Wednesday 25 March 2015

Harlow Carr In March

We visited Harlow Carr on Saturday and though the weather was fine, it was bitterly cold.


The heather at the entrance to the garden is still putting on a fabulous show. This is a plant which earns its keep in the winter garden working hard when many other plants are taking a rest.


There's now evidence of life in the empty borders with tulips and perennials making their way through the earth. It won't be long until they're putting on a stunning show.


Daffodils are just beginning to put on their show, some are already in flower.


The Tete A Tetes are blooming away.


Some daffodils are still in bud, these must be a later variety.


The hellebores are still blooming away too.



This is Daphne bholua Jacqueline Postill, or Nepalese Paper Plant. A good candidate if you're wanting winter scent in the garden as its flowers are highly fragrant.



These pretty Chionodoxa luciliae were flowering along a low bank. I like it when flowers are raised above ground level, you get to see them up close and appreciate their finer details.


Nearby were these peculiar looking plants. I knew exactly where I'd seen them before, on Anna's Green Tapestry blog. Anna posted a photo of similar looking plants last year in A Wednesday Worisit post and there were many suggestions as to what they could be. I think they're probably Petasites japonicus. I shall look forward to watching how they develop on my future trips to Harlow Carr.


Last month, I posted a photo of the side of the stream where the gunnera lies in wait ready to regrow. This month, there's some new growth, but not from the gunnera, these pale green, almost yellow, shoots belong to Lysichiton americanum, a herbaceous perennial with unpleasantly scented, bright yellow arum like flowers.


There's lots of signs of spring in the garden now and amongst them, one of my favourite spring flowers, the primrose.


I think there'll be some wonderful pots and containers to see on my next visit, many have been planted up with tulips and I'm excited to see the colour combinations which have been used as I've taken lots of inspiration from Harlow Carr's previous tulip displays. They seem to have a wonderful knack of combining the right varieties and colours.



I'm looking forward to seeing this pot which has been planted with crocus, narcissus and tulips. None have yet flowered but it should hold blooms for some time as a combination of bulbs have been used to extend the flowering period.


The bed I'm watching over the course of the year doesn't look any different to how it looked last month. There's no new growth as yet so I'm wondering what's planted there.


On to the kitchen garden and the beds are looking even more bare than they did last month.


Most of the winter crops have now been cleared, but there's still purple sprouting broccoli to harvest.


One of the gardeners was hard at work getting the raised beds prepared for spring sowing.


Some new raised beds have been installed since my last visit. They're interesting shapes, I wonder what they're going to plant in them.


The snowdrops which are planted in the rhubarb bed are now going over and are past their best but the rhubarb is coming along well.


This is labelled as Stockbridge, I presume it's Stockbridge Arrow, a variety which is known as one of the best modern varieties.


I think rhubarb crumble will be on the menu soon.

There's a big difference in the beds and borders from what we saw last month, plants are pushing their way through the soil and where there was bare earth last month, there's now new growth. I'm hoping that the weather will have warmed up by the time we visit again, we didn't stay long on this visit as it was so cold. It would be nice to enjoy a leisurely stroll around the gardens without my hands freezing off.

47 comments:

  1. I especially like the old terracotta pots full of Tulips. They seem somehow so much more attractive than shiny new ones. And of course I am very envious of their Rhubarb-forcers. I just wish they weren't so expensive!

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    1. I think old terracotta pots certainly add charm to a display. I'd love a rhubarb forcer, even though I don't force my rhubarb, they're very attractive but so expensive. They have lots of them at Harlow Carr.

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  2. What a lovely place. I especially like seeing the kitchen garden, all bare and ready for the new season. Wonderful. I know what you mean about the temperature though, it's been so chilly hasn't it. CJ xx

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    1. It's a wonderful garden, so many different areas and so much to see. The Kitchen Garden is my favourite area, it's one part of the garden which I'll visit each time I go. I'm so looking forward to it warming up a bit, I know we haven't had a really bad winter, but it feels like a long one.

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  3. That heather looks stunning.. *note to self* get some heather for winter colour and for the bees so they have something else to feed on if we get some early warm weather. :o)

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    1. The heather is just beautiful. I recently bought myself a plant and it's already cheered up the border with its colour.

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  4. The heathers look stunning and that wide bed planted up with tulips will certainly put on a show later on. I'm looking forward to our own tulips coming into bloom, although one can't compare what's grown with the amount that's planted in a place like Harlow Carr. However, visiting a public garden is always inspiring.

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    1. I'm looking forward to seeing the bed planted with tulips once it's in flower, I think it will look good with them planted en masse. Even though we don't have gardens of this size, there's always something to take away with you.

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  5. It looks like you had a lovely walk Jo, it looks like a lovely place to visit. x

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    1. It's a fabulous place, it would have just been a little bit nicer if it was a bit warmer. I couldn't feel the ends of my fingers as they were so cold.

