Kate Middleton Shares Her New Garden with School Kids — and Her Hope to Inspire 'Quality Time'

Simon Perry
Updated

Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis had their turn — now, their mom, Kate Middleton is sharing her specially designed garden with even more children.

On Monday, Kate welcomed a group of school kids to the “Back to the Nature” garden she helped design for the Chelsea Flower Show in London. Kate, 37, helped the children use reeds to create little boats, which they then tossed into the stream for a race, and toasted marshmallows on a camp fire. “I love the smell of the smoke,” she said. “It’s great, isn’t it?”

Kate Middleton with Andree Davies (right) and Adam White (second left) during a visit to her garden at the Chelsea Flower Show at the Royal Hospital Chelsea on May 20, 3019 in London. | Yui Mok – WPA Pool/Getty Images
Kate Middleton with Andree Davies (right) and Adam White (second left) during a visit to her garden at the Chelsea Flower Show at the Royal Hospital Chelsea on May 20, 3019 in London. | Yui Mok – WPA Pool/Getty Images

Maya Bell-Springer, 6, relaxed in the garden’s small den made of hazel sticks – which George, Charlotte and Louis had helped collect wood to build. “It is lovely and relaxing,” she said.

Kate with Sir Nicholas Bacon, chairman of the Royal Horticultural Society, at the Chelsea Flower Show at the Royal Hospital Chelsea on May 20, 3019 in London. | Yui Mok – WPA Pool/Getty Images
Kate with Sir Nicholas Bacon, chairman of the Royal Horticultural Society, at the Chelsea Flower Show at the Royal Hospital Chelsea on May 20, 3019 in London. | Yui Mok – WPA Pool/Getty Images

Kate — who wore culottes and Superga sneakers for Monday’s outing — had been visiting her garden almost every day in the past week to supervise the finishing touches. On Sunday, she was joined by Prince William, Prince George, 5, Princess Charlotte, 4, and Prince Louis – who just turned 1 – to look around.

RELATED: See How Kate Middleton’s Garden Fits Into Her Plan to Help Kids Stay Healthy

Kate’s garden was created with help from the Royal Horticultural Society and designers Andrée Davies and Adam White to highlight the benefits of playing outdoors.

Kate Middleton in her Back to Nature Garden. | Yui Mok – WPA Pool/Getty Images
Kate Middleton in her Back to Nature Garden. | Yui Mok – WPA Pool/Getty Images

“Hopefully when people visit they will find their inner child,” Smith said Sunday. “That could be remembering building a den or toasting marshmallows on a fire.”

Kate told the BBC’s gardening expert Monty Don, “I really feel that nature and being interactive outdoors has huge benefits on our physical and mental wellbeing, particularly for young children. I really hope that this woodland that we have created really inspires families, kids and communities to get outside, enjoy nature and the outdoors, and spend quality time together.”

Kate Middleton in her Back to Nature garden. | REX/Shutterstock
Kate Middleton in her Back to Nature garden. | REX/Shutterstock

Later today, Kate, 37, and husband William, 36, will show Queen Elizabeth around the garden as many of the senior royals have a preview of the floral festival site.