Back to Nature Garden

This year due to the COVID 19, the Chelsea Flower show has gone digital. To mark the show that falls in the Mental Health Awareness Week, Palace released a new behind the scene picture of the Duchess of Cambridge working on her ‘Back to Nature’ Garden in 2019. Catherine is balancing on two rocks and getting a plant that she planted on the other side.

The Royal Horticulture Society’s Chelsea Flower Show has been a prominent part of the Royal Family’s social calendar. The Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show was founded in 1804 by Sir Joseph Banks and John Wedgewood. The charity aims to enrich lives through plants and make the UK a greener place. Known then as the Great Spring Show, the first Chelsea Flower Show took place in 1913 and was attended by Queen Alexandra. Queen became Patron of the Royal Horticultural Society in 1952, after ascending to the throne. The Queen made her first visit to Chelsea as Monarch in 1955 and has attended most years since.

In May 2019, the Duchess of Cambridge designed a beautiful ‘Back to Nature’ Garden for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. It was announced in January 2019, that the Duchess of Cambridge was set to co-design a garden named ‘Back to Nature’ that was going to be part of May 2019’s Chelsea Flower show.

The Duchess of Cambridge, Andrée Davies and Adam White (of Davies White Landscape Architects), and the RHS revealed plans for their ‘Back to Nature Garden’ in February 2019. The woodland wilderness garden aimed to get people back to nature and highlight the benefits of the natural world on our mental and physical wellbeing. The design includes many natural elements that aim to stimulate active play, promoting the benefits of laying the foundations of physical health from a young age. Tree stumps, stepping stones and a hollow log will test and improve children’s balance, strength and coordination.

To inspire families to get outside and explore nature together, the garden was designed to have a natural woodland feel and contain lots of unique design features. The garden’s centrepiece was a high platform treehouse, clad in staghorn oak that is inspired by a bird or animal nest, providing a wonderful place to retreat and look out through the trees.

Ahead of the show, Catherine and William brought Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis to the garden, where kids had a great time. Palace released pictures and videos of the day. Inspired from both of Cambridge residences – Kensington Palace and Anmer Hall, as well as the Duchess’ Childhood and her kid’s life, this woodland garden was a place to retreat from the world, to play, learn and discover as well as create special family memories.

The Duchess, who usually stays private,  gave a candid interview in which she said,

“It really ties into some of the early years work I’ve been doing, and I’ve been really trying to learn about the impact, the importance and relationship of our early childhood experiences on our later adult life. An amazing fact I learned recently was that 90% of our adult brains are developed before that age of five. That’s why I think it’s so important that all of us whether we’re parents or carers or families members really engage in quality time with children and babies from a really, really young age. I really hope this woodland we’ve created, in a huge collaboration, really inspires families and kids and communities in general to get outside. Enjoy nature. Enjoy the outdoors and really spend quality time together”.

A video of Catherine showing her garden to the Queen.

The Duchess’s Back to Nature garden in 2019 aimed to highlight the physical and mental health benefits of the natural world and inspire children, families, and communities to enjoy the great outdoors. After being a hit among the visitors at Chelsea, the garden was relocated to the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival in July 2019, where Catherine invited children from her patronages to a picnic in the garden.

Finally, in September 2019, The Duchess of Cambridge opened the Back to Nature play garden at RHS Wisley, and attended the Back to Nature festival with RHS Ambassador Mary Berry, celebrating the value of communities to wellbeing and marked the culmination of the RHS garden project.

The Queen sent a message to RHS earlier this week on the first day of the virtual Chelsea Flower Show. The members of the Royal Family selected their choices of the flower to mark the opening of the annual show. The Queen has chosen lily of the valley, pictured here in the Buckingham Palace gardens. Lily of the valley featured in Her Majesty’s coronation bouquet and has held special associations since. For six days in May (18th-23rd), the RHS will celebrate the essence of Chelsea with a packed timetable of events.

Check out all the details of the ‘Back to Nature’ Garden here.

