The Glory of the (Royal) Garden
Sanderson’s Highgrove collection honours King Charles III’s Gloucestershire garden
Officially launched at RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Sanderson’s latest collection celebrates His Majesty King Charles III’s garden at his private residence in Gloucestershire, Highgrove. This celebrated site, brought back to life in the 1980s and now considered one of the jewels of English gardening, brought forth ample inspiration for Sanderson’s designers, who delved into its own archive to reimagine original documents that capture the spirit of the place, as well as creating new designs in-house.
Many of the designs are named after the various garden ‘rooms’, offering a tour of Highgrove via the media of fabrics and wallcoverings, including ‘The Stumpery’, ‘Carpet Garden’ and ‘Wildflower Meadow’. There are traditional chintzes of the type that Sanderson is so well know for, such as ‘Hydrangea & Rose’ (above left), as well as designs with a more architectural feel, like ‘Shand Gate’, an embroidery inspired by the 18th-century Indian doors that form the entrance to the cottage garden.
The way that the gardens have been translated is thoughtful, creative and beautiful: ‘Kitchen Garden’ wallcovering and complementary embroidered fabric (above centre) references the pears, apples, gooseberries and runner beans grown in Highgrove’s namesake garden, pulled together by a trailing ribbon motif that nods to the pleached apple tunnel. ‘Highgrove Toile’ fabric and wallcovering (above right) is a traditional toile from the archive, but with some personalised touches – look closer to see the garden’s oak summerhouse, topiary yew hedges and a bust of the king.
The collection was developed in close collaboration with Highgrove and in partnership with The King’s Foundation, the custodian of Highgrove Gardens. Rebecca Craig, Sanderson’s lead designer, describes the project as “a designer’s dream. It has been such an honour to work with Highgrove and The King’s Foundation to explore the gardens, learn about the incredible ecosystem, and discover the devotion behind each unique landscape and its meaning.
“Every garden at Highgrove has a story to tell.”
