How To Get A Royal-Worthy Garden On A Budget

On Your Home Your Heart, discover how to transform your outdoor space into a regal, summer-ready sanctuary by creating a garden on a budget using budget-friendly plants and classic royal landscaping secrets.

Royal gardens across the United Kingdom are legendary, drawing millions of visitors every single year to marvel at their manicured lawns, vibrant flower beds, and stunning landscapes. Iconic locations like Windsor Great Park, the five Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) gardens, and the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew pull in massive crowds.

However, maintaining these magnificent grounds comes with an eye-watering price tag. Garden experts at Hillarys, who specialise in outdoor awnings and pergolas, have shared data sourced via Freedom of Information (FOI) requests reveals that royal gardens have cost taxpayers a staggering £282 million since 2020, averaging out to roughly £129,000 every single day. With combined spending across major royal bodies more than doubling in recent years, it is clear that royal-level maintenance is remarkably expensive.

At a time when many households are keeping a closer eye on their spending, splashing out thousands on landscaping feels out of reach. Fortunately, you do not need a royal budget to achieve a breathtaking outdoor space for the summer months.

Royal Garden Upkeep Costs at a Glance

To put the multi-million-pound taxpayer bill into perspective, the average UK household spends around £300 a year on gardening. Meanwhile, collective spending on royal grounds hit £67 million in 2025 alone. That kind of money could fund the annual garden budgets for over 223,000 households or finance millions of standard garden centre trips.

While public estates carry heavy maintenance costs, private royal residences also require immense upkeep. Estimated annual figures for some of the country’s most famous private royal grounds include:

• Windsor Castle Gardens (£1,500,000 – £2,000,000): Spanning a massive estate complete with geometric layouts, 3,500 perfumed rose bushes across eight English varieties, and historic orange trees, these grounds demand extensive seasonal pruning and dedicated care.
• Highgrove House (£700,000 – £850,000): Spreading across 15 acres, King Charles and Queen Camilla’s estate features intricate yew topiary, wildflower meadows, and rare heritage plants managed entirely through organic, labour-intensive principles.
• Kensington Palace (£300,000 – £450,000): Home to the famous Sunken Garden—a favourite of Princess Diana’s—this space features seasonal floral displays, terraced lawns, and a tranquil central pond.
• Royal Lodge (£250,000 – £450,000): Situated across nearly 98 acres of formal gardens, woodland, and sprawling lawns in Windsor Great Park, this historic residence requires a full-time team of dedicated gardeners.

How to Replicate the Royal Look This Summer on a Budget

Achieving a polished, high-end aesthetic in your own backyard does not require a royal fortune or an army of landscape gardeners. Industry experts recommend embracing specific plants and structural elements beloved by the Royal Family to elevate your outdoor space affordably this summer.

Choose Low-Maintenance, Regal Blooms

Many flowers adored by royals are surprisingly budget-friendly and easy to establish. Lily-of-the-valley—a favorite of the late Queen Elizabeth that famously featured in her coronation bouquet—is a fantastic low-maintenance choice. Thriving in full or partial shade with moist soil, these fragrant white bell-shaped blooms flower through late spring and early summer, naturally spreading over time so you won’t need to continually buy replacements.

Another great option is Mexican fleabane, a relaxed, daisy-like flower favored by the Duke of Gloucester. With seed packets costing just a few pounds, these resilient plants self-seed effortlessly along paths and patios, returning year after year with minimal effort.

Add Height and Structure with Pergolas

Structured focal points can completely transform a modest backyard into a sophisticated outdoor room. Pergolas are a major royal garden trend—exemplified by the elaborate wisteria-covered structures found on estates like Sandringham House.

Adding a pergola draws the eye upward, making smaller gardens feel much larger while creating a defined space for relaxing or dining. Enhancing the structure with climbing plants, fairy lights, or simple outdoor accessories delivers instant charm, styling your outdoor living area just like a high-end interior.

Create a Secret Garden Room

Major estates like Highgrove House and Windsor are famous for dividing their massive landscapes into distinct rooms, such as walled sanctuaries, sunken lawns, and hidden paths that invite exploration. You can recreate this secluded, immersive feel at home without undertaking expensive construction work.

By using budget-friendly trellis panels, natural bamboo screening, or strategic clusters of tall potted plants, you can easily carve out a private seating nook away from the rest of the yard. Creating a hidden destination makes even a compact urban garden feel expansive, mysterious, and full of character.

Introduce a DIY Stumpery

Highgrove House is well known for its unique stumpery, a Victorian-era trend championed by British royalty that features weathered tree stumps, logs, ferns, and rustic woodland sculptures to celebrate the natural beauty of decaying wood.

Instead of paying for expensive hard landscaping materials, you can easily replicate this enchanting aesthetic by repurposing fallen logs, old tree branches, or reclaimed timber chunks found during woodland walks or sourced from local tree surgeons. Arrange them in a shady corner of your yard and under-plant them with hardy, low-cost ferns and hostas for a fairytale-like woodland corner that requires virtually no upkeep.

Shape Miniature Formal Parterres

Historic properties like Hampton Court Palace feature grand, intricate parterres characterized by geometric planting beds edged with neat, low hedging. You certainly do not need a team of estate gardeners or a massive budget to achieve this kind of geometric elegance.

Purchase a few inexpensive box-hedging plants, or opt for fragrant lavender as a budget-friendly alternative, to outline a small geometric square or circle bed right outside a back window or patio door. Filling the center with low-cost seasonal bedding plants or culinary herbs gives you a sharp, manicured look with a practical twist.

Install a Statement Focal Point Water Feature

Grand fountains and reflective ponds are staples of royal architecture, designed to catch the natural light and introduce soothing ambient sounds that elevate the entire landscape. Fortunately, you do not need a sprawling palace lake to capture this luxurious effect in your own outdoor space.

A simple, self-contained solar-powered water feature or a large, glazed ceramic bowl filled with floating aquatic plants can sit neatly on a patio table or border. It instantly introduces the tranquil, high-end atmosphere of a palace courtyard without raising your water or energy bills.