The Duchess of Cambridge’s Back to Nature garden is now free to visit at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival for the month of July.
As part of her push to inspire families to spend time in outdoors, the Duchess has opened the garden once again to the public – in addition to the 19,500 visitors who saw it at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show – but in a new spot.
The garden at Hampton Court Palace is double the size of the Chelsea original. It has the same “wild and natural feel”, but has been developed to create additional opportunities for children and families.
As well as the hollow log and rustic dens, the garden has a new hidden burrow, rolling hill and stream. There’s also a pond to paddle in, a bug hotel that provides habitats for all sorts of wildlife, and a bee-friendly wildflower meadow.
[Read More: George, Charlotte and Louis visit Chelsea Flower Show garden created by mother Kate in adorable new royal photos]
The Duchess has spoken of the role spending time outdoors can play in children’s health and happiness – and her garden aims to highlight how time spent in nature builds the foundations for physical and mental wellbeing.
When she took her own family to visit the garden in Chelsea, Prince George was asked by his father to mark his mother’s efforts out of 10. “20!” he replied, to which William said: “That’s pretty good. Mummy has done well!”
[Read More: How nature improves your mental health]
On Monday, the Duchess hosted a picnic in the garden for the charities she patrons – including children from the Anna Freud Centre, Evelina Children’s Hospital, Action for Children and Place2Be.
She joined them in a treasure hunt and some insect spotting before having a picnic in the middle of the garden.
