Febuary Colours Third

(Via Snappy's Gardens Blog)

Posted by admin to Harlow Carr on 2008-02-28, 13:19:00

Just down from the Main Entrance Path was a viewing Area. Two benches and this gorgeously ornate Sundial. I like the weathered look, and the design on it. Another coffee was made her.It had views of the Woods, the Main Borders, The Entrance, and Bettys Tea rooms.

The Main Borders were sparse as the Summer planting was a lot of Grasses and Perennials. Old friends like Giant Aliums, Verbena Bonarensis, Rudbeckia. The post painting with flowers show how brilliant they looked. The grasses and perennials had been cut to the ground. They are asleep under the soil. A few clipped topiary box and carex grasses were all that were visible. New plant labels were stuck in the ground, and their tulips were developing leaves. I will see in a month what has grown here. It was very wind swept and bare. Greens and Browns abound.

Some plants were left to overwinter. They have interesting shapes, textures, and colours. I know some people leave plants to decay so frosts and snows can make architectural elements in an otherwise barren garden. Something to remind you the sun did shine once, and that Spring is approaching. This was a Silver leaved Sage plant I think.

Birds flew around Harlow Carr singing away. This Robin must be related to my cheeky garden one. He sat on the Russet leaved hedge singing away oblivious to me walking around to get his photo. His feathers are ruffled a bit trying to keep warm.I seem to attract birds when I go anywhere, even walking to work.

A Mahonia in Flower. I had only sen Mums poorly specimin in Cheltenham.I never realised they flowered :)

These were in a display between the Outside Cafe and the Scented garden. They are a funny version of a Bluebell, a Scilla of somekind? The white/blue flowers are lovely against the bright green leaves.

The Sky and the Tree's took it in turn to dominate the view. The Light and Dark are almost Paris like.

A Cherry Blossom tree, some kind of Prunus. I love thes Flowers against the backdrop of other bare tree's. I would like one of these in a container in my garden. A visit to someone elses garden can inspire you, and make your wish list of plants/trees/statues grow longer.I always find something that excites me. Cat looked through my photos and commented you have a unique view of things, meaning what I had chosen to photograph.I have never analysed it much my subject matters for blog posts.

More Febuary Colour in the Foliage garden, a Yellow and Green tree glowing in the Sunlight.I think these colours remind us of Spring and Summer Sunshine. They stand out in a day of black, muted greens, and browns.
The Little Boy and the Duckling. I saw a black outline looking down the main borders to the left side. It is bipassed as people head for the terraced beds or to the Rose revolution borders. Quiet planting with a small stream running towards the Beck. Its quite Symbolic of how much we hold nature in our hands. I had not seen it before either..

Winter Colours illuminate the Winding Path. I love paths in gardens, especially twisty ones that lead to new scenes and plants. The Dogwoods are spectacular when planted en masse. There was colour in Febuary but you had to look for it. When you found it it was Iris like, many colours of the rainbow. The Thirty Sixth and Final image from yesterday. Cats Mum bought these spectacular Primulas for their front window border. The Rainbow colours of HC must have inspired them to buy these ten plants.
I actually had a garden to buy for yesterday :)
Snappy went home with a Catnip Six Giant Hills, two Teasel plants to hopefully entice the Goldfinches down, a Valerian plant for the butterfly/cottage garden, and three bunches of Daffodils for the Front room. Hil's bought me a milk chocolate mouse too.My usual purchase from Bettys Tea room.
My garden was a busy place today. Tomorrows post will be about today!

Febuary Colours Second

(Via Snappy's Gardens Blog)

Posted by admin to Harlow Carr on 2008-02-28, 11:55:00

From the Queen Mothers lake its a short walk into the Woods. The tree's have been here for years and some from when it was first made into an RHS garden. Hidden amongst the Tree's were the Jewel Like Rhodadendrons. I need to go back in a month to see the woods ablaze with them in flower. I spotted three early flowering Rhodies. The flower buds are like jewels and open up many cupped flowers. These were high in the air though. To smell the flower you needed to lower the branch a little. There are lots of different varieties here in their collection..

