RHS Wisley in Surrey. The winning
Blue Peter design, which can be made
only from natural materials, will
become part of Kate’s garden.
Blue Peter presenter Lindsey Russell
and local schoolchildren joined Kate
at the Sayers Croft Forest School and
Wildlife Garden at Paddington
Recreation Ground in West London
as she talked about her efforts to instil
an appreciation of the outdoors in
her own children.
“Rain or shine, they’re dragged
outside,” laughed Kate about George,
five, Charlotte, four, and one-year-old
Louis. “It’s great. It encourages
creativity, confidence, and even a
short amount of time – ten or 15
minutes outside – makes a huge
difference to both physical wellbeingbut also to our mental wellbeing.”
She then rolled up the sleeves of her
Troy Tracker jacket and put on her
gardening gloves to plant flowers in a
metal watering can, while her little
helpers recycled old wellies to use as
plant pots.WHAT LIES BENEATH
The Duchess also took part in pond
dipping – describing it as “massively
up my street”. She asked the children:
“What things have you found when
you’ve been here? Do you know what
tadpoles eventually turn into? Have
you ever seen any froggies?”
When young gardener and RHS
ambassador George Hassall suggested
a team-building competition, dividing
the group into Team Catherine and,
to the challenge.
“I love it, but I am in your hands,”
she told her team as they set about
building a den. Crouched inside the
finished structure, she asked the
children: “Shall we make a name for
our den? What do you think we
should call it?” She was full of praise
for the suggestion “Den of the Day”.
“I like that. Well done,” she said. “You
did an amazing job and you did it
seriously quickly.”
The Duchess gave a “Whoo!” and a
double thumbs-up when Team
Catherine were declared the winners.
The Duchess’s Blue Peter badge
collection is growing: she was awarded
a green badge to add to the gold one
she was given two years ago.; ,
shesaid,receivingheraccolade.“It’s
beena realhonourto meeteverybody,
I’velearnta lottoday.”
BothKateandherhusbandthe
Dukeweregiventhegoldbadge,the
mostprestigiousoneavailable,when
they appeared on the show in
December 2017 aspartof their
campaigntohighlightyoungpeople’s
mentalhealthissues.
Kate’sBluePetercompetitionis part
ofhermissiontoencouragefamilies
togetbacktonature.TheDuchessis
especiallykeentohighlight the
positiveimpactthatnatureandthe
environment can have on
childhooddevelopment.‘Even a short amount
of time outside makes a
huge difference to
physical and mental
wellbeing’
Here’s one they made
earlier: Kate joins local
schoolchildren in the
den they built (left)
and tries pond dipping
(top), earning herself
a green Blue Peter
badge. It adds to the
gold one (above) she
and the Duke of
Cambridge were
given in 2017 when
they appeared on the
show to talk about
mental health (right)H
REPORT ROSALIND POWELL. PHOTOS: BBC. MATT PORTEOUS. PA PHOTOSFor details on how to enter, visit bbc.co.uk/
cbbc/joinin/bp-royal-garden-competition-2019.63