundation Jonny Briggs and Jonny Anderson created the waterfall and wooden walkway. The Prince’s Foundation of Prince Charles works in the areas of communities, sustainable housing, traditional arts and skills and education.
The Royal School of Needlework created the den’s camo net from compostable materials. The school has a long-standing presence in Duchess life as the employee of school worked on her wedding dress in 2011.
Catherine, the mother of three children, was relaxed and enjoying her day out with small children. She loves kids and nature and this garden shows that love. From Hello Magzine’s report,
Kate, 37, spotted that Khareesha James, eight, was feeling shy as they visited her RHS Back to Nature Garden and took the schoolgirl into one a fabric-covered den for a private chat and told she likes to hide in them when she is feeling shy. Speaking afterwards Khareesha said: “I am shy and she said that’s where she goes when she’s shy – in the tent. Her mum Sophia Dowd told HELLO!: “Khareesha is very shy – she doesn’t talk too much to people – and she (Kate) took her over to speak to her. She was really nice with her.” Asked if the moment had helped her to feel better, Khareesha nodded yes. Khareesha later showed her appreciation for the royal pep talk by presenting Kate with a potted succulent she had decorated with stickers during an activity session at the garden. Kate also met Millie Allingham, eight, and her mum Nicky, who recently donated a kidney to her daughter at the hospital (sorry, didn’t ask when). Millie said: “I asked her what they (George and Charlotte) like in the garden and she said the waterfall. She (Kate) liked the waterfall and I liked it too. It was shimmering in the glowing light.
From the Telegraph’s report,
Kate told Jake Catling, director of the Landscaping Consultants – a bespoke garden construction business which built the garden: “I loved it. So many of them loved hopping over the stone and that’s so nice to see.” Mr Catling said after speaking to the duchess: “This was just a field and we brought in 18 articulated lorries worth of stuff in and we had a team of up to 20 people to build it. He added that Kate had requested the path across the water feature for George: “We made the stepping stones because Prince George wanted them. The kids loved jumping across it and it was down to Kate we got that in. The Duchess visited the site near Kingston in south-west London last Tuesday to help with the planting, and Mr Catling said she had been a useful member of the team. He said: “She was very hands on, it was fantastic. She came and did lots of planting and directing everyone around and got involved in the mulching.”
The Duchess of Cambridge was given a potted plant decorated by Khareeesha James, eight, who was visiting with the @AFNCCF pic.twitter.com/6L6EuD6OoF
— Emily Nash (@emynash) July 1, 2019
Before leaving, Catherine was presented with a potted plant decorated by Khareeesha James, an eight years old girl from Catherine’s patronage Anna Freud.
After Hampton Court Palace, the garden will be permanently located in its final place at the RHS garden at Wisley, in the Surrey hills south-west of London, in September. Read about the Garden in detail here, here and here.
As a long-standing advocate of physical and mental benefits of spending time outdoors with family, and the positive impact that nature and the environment can have on childhood development, The Duchess of Cambridge has joined forces with CBBC’s Children’s show, Blue Peter. She took part in a special segment that was broadcasted on Blue Peter on June 13, to encourage kids and families to spend ’10to 15 minutes’ playing outside as often as possible. The winner of the Blue Peter competition in which children will create a sculpture for the garden will be announced In September at the RHS garden at Wisley.
Catherine has also collaborated with RHS to create a set of five activity cards designed to inspire children to engage with gardens and nature. These step-by-step guides take inspiration from elements of the Duchess’ RHS Back to Nature Garden. Read more about it here.
For the visit, Duchess debuted another beautiful summer dress. She wore a short-sleeved printed flowing dress from Sandro Paris. Huge thanks to Caroline Parr on Twitter for quick id. It is the first time Duchess is wearing the label.
The £260 Midi length printed dress featured a geometric print, v- neckline with pleated detailing, a defined waist with pleats and covered buttons with short sleeves and concealed zip fastening at the back.
A closer look at the print.
Catherine paired the dress with her Castaner Carina Wedges debuted in May this year when she took Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis to her Back to Nature Garden in Chelsea Flower Show.
and Accessorize Polly Petal Drop Earrings also debuted in May on the same day.
In another new, Roya Reporter Richard Palmer revealed that Kensington Palace has changed its policy about disclosing Catherine’s clothing details. Before this palace usually informed reporters about what Duchess is wearing but this is the second time in a row when Palace refused to say anything about sartorial details.
For all the fashion lovers, Middleton Maven on Twitter noted that &Other Stories Floral Ruffled Maxi Dress that Duchess wore in May to take her kids to her garden is back in store. The $119 dress was an instant hit.
Wimbledon has started today, so I am expecting Duchess to see in the royal box at least two times in the next days.