Some Narcissus were in Flower above the leaf covered floor of the woods. There were tens of thousands of Daffodils planted, not in Flower. Another reason to go back in a month..

Gods Fingers..Sun Rays came through the trees canopy and illuminated the floor. Making snowdrops start to flower, soon to be followed by Bluebells, and Daffodils.
You can appreciate the size difference between a Tree and the Snowdrop nestled under its barked trunk.

I wanted a Woods floor view of the Snowdrops.The floor was wet from previous rain so I crouched down.

Another Rhodadendron Flower, in soft petaled pink with the red centres. I had to go into the Trees away from the Path. The eyes were alert to flashes of colours that were not green or brown. Hil's thought there were not any in flower as we were too early.

I walked past this once on the way to make a coffee from a flask of hot water.I took the coffee, sugar,milk, and hot water. The red Rhodie from Earlier..

By the Study centre was this beautiful yellow Fir Tree. I think Yellow is a Winter/Spring colour of Daffodils, Narcissus, Forsythia..
Who said there'd be no colour at HC in Febuary?

Crocuses. All more advanced than my garden ones. These were planted under tree's, in this display by the study centre, and along the pathways. You had to watch your feet to make sure you were not trampling on any plants. Tread Lightly like the Birds I kept thinking..They come and go leaving where they have been unchanged. A Native American saying?

Snowdrops. These were planted along the Path that ran parallell to the Streamside. The Lake had a waterfall that Fed into the Stream. Harlow Beck.

Just one Photo of the Streamside. HC has the Longest streamside Garden of any public garden in the UK. I love flowing water, and the light reflecting off it.

Some unknown white flowers. The Heavy winds had reaked havoc the day before felling tree's, knocking birdboxes off, and benches blown over. Some parts were cordoned off. I wanted to see if the pigs were at the top of the Valley, the 3000 new trees planted for trees for life, and the new Bird hide. Maybe next time..

The Last image of this second post is the Metal Flower, like a daisy. It reflects the Light and Sky. Throughout HC there was metal sculptures, Mesh figures filled with leaves (like the Bear hugging the tree, and the Teapot.) Giant Flys, Butterflys, and Birds stand in borders and by pathways.
I liked the Giant spade with the Bird sat on top of it overlooking the streamside. I saw a sundial by a bench, and a black statue of a little boy holding a duckling..
One more post to go about HC! Hope its okay for you all!

Febuary Colours

(Via Snappy's Gardens Blog)

Posted by admin to Harlow Carr on 2008-02-28, 11:43:00

After a day in my own garden I thought I would try to capture the essence of Harlow Carr. The RHS's most northerly garden. A beautiful silver Birch sits opposite the main entrance. The blue sky and clouds are behind it. The woods of Harlow Carr are in the foreground.

Rose Revolution border in Febuary. They pretty much look like mine, planted bare root, and only a few leaves appearing now. The Robin was about two foot from the gardener inspecting the ground for bugs. The Perennials were all cut down to the ground. That left some lone grasses between the bare rose stems. Good for birds to eat though soil...

The Vegetable Garden. I loved their raised beds here. The only thing growing were some leeks and some parsley. I liked the arched frames with the willow between the metal. The sun was shining for a while.

A lovely combination of a Holly hedge under planted with Pink Flowering Cyclamen. It led to the Gardens Through Time display, and the Queen Mothers Lake.

A little Greenhouse had masses of Plants and I loved this Iris. Cool Blue with the White, yellow, and black colours. There were masses of Irises, Crocuses, Narcissus. Its like a plant holding bay before they get moved out. The view of the lake was perfect too.

How to get Winter colour.. Plant Dogwoods, and grasses. They were brightly coloured in the sunlight when it peeked from behind the clouds. I need to buy a few more dogwoods as I have one in the garden.

Some leaves glowing in the Sunlight, part of the gardens through time. I loved the architectural quality of the plants and the stone mulch below.

Some fluffy grass heads. These were so soft, and billowy in the gentle breeze. The curator of HC is a big fan I think of grasses. They are in use in the main borders, pathside borders, around the Queen Mothers Lake, and Streamside.

