Harlow Carr

[Matt T]

Travelling back home from Christmas visiting I broke my journey at Harrogate and paid a visit to RHS Harlow Carr. Easily accessible, plenty of interest but not so large as to be unmanageable in a day visit, well stocked plant centre and of course Betty's tea room! I'll share here a few impressions.

The alpine yard was roped off, but you can see some plants are now well established in the tufa walls.
There are images of these troughs in other seasons on other threads on this Forum.

[Matt T]

The airy alpine house, with largely permanent plantings, including a Dionysia janthina in flower.
Some seasonal displays in the plunges included a lovely potful of Narcissus 'Cedric Morris'.

[Matt T]

The garden sits in a valley with a stream running through it. Maximum use of the cool moist environment has been made with plantings of Primula and Meconopsis, mostly dormant but a few furry rosettes catch the water droplets and low winter light. The main borders run down to the stream from the top of the garden and are full of winter stems and seed heads.

[Matt T]

It seems that every garden must now have a 'Winter Garden', and the RHS are planning one at Hyde Hall in Essex. I remember this garden from when the Robinsons had it before it being taken on by the RHS. It's changed beyond recognition, but every garden is a reflection if its custodian. The winter garden can be lovely at this time of year, but is not very practical in a domestic setting where all plants have to earn their keep. I prefer to mix winter feature plants into the plantings to give interest throughout the garden. Anyway, some great combinations and plant selections to be seen and the overlapping, slanting hedges framing the circular seat around the (hornbean?) tree works wonderfully.

They've resisted the (now clichéd?) overuse of Betula utilis, with just a few specimens strategically dotted around.
Plenty of fragrance from many Daphne x bodnantense in the form 'Charles Lamont'.
The winged stems of Euonymus alata.

[Matt T]

For me the stars of the winter garden, more so than Cornus, were the willows in their many forms.

Salix alba 'Chermesina' - I like the explosion of stems from the pollarded heads.
Salix alba var vitellina 'Yelverton' with intense colour to rival any Cornus.
Salix myrsinifolia with blackest stems.
Salix contorta seen best against a winter sky.
Salix acutifolia 'Blue Streak'

[Matt T]

Hamaemelis mollis
Hamaemelis 'Jelena'
Hamaemelis 'Livia'

[Matt T]

Some sculptures dotted around the garden, including a kingfisher next to a stream (a matching owl sits over the heather beds), the BFG in the woods is fun for the kids and young at heart, and a huge bunch mistletoe hangs from an oak tree - waiting for a big kiss?

[Lawrence]

Glad you enjoyed Harlow Carr Matt. I wish I had known you were visiting, you could have called in, I am only five minutes away and our coffee is a lot cheaper than Bettys😜, and I'm sure a few free plants

[Matt T]

Next time, Lawrence! I only just realised how close you are, but I was on a tight schedule as it was new years eve and I had to get up to Pittenweem in Fife that evening. Will be sure to get in touch when I visit again and look forward to a cheaper cuppa!

[Julia]

Great pictures thanks for sharing...

[ian mcdonald]

I like to see our native willows when they are just coming into fresh spring growth. A few S. caprea are showing flower buds already. Native grasses seem to be overlooked in garden plantings and many are quite small and interesting. I went to Harlow Carr a long time ago and can,t remember much about it. Thanks for the update Matt.

[astragalus]

Matt, we visited Harlow Carr in November some years ago when we stayed in York. They had just built the new Alpine House but it wasn't yet open. The grand opening was planned for the following spring. At home there would have been nothing to see at this late date but not so at Harlow Carr, which had late blooms, will try to find some pictures to share. November is also a good time to see the "bones" of a garden and this one was so impressive.

[shelagh]

Lovely pics Matt but as Lawrence says if you visited Betty's it must be beans on toast for the rest of the month!

[ian mcdonald]

Went to Bettys in York once. I thought the price for a cup of tea included afternoon tea and buns etc. Left and found a "more Yorkshire" cafe instead.

[David Nicholson]

Finest Eccles Cakes in the World, but accepted not the cheapest!

Lovely set of pictures Matt. Harlow Carr has come on in leaps and bounds over the last 4/5 years I wish Rosemoor had as fine an Alpine house and surroundings.