But not my garden, sadly. We spent Sunday afternoon at Harlow Carr, a beautiful RHS area of landscaped gardens, open spaces and woodland. It's near Harrogate, about 45 minutes from us in West Leeds and it really is pretty amazing, if gardening and plants are your thing.* You see, Bella and Angus are not great walkers. They moan and drag their feet and need constant distraction. The pleasure of being outside in the fresh air and getting some exercise is meaningless to them. They need to look for things, climb on things and feel that there is some purpose to it all. Harlow Carr is great for this as children can follows trails around the grounds, collecting clues and learning about things like the tree alphabet, while running around, following assault courses and exploring huge tree houses with rope bridges. It's absolutely brilliant, it really is, and the grown ups get to walk and chat and take lots of photos.
Many of my blogging friends take part in monthly garden moodboards, where you take a few cuttings from your garden each month and then arrange and photograph them, thereby keeping a visual journal of the annual cycle of your garden. I think it's a wonderful idea (and may join in next year) but have not taken park yet because, to be honest, right now our garden is brown. Brown with a bit of green, a touch of grey, and three sad looking cyclamens in the pots on the front door step. If I did a moodboard right now, you'd be forgiven for thinking it looked like a piece of army camouflage.
Harlow Carr was bursting with colour. There were flowers, and when there weren't flowers, there were berries, and when there were no berries, there were plants with hot pink stalks. And when there was no colour, there was structure, shape and interest. Always there was something interesting to look at, or walk through, or touch. It got me thinking about our garden, and how I could plant more intelligently to produce colour throughout the coldest, darkest months. And now I wish wholeheartedly that I'd taken note of some of the names of the plants I photographed, so that I could replicate this use of colour in December. If anyone has any ideas or recommendations for plants that provide colour throughout the winter months, (and which are also quite easy to care for!) I'd be most grateful.
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*It's also not free, but our friends have a membership card and so we only had to pay for one of us to go in, the rest were included in their card. And no, we didn't go into Betty's, but doesn't it look inviting all lit up like that?
I can't believe there are trees blooming in December there. What a beautiful place to visit. I love to stroll in our local botanic gardens myself but my children act like they're attending their own funerals when I take them there. I usually let them run a little, when there aren't any caretakers in sight to reprimand them. I love the mood-boards too and have thought about joining up...maybe this year I'll get on that bandwagon.
ReplyDeletelooks beautiful - stunning photos!
ReplyDeleteWe go to Harrogate every few years and visited Harlow Carr last time we went - it was October (2011?) and I loved it. I'd love to see it in every season - we particularly liked the kitchen gardens and, of course, the shop.
ReplyDeleteIt must look amazing in the snow too...
Such beautiful pictures - and such a cosy looking cafe to round the afternoon off !
ReplyDeleteKate x
It looks stunning, especially those wonderful mossy roofs. I do so love the winter landscape and trees against the sky. I need more interest in my garden, but I never know where to put things - I need to preserve the football pitch! I've heard that Christmas Box is a lovely thing to grow. It flowers now and it's got a nice scent I think.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about the garden at the moment. Although I am pleased to see the daffodils and tulips starting to come through. Hopefully Spring will be early this year. I like winter jasmine, which gives a pop of yellow, I don't cut sedums back until the spring as I like the muted pink of the flowers, and I have a few grasses which give some structure and movement in the wind, and I love it when they are frosted. Stipa gigantica is probably my favourite. Hope that helps a little. :) x
ReplyDeleteHi Gillian! Lovely photos as always. I'd love to visit Harlow Carr one of these days. My girls don't mind walking and they'll surely enjoy following those trails around the grounds.
ReplyDeleteYes, Betty's look very inviting! Everything in Betty's is lovely but the prices and the long queues always put me off.
Have a great week!
Marion x
Remember though Gillian - brown and grey are colours too! Not as pretty as pink and yellow and green, but beautiful just the same, so I bet that your garden is better looking than your description! It is surprising what you see when you start to look more closely. Lovely to see your Harlow Carr photos though, and how great is is that they have so much for children to do. I think that places like that are doing so much better these days to try and engage children. Hope you are having a good week. xx
ReplyDeleteHow beautiful is Harlow Carr! Yes I know what you mean about hving reluctant walkers, Alice has only ever prospered if we had a friend to take along or there was some form of adventure or secret treasures to be found...we had good fun doing treasure hunts with her when she was too little to tell that we had "planted" the treasure :o)
ReplyDeleteWe were watching the Hairy Bikers Christmas road show the other night and they went to Bettys in Harrogate to learn how to bake yule logs. I said to Alice, it's on my bucket list to have tea and cake there one day. Expensive I should imagine!