In the new picture, The Duchess of Cambridge was wearing Zara solid brown-green long-sleeved button-down shirt. Thanks to @georgiesmum2 on Twitter for the id.

@katesclosetau found this stock photo of the sold-out shirt. The shirt featured ruched detailing and v-neckline. Catherine paired the shirt with blue denim.

She was wearing her Superga 2750 Cotu Classic Shoes

and Sapphire and Diamond Diana Earrings.
Embed from Getty Images

On Monday morning, Duchess of Cambridge was back to Chelsea garden. But this visit was more special for her. She was there to see the final outcome of her RHS ‘Back to Nature’ Garden that she co-designed with award-winning Landscape Architects Andree Davies and Adam White, of Davies White Landscape Architects before it opens for public. Later in the evening, Duchess will join Her Majesty the Queen and members of the royal family to view the garden.

The Garden is a woodland setting for families and communities, and encourages all generations, from all backgrounds, to connect with nature and enjoy growing plants for their health and wellbeing and highlights how being active in nature can positively impact our physical and mental health.

The Duchess also took the opportunity to thank the incredible team of collaborators who have been involved in RHS ‘Back to Nature’ Garden project.

Catherine was joined by local schoolchildren for some outdoor activities, including reed boat baking and marshmallow toasting.

Palace shared a video of Duchess talking about her garden and its importance. Duchess said,

“It really ties into some of the early years work I’ve been doing and I’ve been really trying to learn about the impact, the importance and relationship of our early childhood experiences on our later adult life. An amazing fact I learned recently was that 90% of our adult brains are developed before that age of five. That’s why I think it’s so important that all of us whether we’re parents or carers or families members really engage in quality time with children and babies from a really, really young age. I hope that this woodland that we have created here really inspires families, kids and communities to get outside, enjoy nature and the outdoors and spend quality time together.”

During the visit, country girl Catherine took a turn to climb to the treehouse that is the centrepiece of the garden. The high platform treehouse is inspired by a bird or animal nest and provides a wonderful place to retreat and look out through the trees. The treehouse is made from chestnut, is hazel, staghorn oak and larch nest cladding.

Giving the amazing design another personal touch, Duchess chose boulder hopping in the Lake District as a treasured childhood memory.

Yesterday Palace released fantastic pictures and a video of Cambridge kids enjoying her mummy’s garden in which it was revealed that Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis have helped The Duchess gather moss, leaves and twigs to help decorate the Back to Nature Garden. Hazel sticks collected by the family were also used to make the garden’s den.

About Duchess visit Hello reported,

“The Duchess of Cambridge has admitted her children surprised her during their visit to her woodland garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. When she returned to the garden on Monday morning to show it to a group of schoolchildren, Kate revealed: “The children played last night in a way I hadn’t imagined. They were throwing stones. I hadn’t actually thought that that was what they would be doing”.

“They kicked their shoes off, and wanted to paddle in the stream… using it in a way that I hadn’t anticipated,” she added.As she helped children from two local primary schools make little boats from reeds and launch them into the stream, Kate got down on her knees and told them: “Now we need sticks to get these ones going”.

Once again keeping her looks casual, Duchess chose a smart look. She was wearing Mabel Shirt by M.I.H. Jeans.

The $325 cotton shirt available on Orchard Mile is described as, “A broderie Anglaise shirt with scallop trim on the neck and puffed sleeves”.

Duchess paired the shirt with Buttoned Culotte trousers by Spanish brand Massimo Dutti. The $110 trouser was a perfect choice for the outing. Plain culotte fit trousers feature a front button fastening, two side pockets, two back patch pockets with flaps, and belt loops.

Middleton Maven noted on twitter that Duchess has chosen an old belt style from Massimo Dutti.

She paired the look with her Superga Cotu Sneakers

Her Monica Vinader Siren Earrings

and Cartier Ballon Bleu watch finished the look.

In the evening, we will see Duchess back at the garden with the Queen and members of the Royal Family.