Inside Charles’ transformation of Highgrove: When the King bought his Gloucestershire home in 1980, its gardens were a scene of neglect – but the King has turned them into the envy of the world, writes BRIAN HOEY

Since 1980, when he first bought Highgrove, King Charles has spent hundreds of hours and thousands of pounds developing his gardens into some of the most beautiful in Britain.

He is supported by a team of experts, but everything in his Gloucestershire garden bears his mark.

They all knew that Charles had to be consulted before they could cut down a tree or remove a bush.

He had and retains a single concept. It is that there should be nothing – tree, shrub, fern or even one plant – that is not one hundred percent necessary.

When he first saw them, the gardens were a disgrace. It was also the first time that I was allowed to see a royal residence or garden.

Even then it was a rare privilege. But for years no one had cared about the animals in Highgrove.

They were a scene of total neglect. The fifteen hectares that Charles has turned into a place where people come from all over the world once looked more like a meadow than gardens.

But more than fifty years of hard work – including by Charles himself – has transformed the gardens into some of the most inspiring and innovative in the UK.

They are open to the public from April to October and all proceeds from the gates and tours and from sales in the Highgrove Shop are donated to charity.

In addition to his royal heritage, King Charles III has plenty to be proud of.

Since 2021, The King’s Foundation has officially been in charge of the gardens. They recently exhibited at the Chelsea Flower Show, the highlight of the gardening year.

Charles made his traditional visit to Queen Camilla and was crowned King of the Compost by children. He was very amused.

Back in Highgrove there are many highlights of the gardens including the Stumpery.

The Victorians first came up with the idea of ​​planting ferns between tree stumps, rather than letting them become useless eye sores.

When the King was Prince of Wales, his grandchildren enjoyed playing at Hollyrood House, a thatched tree house in a holly tree in Highgrove.

The Cottage Garden has two sides: the New Cottage and the Old Cottage. Charles loves colors and was inspired by the vibrant, bright hues he saw during his first visits to the Far East.

The Old Cottage is more English in style and colour, with shrubs, trees and conventional borders providing a calmer atmosphere.

The King has also ensured that his gardens are managed ethically. Everything that can be recycled is never lost. Biological methods and materials are at the heart of Highgrove.

There is a sundial garden, so named because of a gift of a sundial from the Duke of Beaufort.

It was originally designed as a rose garden by Lady Salisbury. The hedges have small ‘windows’ that reveal stone busts of Charles at different stages of his life.

Highgrove itself is organizing a Father’s Day lunch on Sunday 16 June. The costs are €57.

A look at the menu shows the value of the ticket. To start you will be greeted with a chilled glass of Highgrove Cuvee Champagne, followed by a magnificent three-course meal of smoked salmon, sirloin steak or Wellington mushrooms, with chocolate and mango crème brulee or Rhubarb Eton Mess for dessert.

Prince of Wales tea or fresh coffee with soft drinks are also offered for the young people.

And both fathers and sons will leave with a special Highgrove gift. But if you want to enter the gardens themselves, you will have to pay more.

They are living proof of Charles’ dedication and love of nature, but there is one irony in Highgrove.

Due to the hereditary ownership system, the property has now passed to Prince William, Prince of Wales, who inherited it as Duke of Cornwall.

So the king has to pay his son rent to visit and stay at Highgrove. How many? A pinch of £700,000.