Gardeners Tim and Lesley Smith have good reason to feel like royalty when they admire their own piece of paradise in the Midlands.

For Tim and his wife Lesley have in their garden an exact copy of a temple which stands within the grounds of Prince of Wales’ home at Highgrove in Gloucestershire.

Now, the couple are planning to open up their garden, which also has a decidedly exotic feel, with banana trees and a tree-top safari lodge, at Astley Towne House, Stourport. It will be open to visitors on from 1pm to 5pm on May 27 and June 24.

They will be raising funds for charity as part of the National Gardens Scheme, of which Prince Charles is patron.

Read the full story in the Express & Star.

Gardeners Tim and Lesley Smith have good reason to feel like royalty when they admire their own piece of paradise in the Midlands.

For Tim and his wife Lesley have in their garden an exact copy of a temple which stands within the grounds of Prince of Wales’ home at Highgrove in Gloucestershire.

Now, the couple are planning to open up their garden, which also has a decidedly exotic feel, with banana trees and a tree-top safari lodge, at Astley Towne House, Stourport. It will be open to visitors on from 1pm to 5pm on May 27 and June 24.

They will be raising funds for charity as part of the National Gardens Scheme, of which Prince Charles is patron.

Although Tim and Lesley’s garden started out about 16 years ago with traditional cottage garden plants, they have developed it over the years to a more exotic feel with an impressive variety of sub tropical plants.

Tim said: “I am a builder and decided to copy the temple from a book about Highgrove.

“We decided to put in some sub-tropical plants and although we are in a frost pocket we have sandy loamy soil which means they don’t rot.

“This year we took a gamble and have got the bananas uncovered and palms and dahlias as well as gingers and the Stumpery garden with several old trees.

“We hope visitors will enjoy taking a journey through the garden as it shows how it has developed.”

As well as the sub-tropical planting the garden sports a jungle with tree-top safari lodge and sandstone columns, rescued from when St Michael’s in Stourport was demolished, along with various statues.

The special open afternoons, which are to be followed with other later in the year, will cost visitors £3.

Children can get in free. The gardens can be found three miles west of Stourport on the B4196.

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