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Although they may seem like just another part of a busy spring garden, bees and other pollinators have a crucial role in the survival of our ecosystems, especially here at Highgrove. World Bee Day takes place on the 20th of May every year and was created by the United Nations to raise awareness of the importance of pollinators, the threats they face, and their contribution to sustainable development. In this regard, let's look at the role bees play at Highgrove, what we've done to support them, where they live, and where you can purchase their delicious honey.
Our trusted beekeepers from The London Honey Co.
Detailed designs on one of the three ornate oak bee hives
The honeybees help produce honey for two of our organic honey varieties
The bees come alive in the spring, and a new queen emerges from the hives. The bees get to work foraging on the terrific pollen and nectar of the gardens' hedgerows, hawthorn flowers, and fruit trees at Highgrove, especially the orchard flowers, including the comfrey, foxgloves, and other early blooms that occupy the surrounding gardens and fields. From late June to early July, they forage around the Lime Tree Avenue.
If you attend one of our terrific garden tours, be sure to look out for the buzzing bees, particularly in the Kitchen Garden, Wildflower Meadow and Lime Tree Avenue!
Fortnum & Mason gifted three unvarnished English oak hives, each with a unique design, for His Majesty's 70th birthday. The hives took nearly a year to complete and were designed by architect Anthony Paine to blend into the gardens' surroundings.
They are positioned in the Wildflower Meadow and Lime Tree Avenue and remain untreated to ensure that they season over the coming years. Their primary mission is to provide a safe haven for bees, whose global population is declining. The hives also yield the delectable Royal Estate Honey, a true royal treat used and sold on the Estate and at Highgrove shops.
Our beekeepers at The London Honey Co. employ a unique and sustainable slow beekeeping process, free from pesticides or insecticides. This method allows for the production of a diverse range of honey across the picturesque British countryside, each with its distinctive flavour.
The London Honey Co. helps us produce two seasonal honey harvests: Royal Estate Honey, gathered from the three ornate oak bee hives, and Royal Garden Honey, gathered from the beehives situated in the Wildflower Meadow.
As a member of Slow Food UK and accredited to the Soil Association, The London Honey Co. supports the cause of changing the way we eat, farm, and care for our natural world.
Bees are in a critical state. Human activities have accelerated species extinction rates to 100 to 1,000 times higher than average. A shocking 35% of invertebrate pollinators, including bees and butterflies, are on the brink of global extinction.
If this trend continues, nutritious crops such as fruits, vegetables, and nuts will be increasingly replaced by staple crops like rice, corn, and potatoes, leading to an imbalanced diet.
Alongside our trusty beekeepers, we ensure that the Gardens at Highgrove are evenly distributed with honeybees, providing ample nectar and pollen for all pollinators. From our stunning orchards to Lime Tree Avenue, the diverse planting at Highgrove supports the well-being of bees and helps us produce the finest honey.
We all depend on pollinators, so we must do our part to halt biodiversity loss. Here’s a few ways we can help:
⬡ grow bee-friendly plants, such as single, open flowers
⬡ avoid using hazardous chemicals and use peat-free compost
⬡ make a bee bath or small water fountain
⬡ allow your lawn to grow wild for a month
⬡ buy locally made honey
Highgrove sells a range of entirely organic honey, ranging from the Royal Estate Honey, which is soft in texture with floral notes and a distinctive zesty lime flavour, and made by bees from the three royal beehives on the estate to the Orchard Spring and Summer Honey gathered in the orchards at Highgrove, and the Transylvanian honey range collected from the biodiverse meadows of Saschiz in Transylvania, an area of outstanding natural beauty and a favourite walking destination of His Majesty The King.
They are perfect for hot-buttered toast and breakfast pastries, drizzled over porridge, or swirled into a steaming cup of tea. Our fantastic range of honey is available to purchase in-store and online.
The sale of Highgrove Products, Garden Tours and Events support and enable the life and work of The King’s Foundation.