The Queen's non-negotiable plants you will find in every royal garden revealed

For Her Majesty, these traditional blooms are a must

gardens at Windsor Castle with orange roses, benches and water feature
(Image credit: Alamy)

Ever wondered which garden plants the Queen will never be without? To help us give our own garden ideas a hint of regal elegance, garden screen company Screen With Envy studied Her Majesty's six private gardens.

It revealed the Queen's non-negotiable plants and, naturally, they're total classics. So, just what makes a royal garden royal?

lots of daffodils planted in a formal garden

(Image credit: Alamy)

The Queen's non-negotiable garden plants

In 100% of the Queen's gardens, you will find these beautiful, traditional blooms.

'The Queen’s non-negotiable plants for her gardens are a beautiful selection, all with joyous colours and the good news is they’re also easy to grow,' says gardener and TV presenter Daisy Payne. 'You’ll find them in many of our gardens, mine too, in fact!'

Clematis, pictured below, is aptly known as the 'Queen of Climbers'. It has long flowering vines perfect for trellises.

pink clematis in bloom

(Image credit: Alamy)

There are lots of varieties and it's also a great plant to grow if you want to disguise less aesthetically pleasing parts of the garden, such as garden storage ideas. At Windsor Castle, there's even a purple clematis variety named after Prince Philip.

If you'd like to grow this plant that's got the royal seal of approval, Daisy Payne says a clematis just needs a wall, trellis, or obelisk to wind its way around.

There are also beds of 3,500 rose bushes at Windsor Castle, planted in a geometric pattern. Roses are a staple of every great British garden, says Daisy. 'A sturdy plant, they love sunny spots in the garden and well-drained soil.

gardens at Windsor Castle with orange roses, benches and water feature

(Image credit: Alamy)

'There’s a rose for every garden - climbers, shrub roses, and patio varieties do well in pots. They need taking care of with plenty of mulch and organic matter,' Daisy advises.

'If you don’t have any daffodils in your garden, wait until summer has passed and then start to think about putting them into the ground,' she says. 'They also work very well in pots.'

If you already have some lovely roses, daffodils, and clematis in your outdoor space, wisteria and rhododendron also make an appearance in most (83%) of the Queen's gardens. Happy planting!

Millie Hurst
Senior Content Editor

Millie Hurst was Senior Content Editor at Ideal Home from 2020-2022, and is now Section Editor at Homes & Gardens. Before stepping into the world of interiors, she worked as a Senior SEO Editor for News UK in both London and New York. You can usually find her looking up trending terms and finding real-life budget makeovers our readers love. Millie came up with the website's daily dupes article which gives readers ways to curate a stylish home for less.