Queen Elizabeth. now 83, has given the royal seal of approval to the “grow-your-own” movement.
For the first time since the war, fruit and vegetables are to be found in an 39-acre, allotment-sized plot in the gardens of Buckingham Palace.
The crops will obviously not be able to sustain the royal family and palace staff, but it does do away with the inconvenience of having to be on a waiting list for an allotment which can be up to 40 years in some London boroughs.
Fresh tomatoes, beans, onions, leeks, carrots and other homegrown produce will be taken to the palace kitchen, and the first harvest, which was a selection of Cambridge Favourite strawberries, was served to the Queen and Prince Philip, on his 88th birthday last week.
Other heads of state are jumping on the gardeing bandwagon, and while First Lady Michelle Obama is in charge of a White House herb and vegetable garden, the Queen’s plans are said to have been devised long before the President Obama’s inauguration.
Buckingham Palace’s plot is not in an ideal location, but it is the only open space available, because everything is so landscaped.
Partially-shaded by a 100-year-old mulberry bush, propagated from one of Shakespeare’s trees, the plot is protected from mammals (other than the royal corgi) by the palace’s high walls and electric fencing.
Liquid seaweed is being used to feed the plants and garlic to deter any aphids. Mulch from the palace compost pile was used, and the palace well will irrigate the crops.
Garden party guests, and visitors taking the new £20 guided garden tour, will be able to see the allotment. The Queen herself will miss out on some of the allotment’s first harvests, because she will be on her annual summer vacation at Balmoral as much of it begins to fruit and ripen.
For in-depth gardening articles, tutorials, gardening tips and gardening advice visit our main gardening website at Weekend Gardener Monthly Web Magazine
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