Kate Middleton Is About to Unveil the Gorgeous Garden She Helped Design

Kate Middleton apparently had a secret engagement—she's putting the finishing touches on that gorgeous garden she's been designing with the Royal Horticultural Society for the Chelsea Flower Show. Considering that the show opens in five days, she might be taking a look at the gorgeous finished product before the creation is unveiled to the world.

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I always love it when the royals carry out a "secret," a.k.a. unannounced, engagement (the whole thing feels so cloak and dagger, to me, even though it's a very normal thing that happens all the time), and yesterday Kate Middleton apparently had one—she's putting the finishing touches on that gorgeous garden she's been designing with the Royal Horticultural Society for the Chelsea Flower Show. Considering that the show opens in five days, she might be taking a look at the gorgeous finished product and making a few last-minute tweaks before the creation is unveiled to the world. Please, please let there be pictures.

Its full title is the "Royal Horticultural Society Back to Nature Garden," and it ties in with Kate's particular cause of mental health by highlighting "the benefits of the natural world on our mental and physical wellbeing." 

Per the Court Circular, which gives details about royal engagements (and will often give details on secret/unannounced visits after the fact), "The Duchess of Cambridge this afternoon visited the Royal Horticultural Society Back to Nature Garden, jointly designed by Her Royal Highness, in the gardens of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, London SW3."

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Kensington Palace's Twitter account has been highlighting the work Kate's been doing. Just a few days ago, they shared never-before-seen photos of Kate working with designers Andrée Davies and Adam White that give more details into the garden. According to one tweet, "Over the past few months, The Duchess and landscape architects Davies White have visited plant nurseries, suppliers and specialist craftspeople who have been growing and building elements of the garden ready for #RHSChelsea." Sounds like she's really digging into the work (terrible pun absolutely intended), and we know she loves camping and scouting, so this sounds right up her alley.

And here's a rough sketch of what the garden will look like, complete with "Treehouse, Waterfall and stream, Rustic den, Campfire, Stepping stones":

Ok, so anyone who lives/works/is visiting England between the dates of May 21 and 25 needs to go check it out and report, because it is going to be goooorgeous.

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Katherine J. Igoe
Katherine J. Igoe
Contributing Editor

Katherine’s a contributing syndications editor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. In her role, she writes stories that are syndicated by MSN and other outlets. She’s been a full-time freelancer for over a decade and has had roles with Cosmopolitan (where she covered lifestyle, culture, and fashion SEO content) and Bustle (where she was their movies and culture writer). She has bylines in New York Times, Parents, InStyle, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Her work has also been syndicated by ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, and Women’s Health, among others. In addition to her stories reaching millions of readers, content she's written and edited has qualified for a Bell Ringer Award and received a Communicator Award. 

Katherine has a BA in English and art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in art business from the Sotheby's Institute of Art (with a focus on marketing/communications). She covers a wide breadth of topics: she's written about how to find the very best petite jeans, how sustainable travel has found its footing on Instagram, and what it's like to be a professional advice-giver in the modern world. Her personal essays have run the gamut from learning to dress as a queer woman to navigating food allergies as a mom. She also has deep knowledge of SEO/EATT, affiliate revenue, commerce, and social media; she regularly edits the work of other writers. She speaks at writing-related events and podcasts about freelancing and journalism, mentors students and other new writers, and consults on coursework. Currently, Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, and you can follow her on Instagram. If you're wondering about her last name, it’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.