Beautiful nature photos Gillian, I love the idea of mood boards too, but would have to rely on the countryside to help as I only have a potted courtyard xox Penny
It looks like just the place for a hot chocolate! Love the swags of lights hanging from the eaves.
ReplyDeleteThese places which make happy times for parents and children are fabulous, bet the fresh air and exercise made everyone feel better.
Lisa x
I've never made it to Harlowe Carr, it looks beautiful though. We have a winter flowering cherry tree which provides beautiful blossom in december, I'm not sure how easy they are to grow because ours has always been there.
ReplyDeletehttp://ahandfulofhope.blogspot.co.uk/
Very pretty pictures. I do like a visit to Harlow Carr. I am very impressed that you managed not to give in to the temptation of Bettys. Fat rascals get me every time!
ReplyDeleteIt looks beautiful (as does Betty's - how did you resist?!) and your pics are lovely. Our garden is looking fairly drab at the mo too, just green, brown & grey too. But it'll look pretty again when the snow arrives! ;-)
ReplyDeleteXx
Laeticia Maklouf advises to visit gardens during the winter months to get an idea of shape, structure and colour for your own garden. I would love some more colour. I have some Photina that have lovely red leaves. They are a slow growing evergreen shrub. My Uncle Alan suggests looking at municipal planting because councils plant for longevity, tolerance and year round colour with little maintenance. Sounds right up my alley tbh!
ReplyDeleteLeanne xx
Oh I have posted a little parcel your way. There is a little something for you, and two very little somethings for Bella and Angus (I don't want them to feel left out). Save it until Xmas, or rip into it as soon as it arrives!! xxx
I also love Harlow Carr, but have not seen it in winter. If you let me have your email address, I'll give you some tips on colour for winter and easy too. Love your photos and Betty's do a nice lunch menu as we ate there when we visited in 2011 and we had my great niece with us. They gave her some pencils and a picture to colour in while we waited. Nice! Take care.
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ReplyDeleteHey there lovely lady. Beautiful pictures. I recommend Viburnum Tinus Eve Price - super easy to grow, flowering now and you can hack it back if you need too. It's also evergreen. Dogwoods are beautiful for winter colour too. Nicest of all is Daphne but it is toxic to touch and not ideal with kids. X
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures Gillian. It's amazing how much color we can find in the winter. I'm not very good at recommending winter plants as I'm from Brazil ( and the climate is completely different there). However, I do love all the winter plants.
ReplyDeleteWhat beautiful photos Gillian. I am ashamed to say, that although I live so close, have never been to Harlow Carr. Mainly due to the cost of getting in. Loved seeing it through your eyes. Jacqui xx
ReplyDeleteHarlow Carr sounds lovely and your photos are, as always, beautiful. I particularly love that shrub that produces those lovely pale pink blossoms in December but I am afraid I don't know what it's called. E x
ReplyDeleteHarlow Carr looks beautiful, I have seen it on TV. Never eaten at Betty's either.. it is in my to do list to do so though!! I've seen the monthly garden mood boards too, it's a great idea, I think I would like to join in with that too. Have a lovely week, Sarah xo
ReplyDeleteI will read carefully the comments as I will certainly benefit from them... I only can grow plants in containers, so it add a tricky part. There is a lovely website with nice hints for gardening: http://www.woollygreen.com/
ReplyDeleteDear Gillian
ReplyDeleteGorgeous photos of a lovely place. I have only been once or twice but loved it when I visited. As to plants - I have a winter flowering jasmine (Jasmine nudiflorum) which has lovely yellow flowers, is flowering now and can be hacked about (it is a bit of a straggly grower and likes to be by a wall), then there are things like cornus Midwinter Fire with beautiful stem colours in the winter (lots of cornus have lovely stem colours), and Christmas Box (Sarcococca) (although the honey-type perfume can also smell a bit like cats!). There is also winter flowering honeysuckle (lonicera fragrantissima or purpusii) which flowers in February but has the most delicious fragrance of lily of the valley. Have a look on a few websites beacuse I am sure that they will have loads of suggestions and you'll just wish you had a bigger garden!
