The Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations may still be almost three months away, but work is already underway to ensure the gardens at the Sandringham Estate are looking their best for summer.
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A series of behind-the-scenes photos shared on the official Sandringham Instagram account on Thursday showed gardeners hard at work doing spring pruning in the North End Garden, to maintain the shape of the pleached lime tree avenues that provide a picturesque shady walkway during the summer.
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"The gardening team have been undertaking spring pruning in the North End Garden, beginning with the pleached lime tree avenues, which takes over two weeks for the team to complete in order to maintain the shape ahead of the summer months," one post read.
"Sometimes known as 'hedges on stilts', or 'pleached hedging', the classic technique of planting pleach limes is often used to create shaded walkways – known as pleached allées," the caption explained, adding: "The pleach limes do provide a cool haven in the summer months in the gardens when in full leaf."
Gardeners are preparing the North End Garden at the Sandringham Estate for summer
The behind-the-scenes photos come just days after another never-before-seen snap was released of the Queen in the gardens at the Sandringham Estate in a post to mark International Women's Day.
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Her Majesty was pictured in the stunning orchards at Sandringham House in Norfolk, and she stood beaming for the camera with two pet dogs at her feet.
While we're used to seeing the Queen dressed up in her finery for official engagements, in this rare, relaxed shot, the monarch was pictured in her dressed-down attire, sporting a pleated tartan skirt, a jade green cardigan and a quilted Gilet. She also wore a bright red head scarf, no doubt to protect her hairdo from the Northern winds.
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The caption read: "In this very special Platinum Jubilee year, we celebrate Her Majesty The Queen and her 70 historic years of service on International Women’s Day.
"The Queen’s extraordinary reign has been longer than any other monarch in British history and dedicated to the service of the Commonwealth and its people. #IWD. Photography by Eric West & Richard Tilbrook taken in the Orchards at Sandringham."
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