Still Waters echoing the Sky with the Trees, grasses, and plants around the Queen Mothers lake. Reflections where the Sky and Earth touch in the middle.



The First Dozen pictures of Harlow Carr. Colours, Light, and Water. There are two more posts to come tonight. I had a hard time choosing a few photos to blog, and ended up selecting thirty six images from yesterday. I loved the visit again. The weather and light have been different on every visit as has whats been in flower. It is a truly spectacular Garden. The garden of a thousand photos and views..
( I actually have taken now 1100 photos of Harlow Carr gardens.My camera button is a bit wobbly now from usage.)

Harlow Carr Prelude

(Via Snappy's Gardens Blog)

Posted by admin to Harlow Carr, Winter on 2008-02-27, 11:28:00


Two opening images from Harlow Carr. I think its one of my most popular tags on the blog. The photo album is marked Harlow Carr 4.
I have been dying to go back, and today Hil's drove me there with Cat, and we met her parents at Harlow. The BBC forecast sunshine, light westerly winds, and sunshine. It was cloudy and rained a bit, but the sun occasionally shone through.
I went on ahead of the others to get walking around my Favourite RHS garden.
I love the Valley, the exposed site, the boggy ground and chilly temperatures, the Beck that runs through the centre of the Valley into the lake, and the woodlands that run across half of it. There is so much to see. Many paths lead around corners to new areas and plants not seen before, or newly added. Not as many flowers as in the height of summer but enough for me to take 235 photos!
The First shows the Wuthering heights type weather, sunshine, then dark rain clouds. This illuminated the plants and tree's.
The Second shows the terraced bed by the main entrance, masses of brightly coloured Heathers and my favourite metal bird sculpture. I found a lot of Art today surrounded by the Gardens plants, shrubs, grasses, and tree's.
I want to go back in a month or so to catch the full Springtime flower show of masses of bulbs, Rhodadendrons, and Magnolias.
I found a suprising amount of colour today. Hils took five photos. I took over two hundred.I had dirty knees from kneeling down to get a plants eyed view.
Every visit is like a new painting, with the strong structures being the Frame.The Winter garden is still as beautiful, but in a different way from the fireworks of Summer.
More posts tomorrow after a good nights sleep. I need to choose which photos to blog...

Dahlia from an Ever Changing Canvas

(Via Snappy's Gardens Blog)

Posted by admin to Dahlia, Harlow Carr on 2007-11-21, 14:28:00

A Dahlia from Harlow Carr.I am hopefully now on final stretch to get the house and the keys so I can take some before photos of the new garden. This is so bright the colour. It was sat in a pot waiting to be planted somewhere.
I hope to go back again to Harlow Carr to see whats growing and what has changed now we are in November. Its like a magic place for me where I can get ideas, and see various plantings. They have sooo many plants and tree's to photograph too.Its like an ever changing canvas, where the picture always looks different based on when you visit.
Next Spring I want to return to see the carpet of spring bulbs which I can only guess as to where they might be, and to see the extensive collection of Magnolias. In the Summer I saw the trees adorned with spent blooms, and it is mentioned in the guidebook about the Magnolia flowers.
If you plant well then every season can have interest, so you do not just venture into your garden in Spring and Summer. Im aching to get into the soil and feel the wind on my face.
I have Dahlia tubers too but not as bright as the one photographed.More news soon I hope.

A Brighter Day

(Via Snappy's Gardens Blog)

Posted by admin to Harlow Carr, rose on 2007-11-04, 00:29:00

From my Fortune cookie from the Chinese take away last night at work, It has a succinct night staff quote:
"For every dark night, there is a brighter day"
The photo is of the gorgeous Lady Emma Hamilton Peach coloured rose, taken in Harlow Carr on my last visit. It did not win the David Austin vouchers so im going to blog my best entrys. I love this roses colour, and strong scent.
I would have bought one of these rose bushes with the voucher. The roses he grows are sumptuous, and I think every garden needs at least one rose species!