The blooms and branches selected to decorate St. George’s Chapel at the royal event are English garden favorites
houzz has shared this timely article for the romantics and royalty-watchers among our readers. Enjoy!
Between the gown and the regal fanfare, the wedding between Great Britain’s Prince Harry and American actress Meghan Markle on May 19 will give royal-watchers plenty of style details to discuss. One aspect we’re already eager to emulate is the floral design.
Kensington Palace announced on Easter Sunday that the couple had chosen London-based florist Philippa Craddock to create the arrangements for the big day and revealed that royal parks The Crown Estate and Windsor Great Park would provide a lovely array of florals and other natural elements to deck out the Windsor Castle ceremony space, St. George’s Chapel. The list of plants sounded familiar, so we dug up a few of our favorite Houzz garden articles that feature the royal pair’s chosen greenery, and tips on how you can cultivate the plants in your garden from the comfort of your own castle.
White Roses
The official description of the royal couple’s flowers said the selection will include white garden roses, a staple of elegant gardens that comes in a wide range of forms. We’re not sure which varietal the prince and Markle opted for, but whether they were looking for the sweetest smelling or the brightest white, different white roses offer different perks and require different growing conditions. The ‘Garden Party’ hybrid tea rose shown here, for instance, offers a rich white color tinged with pale pink, and a strong fragrance, but it can be susceptible to disease. It does best in USDA plant hardiness zones 5 to 9.
Other types, like this ‘Moondance’ rose, offer long stems (generally 14 to 18 inches) perfect for snipping and slipping into a vase or a royal wedding bouquet. ‘Moondance’ grows up to 6 feet tall in zones 5 to 9 and blooms in clusters in late spring or early summer.
See more types of white garden roses | How to Grow Roses in Pots
Beech (Fagus sylvatica, zones 4 to 7)
Beech is among the branches that will be on display at the ceremony, though it’s unclear exactly what type will be used. The European, or common, beech isn’t so common in the U.S., but it works well for adding color and structure to a winter garden hedge. A mature beech can rise up to 60 feet with a canopy that can spread out to 45 feet wide. It grows slowly, and likes full sunlight and moist soil.
Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus, zones 4 to 8)
Hornbeam comes in handy when you’re looking for a year-round garden screen. It’s one of only a handful of plants that holds on to its dead leaves throughout the winter (a characteristic known as marcescence).
Fresh leaves appear in the spring. It’s a hardy, narrow hedge or tree that thrives with pruning.
Birch (Betula pendula, zones 2 to 7)
“Birch branches,” which is how the palace described it, could also mean many different types. European white birch (Betula pendula) is a bit smaller than its North American paper birch cousin (B. papyrifera), but both are known for their striking pale bark. The narrow plant doesn’t require a lot of upkeep, growing easily in moist, well-drained soil. Mature birch trees can get 30 to 40 feet tall.
White peonies
Peonies (Paeonia, zones 3 to 8)
Classic peonies come in a rainbow of colors and don’t require a lot of maintenance. They work just as well as a pop of fun in your garden as they do at a formal event like a wedding. These tough, traditional perennials tend to do better in cooler climates, but they can handle different soil types as long as the soil stays relatively well drained. They can blossom in the same place for up to 15 years.
Foxgloves (Digitalis purpurea, zones 5 to 9)
A cottage-style garden go-to and a favorite of hummingbirds, foxgloves love the shade. The bell-shaped blooms don’t flower until their second year, so they need to be planted two years in a row if you want blossoms each summer. But be warned: Foxgloves are poisonous.
Pollinator-Friendly Wildflowers
The royal couple’s decision to celebrate locally sourced, sustainable plants extends to their dessert menu as well. Their buttercream lemon elderflower cake will be decorated with fresh flowers.
In the same spirit, additional pollinator-friendly plants will be used in the wedding decor from the royal parks’ wildflower fields. “These plants provide a great habitat for bees and help to sustain healthy and biodiverse ecosystems,” the palace announced on Instagram.
Stocking your garden with plants that keep bees and butterflies happy and nourished can also help them produce berries and fruit in the fall and winter, so it’s a win-win.
Plus, as with crowning your garden or yard with any of these additions, you’ll know your planting choice gets the royal stamp of approval.