I'm sure you'll come away with quite a wish list but enjoy looking.
Best wishes
Ellie
What lovely garden,thought provoking comments . I enjoyed The Great British Front Garden Revival on TV the other night.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing such beautiful pictures
That's the one RHS garden I haven't been too, so appreciated seeing your pictures and then the last one of Betty's instantly reminded me of lovely family holidays in Yorkshire.
ReplyDeleteI have a cotoneaster in my garden that has lovely orange berries which cheers my garden up this time of the year. It's good to take photos as well when plants are at their best because sometimes when you move them round the garden, as I do frequently you don't end up with blocks of one colour.
(I should also really listen to my own advice, I've still got blocks of yellow and red etc etc in my patch!)
Gorgeous photos Gillian. We went to Harlow Carr when we visited Harrogate a few years ago. We all loved it, it's great for kids to have a good wander around isn't it?
ReplyDeleteMarianne x
Great set of photos, have been to Harlow Carr a few times, every time you go you find some thing new.
ReplyDeleteLove Harlow Carr. We visit on route to visit my grandad every year. Lovely photos a feast for the eyes x
ReplyDeleteI have varigated ivy, and a prickly agapanthus with orange berries that hold my garden together in December. (Some spelling errors there!)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful images :) x
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful post, lovely photos of winter colour at Harlow Carr. X
ReplyDeleteLovely photos, looks like a beautiful place and Betty's looks very warm and inviting :) xx
ReplyDeleteGorgeous photos and I particularly love the pinky white flowers. I'm no use to you on the winter plants front though as my north-facing back garden means it's just a dark, dank hole all winter! I have noticed a few bulb shoots coming up in the front though - spring is already on its way - yay! x
ReplyDelete*squeal and claps hands with glee* look at those lovely twinkle lights. Arent they pretty. They go so nicely with the stone. And the lovely moss on the top of the roof covering the slate. And the light greening of the (sandstone?) blocks. I can just imagine it as a cottage in the woods with smoke furling out of the chimneys... What a treasure to have so close to your home.
ReplyDeleteAmazing pictures again. the lichen is lovely
I totally remember those years, when outdoor spaces could be too big for kids who were playing with a purpose. Just wait until they're a bit older and I bet they'll do all the country walking you want. I'm at the stage where they walk with you and then expect you to buy them a pint! x
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos and makes me long for another trip to England. (I have friends in Bristol.)
ReplyDeleteI know I am lucky my children love walking, long and short whatever the weather, well most weather......
ReplyDeleteSorry no plant advice we are vegetable gardeners really so our garden looks drab and bare most winters and I am happy with that! Hopefully someone will have some words or plants of wisdom.
Gorgeous photos- and I loved the comment about army camouflage:)
ReplyDeleteI adore the graphic shapes that come to life this time of year, I must admit since I've had a change around in the garden around the Shepherds Hut this year I am lacking in such details BUT I have just planted some wonderful Dogwood so hopefully next year, I'll have those red stems gleaming bright! :)
ReplyDeleteKatie
Ah your photos are so beautiful x
ReplyDeleteIt looks like such a beautiful place to visit and I love Harrowgate, we have friends who live in Knaresborough and we usually go there for New Years eve, this year we lost our thinking caps and booked the panto for New Years day, so sadly we won't be making up that way. Yes it is really hard to get some colour into the garden during the winter months, my faves are winter Viburnum, I have a spring flowering and winter flowering shrub and I love them both. There is also Daphne Odora, both these plants are fragrant, which I like, but there are many that aren't and offer a great deal of colour. I hope you find some inspiration. Enjoy your weekend xoxo
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos - thank you.
ReplyDeleteWe went to Harlow Carr earlier this week too. It's such a beautiful place throughout the year, but even more amazing in winter when my garden seems so colourless. Beautiful photos.
ReplyDeleteReally lovely garden photos! Betty's Tea Room looks like a place I would love to visit.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos and a treat to look at. I'm afraid I'm the one like bella and Angus! Lazy I know. I really only walk everyday because of the dogs. Xx
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