This month, we say hello to full-time gardener Anna, our next gardener under the spotlight. Anna, who is celebrating her first year at Highgrove, talks about her experiences and time working at Highgrove and her recent involvement in preparing the Carpet Garden for its grand reopening in May.
Originally hailing from Bristol, Anna is an integral member of the full-time Gardening Team at Highgrove Gardens. Despite initially pursuing a career in chemistry and completing a Master’s Degree from The University of Sheffield during the COVID-19 pandemic, Anna’s passion for gardening took precedence.
“I always associated gardening with my grandparents; they’ve always had beautiful gardens, and I have lots of childhood memories from being there,” says Anna.
“I didn’t actually do any gardening myself (unless you count spotting wildlife in ponds or harvesting a handful of tomatoes) until my early 20s, when I worked for a local garden maintenance company, and I’ve loved gardening ever since,” she says.
She then founded her own garden maintenance business, Queen of Spades Garden Care, where she could channel her enthusiasm for horticulture.
“I love being outdoors in the fresh air, and gardening helped get me through lockdown,” explains Anna.
Anna embarked on The RHS Level 2 Certificate in the Principles and Practices of Horticulture to enhance her skills in the field while simultaneously managing her business. This comprehensive program gave Anna an in-depth understanding of various horticultural practices, including safety protocols and sustainable principles, which she has since applied in her work.
Fast forward to September 2022, and Anna was taken on as a contractor at Highgrove Gardens, working two days a week while still running her maintenance business.
“After experiencing what life was like working as a gardener at Highgrove and getting to know the team, I wanted to be part of it,” says Anna.
She then applied for a full-time position at Highgrove and has worked here for 11 months.
Anna, who became a part of the team less than a year ago, continues to absorb valuable knowledge and experience from the gardening team as she contributes to the upkeep of an expansive garden throughout the changing seasons.
“I really enjoy working with fellow gardening colleagues, learning horticultural skills from them, and putting them into practice myself,” says Anna.
While working alongside the gardening team, Anna contributes her expertise in every corner of the garden and actively engages in a range of gardening activities, spanning from harvesting vegetables in the Kitchen Garden to cultivating trees in the Arboretum.
One area of the garden Anna particularly enjoys working in and seeing how it develops throughout the seasons is the Kitchen Garden.
“I’ve not experienced anything like working in a Kitchen Garden before, and there’s so much involved with the upkeep as it’s a working garden,” explains Anna.
“I’ve learned how to make a lot of the willow structures that help the fruit and vegetables grow, which visitors will be able to see when they visit on Garden Tours, and these are all made from materials grown on site—it’s a great accomplishment to be able to see my work on display!”
A significant project that Anna took part in this year revolved around preparing the Carpet Garden for its eagerly anticipated reopening in May.
Having been an RHS Chelsea Flower Show entry in 2001 and receiving the highly esteemed Silver-Gilt medal from the Royal Horticulture Society, the Carpet Garden opens up to Garden Tours during the same week the show is held.
“A lot of effort goes into making it look just right, ready for the reopening,” says Anna.
Anna was assigned a few roles within the Carpet Garden, including planting some of the borders and tying climbers to the walls so they flower beautifully.
“The main job I was involved in was tying in the Clematis so that the side walls were as full of flowers as possible without pulling themselves off their supports,” says Anna.
“I also helped plant some of the borders with salvia and Verbena bonariensis, two gorgeous lavender-purple herbaceous plants that stand out against the greens within the Carpet Garden,” she continues.
One challenging task Anna faced was moving many tender plants from the glasshouses and cold frames on the estate into their summer positions.
“There are a lot of tender plants in the Carpet Garden, as well as plants that spend the winter months in the glasshouses, many of which are quite big,” says Anna.
“There are the beautiful pelargoniums to pot up and place all around the perimeter and on the fountain steps, and the calamondin and lemon trees are huge, so it was a great effort from the team to move them all into specific positions within the garden.”
Anna and the team completed all these tasks excellently while adhering to a strict deadline. They all did a great job!
Anna expressed that since working in the Carpet Garden, it has become one of her favourite gardens to return to.
“Anytime I go back into the Carpet Garden to water or remove deadheads, I always take in the sweet scent and the bright colours from the eye-catching colour palette,” says Anna.
“The calming sound of the water from the fountain, along with it being a secluded garden, really makes it a tranquil space and a very peaceful place to visit.”
Be sure to keep an eye out for the forthcoming 2024 Garden Tour ticket releases and witness the Carpet Garden in all of its splendour.
The sale of Highgrove Products, Garden Tours and Events support and enable the life and work of The King’s Foundation.
