WE SALUTE YOU MA’AM!
Queen Elizabeth II was known for her love of plants and gardens, became patron of horticultural societies and charities and loved visiting shows and events
Among her many interests, a love of the countryside, the natural world, plants and gardens was an enduring thread that ran through the life of our late monarch. She became patron of the RHS after her accession in 1952, attending the Chelsea show more than 50 times.
She was also patron of Fields in Trust, a charity protecting parks and green spaces for the public. She understood the importance of gardening in society, taking pride in developing the gardens of the Royal properties at
Balmoral, Windsor, Sandringham and Buckingham Palace.
It’s fitting that while in Scotland her casket was adorned with a wreath of flowers taken from the gardens at Balmoral, composed of white phlox, dahlia, sweet pea and heather. During her reign she is said to have planted more than 1,500 ceremonial trees, placing their critical importance at the centre of her Platinum Jubilee initiative, ‘The Queen’s Green Canopy’, which encouraged everyone in the country to plant trees to help mitigate climate change.