The green-fingered King! Charles proudly reveals how he 'tackled' Highgrove gardens to transform 'jungle' into stunning outside space which 'complements' the house in a new Channel 5 documentary

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King Charles has proudly revealed how he 'tackled' the gardens at his home of Highgrove in a new documentary set to air tomorrow night.

The monarch appears in The Cotswolds & Beyond with Pam Ayres, which airs at 8pm on Channel 5, as he offers the presenter a tour of his gardens at the Gloucestershire estate.

The estate, which Charles bought in 1980, boasts a residence of suitable stature for any reigning monarch. A nine-bedroom, six-bathroom mansion, and once home of Maurice Macmillan, son of the former Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, it has beautiful interiors by the late decorator Robert Kime.

But the property is also as modern and environmentally-friendly as possible, being fitted with solar panels and a natural sewage filtering system, no doubt on the King's demands.  

Yet it is the gardens that are perhaps the most important aspect to the estate. 

In the programme, which was filmed ahead of the Queen's death in September, King Charles recalled how the gardens were 'a jungle' when he moved in, adding: 'Half the battle, I think, is walking around enough times and suddenly an idea will come, a bit of inspiration.'

King Charles has proudly revealed how he 'tackled' the gardens at his home of Highgrove in a new documentary set to air tomorrow night

The then-Prince of Wales personally escorted Pam on a guided tour of the gorgeous gardens that he has designed and nurtured over the last four decades.

Along the way, The Prince and Pam discussed his passion for gardening, his commitment to the environment and how sustainability is at the heart of everything he’s done at Highgrove.

During the discussion, Charles said he 'absolutely' did not have a plan for his gardens at Highgrove when he bought the property.

The King said he completed it 'one bit at a time'.

 The estate, which Charles bought in 1980, boasts a residence of suitable stature for any reigning monarch - it has nine-bedrooms and is modern and environmentally-friendly

He added: 'I had some a bit of advice from  a marvelous person called Lady Salisbury who knew a lot about it. That was how to complement and set the house in a bit of a frame. 

'I realised, bit by bit, I wanted to have a path all the way around the outside of the lawn and linked all the different bits.

'One by one I tackled, they were all jungles when I came...'

Speaking ahead of the programme airing, Pam said: 'We approached Highgrove for this new series and I sent HRH The Prince of Wales a poem I had written about hedgerows and how valuable they are to wildlife. 

'During our filming HRH certainly said he liked my poem, so who knows, maybe that swayed him into opening his garden to us!

In the programme, which was filmed ahead of the Queen's death in September, King Charles recalled how the gardens were 'a jungle' when he moved in

'So he was happy to take part, which was great for us and it was lovely to chat to him. He was very easy to talk to. 

'He showed me around and we talked about the garden and all the beautiful wild orchids he's got there and how he's got these wonderful hedgehog escapes in his ponds.

'If hedgehogs fall in, unlike in a lot of ponds where they've got vertical sides and they just drown, in his ponds they can scramble out. 

'It was so fantastic to hear about these nice little touches like that he's got in the gardens. 

'We also talked about the sad fact that so many wild animals, species and insects have declined and whether anything can be done to reverse it.'    

The then-prince enjoying his wild garden and spring time daffodils on his estate in April 2022. The gardens now boast many rare trees and flowers 

Over the past four decades, with the help of highly regarded gardeners like Rosemary Verey and Miriam Rothschild, Charles has transformed the gardens of Highgrove.

Not only are there large numbers of rare trees, flowers and heirloom seeds, there is also a wild garden, a formal garden and a walled kitchen garden.

Another haven is the Woodland Garden featuring two classical temples made from green oak and a stumpery - a garden feature similar to a rockery but made from parts of dead trees, especially stumps.

So impressive are these gardens they now attract 30,000 visitors a year, with tours taking just under two hours.

Prince Charles and Princess Diana pictured here in the wildflower meadow of Highgrove with their two young boys. The family spent most weekends here when the children were young

But to the King, they are clearly more than a visitor attraction; they are a place to 'soothe' the soul.

In the 2014 book, Highgrove: A Garden Celebrated, Charles wrote his efforts represented '...one very small attempt to heal the appalling short-sighted damage done to the soil, the landscape and our own souls'.

He added: 'Some may not like it, others may scoff that it is not in the real world or it is merely an expensive indulgence. 

'Whatever the case, my enduring hope is that those who visit the garden may find something to inspire, excite, fascinate or soothe them'.

Prince Charles tending his herb garden at Highgrove in 1986. The King has long spoken of his love of nature and the need to care for the environment

Paying further homage to them, the King recently created a perfume with the help of British perfume house Penhaligon's inspired by the floral scents of summer. 

Called Penhaligons Highgrove Bouquet Eau de Parfum, it is described as a 'crisp, confident burst of warm energy' opening with 'vibrant lavender and geranium' with the odour of 'blossoming weeping silver lime'.

So important are these gardens and outdoor space, the King has added to the estate over the years and now owns around 1,900 acres of strictly organically-farmed land.

But as soothing as these gardens are, there is more to Highgrove that has helped lodge it so deep in the King's heart.

For - like Balmoral to the Queen - Highgrove is brimming with memories and family connections. Princess Anne, for instance, the King's sister, lives six miles away at Gatcombe Park, while Camilla's private home, Ray Mill House, in Wiltshire is just a thirty-minute drive away.

Camilla, the new Queen Consort, pictured at Highgrove in July 2022 to mark her 75th birthday. She is said to enjoy gardening at the estate 

Following Charles' first marriage to Princess Diana in 1980, it became their marital and later family home. After Prince William and Harry were born, the family spent most weekends there, with Diana voicing her dislike for the countryside retreat.

She preferred the city life available to her from Kensington, but she also reportedly disliked the Gloucestershire home as it was so close to Camilla, who lived nearby.

Andrew Morton wrote in his tell-all biography Diana: Her True Story, that Diana referred to her trips to their Gloucestershire home as 'a return to prison' and 'rarely invited her family or friends'.

Of course, since Diana's tragic death and Charles' subsequent marriage to Camilla in 2005, Highgrove has become a popular base for the couple when they do not have royal engagements in London.

Handily, Camilla shares a love of gardening with her husband. She recently told Homes and Gardens magazine how much she enjoyed planting, weeding and just being creative.

She said, 'It's just one of the most relaxing things anyone can do. Go into the garden, get on with it.' 

The Cotswolds & Beyond with Pam Ayres - Friday 7 October at 8pm on Channel 5