The royal stamp of approval

This month, we’re celebrating the Royal Coronation of King Charles III. It’s no secret that he’s green-fingered. He tends to his own garden at Highgrove, and he’s written a book about it: The Elements of Organic Gardening! Plus, he’s been a patron of the National Garden Scheme since 2002. This scheme encourages over 3,500 private gardens to open to the public each year. The idea is to get people interested in, and inspired to grow and nurture, their own green space.

To mark the occasion, Royal Mail are releasing 10 special issue flower stamps. Not only will these be the first stamps to feature King Charles III, they’re to feature back garden favourites like Roses, Dahlias, Sunflowers, and Fuchsias. According to the Royal Mail, the simple purpose of the stamps is to reflect the King’s status as a ‘passionate gardener’. Long live the King!

To celebrate the release of these stamps, I’m going to share with you how you can incorporate these back garden favourites into yours. Creating what can only be described as a garden fit for a king!

Sweet Peas get their name from their honey-like aroma and range of beautiful colours of whites, pinks, and coral to name a few. You can grow them in pots, or trail them up a frame for a delicate floral display. Just make sure they’re somewhere you’re going to walk or stand nearby. You won’t want to miss out on their saccharine smell!

Plant your Sweet Peas seeds in Autumn or Spring. They like open, sunny positions, and well-drained soil. And when they reach around 10cm tall, pinch the tips to encourage bushy growth. Most varieties have tendrils. This makes them ideal for clinging to supports, like garden arches. Although some will need tying in.

Keep your Sweet Peas well-watered, but be careful not to overwater, as they can rot in wet, heavy soil. Once the flower buds appear, start feeding them with a high potash fertiliser. And remember, regular picking encourages growth, so don’t be afraid to fill your vase!

Irises are every gardener’s dream, a beautiful violet bloom that requires little effort to grow and maintain! Bearded Irises bear sword-like foliage and extravagant blooms from May to June. A regal addition to any garden border.

They enjoy well-drained soil in full sun. Make sure the rhizome of the Iris is sitting above soil level, as it needs the sun to encourage flower growth. They can be planted in autumn or spring. Just make sure you water them well.

Once they’ve flowered, deadhead your Irises, as you could be lucky enough to get a second flush. Then in the autumn, tidy the evergreen foliage by trimming it back to about 15cm. Also, divide the Bearded Iris every third year, to look after the parent plant and create baby plants.

Oriental Lilies are delicate flowers. Easily distinguishable by their delicate, trumpet-like flowers of rose-pink. Not only this, but they add a beautiful fruity scent to their surrounding areas, making them a great addition to almost any garden. Take this with a pinch of poison. Lilies are highly toxic to cats. So, if you have a feline friend, it might be worth skipping this beauty.

All Lilies need a sheltered, but sunny, spot to thrive. They favour acidic soil, so are best planted in containers of ericaceous compost. Plant the bulbs from October to April. Taller Lilies will require stake support. And as the plant begins to flower, give them tomato feed once a fortnight. Deadhead any spent blooms, and never cut flowering stems right back to soil level. Simply remove the top third!

This classic flower is a firm national favourite, and you can see why. This tall, vibrant plant adds a splash of golden sunshine to your garden, that you’ll be hard-pushed not to love. Plus, they’re great flowers to get kids growing, so why not take the opportunity to teach your children about the King’s Coronation?

Sow Sunflower seeds from April to May, in 10cm pots of peat-free multi-purpose compost. Then transfer them to the garden in early June, when the risk of frost has passed. They need good soil, supplemented with manure or compost if possible. Water them regularly and stake them if they get too tall. To give you an idea, the tallest currently recorded has reached 9.17 metres!

Sunflowers need, you guessed it, a sunny spot to grow! The magic for children comes when you see their large blooms follow the sun throughout the day. It’s a great way to bring the garden to life.  Plus, they should literally bring life to your garden too. Birds love to feast on the seeds once the flower heads begin to fade, so don’t chop it down too fast!

Fuchsias bring a tropical touch to borders and containers in warm, sheltered spots. They’re made distinctive by their hanging, bell-shaped flowers in shades of white, candy pink, magenta, purple, and red. It’s these colours that usually attract their main pollinators in Central and South America: Hummingbirds. Plus, the flowers and the small berries that follow are edible for humans. They make great dessert decorations, some even having a citrussy taste.

Plant spring or early summer. Fuchsia likes to be planted in the sun or in partial shade. But make sure it’s a sheltered spot, as their flowers can be easily blown off. They’re not fussy about soil type, so long as it drains well. It’s best to add some organic matter when planting. And make sure the soil is firm and watered well and regularly.

Fuchsias grow best in pots. With a trailing habit, they look elegant in hanging baskets and containers. They’re a great addition for if you want to lift the attention of your garden above ground level!

Tulips are spring flowers that are sure to evoke a sense of the crown jewels in your garden. Their rich shades from pink and purple, to yellow and orange, can transform a space from shady and drab, to vibrant and exciting.

Plant dry bulbs from September to November, when the plant is dormant. You don’t need perfect soil, just make sure it’s not water-logged! You’ll need to dig up the bulbs once they’ve finished flowering. They flower best in full sun.

Peonies have a great appearance, and a sense of regality about them. They have brilliant blooms of creams, pinks, yellows, and reds, which, when cared for, can grow to the size of dinner plates!

Peonies are slow-growers and late-bloomers but, believe me, they’re well worth the wait. Plant them in moist, well-drained soil, in full sun. They’re best planted in autumn or spring. Just make sure you don’t plant too deeply, as this will yield poor results.

Be wary that, because these gorgeous flowers can grow so big, larger varieties will need a support structure.

These are some of the quickest and easiest annuals to grow. Their vibrant blooms of fiery orange, salmon pink, and wine burgundy come out in midsummer and stick around until the first autumn frost. They look great in containers, borders, and climbing up wigwags or obelisks. And if that’s not enough to convince you, their leaves and flowers are also edible!

Sow Nasturtiums from March to May. Free-draining soil is essential, but they thrive in poor soils. Only water during dry spells, and once they’ve been hit by frosts, dig them up for your compost heap.

A symbol of love and passion, roses are classic and instantly recognisable flowers. Their beauty stands out from others, with their layers of delicate blooms. In fact, roses are often referred to as the royalty of the garden! Plus, they come in a range of beautiful colours, from pastel pinks, peaches, and creams, to bold, crimson reds.

There are lots of different Rose types out there, but generally, roses grow best in moist, fertile, and well-drained soils. Plus, they like a sunny position.

Make sure you don’t plant the rose too deeply. As you need to take care not to bury the stem. It’s also a good idea to add permanent staking, to prevent wind-rock, and stabilise the heavy top of the rose. Prune regularly but check what your specific breed needs before you get the secateurs out!

It wouldn’t be summer with Dahlias in the garden. These magnificent flowers come in every colour under the sun. From pastel to vibrant shades. So, you can feel sure there’s a Dahlia out there to suit you and your garden.

They need fertile, moist, but well-drained soil and a sunny sheltered spot to grow. Plant in mid to late May. Dahlias like plenty of room to grow, so place them around 60cm apart.

Dahlias grow fast and have a tendency to flop, so make your you provide ample support for those with larger flower heads.