During her long lifetime, Balmoral—the British royal family’s country retreat in Scotland, where they typically spend their late summers—was said to be Queen Elizabeth’s favorite place on earth.

For a woman who had seen so much of the world, it was a high compliment. Her beloved Balmoral, in fact, was where she died on September 8, 2022 at the age of 96, and her son, King Charles, is now paying tribute to both her and her mother, the Queen Mother, in the gardens of the Scottish castle.

Charles opened Balmoral to the public just last summer, and the King’s former gardner is sharing details about the “secret tribute” the monarch is paying to both his mother and his grandmother, per Marie Claire.

The gardens of Balmoral have been newly renovated with a thistle maze and a Celtic maze garden, as well as new topiaries, trees, and shrubbery, according to Marie Claire. Jack Stooks, who was a senior gardener at Charles’ country home, Highgrove, for more than 20 years, told the outlet why those designs have “such a personal meaning” to the King, Marie Claire reported.

“Mazes are very special to Charles, as he used to love playing in the maze at Sandringham when he was young,” Stooks said, referring to the Norfolk retreat where royals traditionally spend the Christmas holiday. “His grandmother, the late Queen Mother, used to speak fondly about her memories of him in the maze and how much he loved the topiary.”

A true lover of nature and the natural world, Stooks added of the King, “It’s likely Charles wanted to bring some of the nostalgia of his childhood back to the Balmoral gardens and make it a place of fun and excitement for future generations. Balmoral was also a very special residence for the Queen, so Charles will want others to enjoy a place that was so special for his mother.”

“It’s like a tribute to her,” he continued.

Balmoral is open to the public as of April 1; it will remain open to the public seven days a week until August 10, when the royals will likely begin showing up for their late summer holiday. Just as Charles was behind the decision to open Balmoral to the public for the first time, he was also behind the castle’s new gardens, Stooks said.

“Charles has an amazing work ethic and he’s very hands on,” he added, noting that the King takes time to consider the details. “It helps that he has a love for gardening and greenery,” Stooks said, adding that Charles “wants to make the grounds as inviting as possible for everyone.”

Because of Scotland’s cold winter temperatures, Stooks said that the grounds can be “quite bare,” but said “the topiary in the mazes have an evergreen appeal.”

Speaking of being in the details, Stooks said that Charles made sure to include the national flower of Scotland, the thistle, within Balmoral’s gardens: “Despite being English, Charles knows how important it is to pay tribute to Balmoral’s rich history in the Highlands,” Stooks said.