Row in Poundbury over pot plants on Prince Charles-owned estate

The Duchy of Cornwall said it was aware of complaints about pot plants in Poundbury

A resident of an estate owned by the Prince of Wales has said she will battle to keep a floral display planted outside her home.

Alexandra Wilson-Jones has been told by the Poundbury Estate in Dorchester, Dorset, to cut back the plants.

But Ms Wilson-Jones said she would start a petition if she was forced to have them removed.

A Duchy of Cornwall spokesman said moves to enhance the courtyards needed to be "of an appropriate scale".

Work to build Poundbury began in 1993 as part of a project endorsed by Prince Charles, who wanted to create a new urban area using traditional architecture.

Poundbury has been designed in a style favoured by Price Charles (pictured in 2013)

Ms Wilson-Jones started putting plants outside the property, which she inherited when her mother died, at the start of the year.

"Gardening is my passion," she said. "My mother took me to Chelsea, aged 17, and I got the bug.

"I have a house with a garden six miles away, but at the moment I'm here.

"This has kept me going after losing her."

The letter the 49-year-old received informed her to remove the plants by January 2023.

"I've been told I can have four or five plants - there must be at least 100 pots at the moment," she said.

Ms Wilson-Jones said she would start a petition if she was forced to remove the majority of her plants

The retiree said she believed Prince Charles would be "mortified" if he knew the Duchy was ordering her to scale back her greenery.

"Plants are his thing. It's against everything he would want, it would contradict his whole being," she added.

Ms Wilson-Jones also maintained her plants were not "causing any interference to public space".

A spokesman for the Duchy of Cornwall said: "We welcome moves to enhance the appearance and environmental diversity of courtyards, however these need to be of an appropriate scale and nature, recognising that the courtyards are designed mainly to provide pedestrian and vehicular access to homes, garages and parking bays.

"We are aware that complaints about the large collection have been raised by local residents and we will continue to work with the owner of the plants and the relevant developer to achieve a suitable outcome."