Prince Charles stops to smell the roses in Poundbury

Lucy Simpson, manager at Poundbury Gardens, presents HRH The Prince of Wales with an old fashioned yellow shrub rose, named Charlotte. Picture courtesy of Neil Crick ARPS.

On Friday 8 May 2015, HRH The Prince of Wales was welcomed by the team at Poundbury Gardens in Dorchester, during a royal visit made to officially open the Poundbury Cancer Institute within the community built according to the Prince’s own planning ideals.

To mark the occasion, Lucy Simpson, manager at Poundbury Gardens, presented Prince Charles with an old fashioned shrub rose, sparking the Prince’s keen interest in horticulture as he set about identifying the specific type of rose set before him.

In the words immortalised by William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet”, but a mere six days after the birth of his first granddaughter, this yellow David Austin rose named Charlotte was perhaps a particularly poignant gift for His Royal Highness to receive.

Lucy explains; 

“It was an absolute honour to meet Prince Charles and to welcome him back to the garden centre that he officially opened in 2006. The community of Poundbury owes so much to the Prince’s own vision and personal dedication, so it always a pleasure to see him return and show such a great interest in the area’s development.”

For more information about The Gardens Group visit www.thegardeneronline.co.uk.