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  6. A shame that is was nippy but clearly worth looking round to see hints of what's to come, along with a few surprises. Flighty xx

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    1. It was colder than it was in January when there was snow on the ground and colder than February too. I'm hoping that we've had the coldest months now and that my future visits will be in glorious sunshine. Well, perhaps that hoping for a bit too much, but let's hope that it starts warming up now.

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  7. How lovely - I was especially struck by the primrose. I really enjoy strolling through gardens as well. Around here, however, we are still waiting for the first signs of life - shouldn't be too much longer.

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    1. Harlow Carr is one of the RHS gardens and a lovely place to visit. Primroses are one of my favourite spring flowers, they look so delicate yet they're tough as old boots. I hope it isn't too long for you to wait until you start seeing signs of spring, it's such a magical time in the garden.

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  8. We haven't managed to get to Harlow Carr yet this year even though we have intended to a couple of times. You are correct with the strange plant identification. Last year I emailed Harlow Carr to ask them what that plant was called and it was confirmed by their garden manager.

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    1. I'm looking forward to visiting Harlow Carr when the weather's more favourable, they've been quick visits so far this year as it's been very cold. I shall watch the strange plants on future visits to see how they change over time.

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  9. The containers are looking good. Inspiration for me if this is my way forward with bulbs next year.

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    1. I love the tulip containers at Harlow Carr, I've taken inspiration from them in previous years so I'm looking forward to this years offering.

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  10. The rhubarb is doing really well isn't it! So are those heathers at the start of the post, a wonderful splash of colour! xx

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    1. I love the heather, it's the first thing you see as you enter the gardens and it makes a real impact. Such wonderful colour.

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  11. Hopefully next time you go it will be warmer and the raised beds will be showing some signs of activity. The heather and primrose are lovely. Those planters are about to burst forth!xxx

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    1. I've seen a real difference each month I've been so far so I'm sure it will be the same story next month. Everything seems to come on in leaps and bounds at this time of year. I'm really looking forward to seeing the planters once the bulbs are in bloom.

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  12. The heathers look amazing and the 'Tete A Tetes' are such a lovely colour. Nature is brilliant!

    All the best Jan

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    1. Nature certainly is brilliant. I've got Tete a Tetes blooming in my own garden at the moment, such a lovely flower.

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  13. Beautiful spring garden! I love the flowers!

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    1. Harlow Carr is a beautiful garden the whole year round, but I think there's something magical about a spring garden when everything's bursting back in to life.

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  14. Harlow Carr is definitely in my "gardens to visit" list! Thank you for sharing! I love combining different kinds of bulbs in a container. Last year I planted a large tub with a "bulb lasagne" of crocuses, daffodils and tulips ( I wrote about it here: http://www.growntocook.com/?p=4688 ) . At this moment the crocuses are flowering but because of the mix, the container should be flowering at least till the end of April.

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    1. I've never planted a lasagne tub but I may try it this year, I like the idea of the extended flowering time for a container, and I'm sure it would look pretty with one bulb flowering after the other.

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  15. Thanks Jo for taking us along on your visit to Harlow Carr. We didn't get there last year but I did in 2011 and loved it so much. Next time we are over, I'll visit with you and have a lovely cuppa in Bettys. Hmm, rhubarb crumble is something I've not made for ages as the rhubarb in this garden is pathetic. I do miss the plants I had in my last place as they did very well and I used to pick it and quite often cook and then freeze it. Thanks again and take care.

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    1. Harlow Carr is such a lovely place, I could lose quite a few hours there, but not when it's cold. I like rhubarb crumble but the rest of the family aren't keen. I've got some plants at the allotment so I make pies and crumbles for myself and for my mum and dad.

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  16. I'm forcing my rhubarb this year because I lost my other plant, took much water in that area I think. Amanda

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    1. I've never forced my rhubarb, but I'd definitely consider it if I had one of those lovely forcing pots.

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  17. Beautiful flowers! The heathers are really great. We bought three small heathers and have added them to the others in our garden.

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    1. I bought my first heather just recently, I've never grown it before, but I love this display at Harlow Carr, it really shows what an impact it can make.

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  18. Everything looks so well tended and under control! The heathers really make an impact, I would never have thought of using them, as they seem to have dropped off the radar. Maybe this is the start of their resurgence !

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    1. You can tell that a lot of work goes in to keeping the gardens looking good. The heather really does make an impact as soon as you enter the garden, it's certainly made me look at it in a different light.

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  19. Those heathers are beautiful, I would love my heather bed to look like that! I need to do some work on it me thinks ;)

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    1. I've never grown heather before but I picked up a plant just recently. It will give my border a little extra winter colour.

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  20. I do love to see the new flowers making their appearances in spring.

    The heather looks wonderful...I really need to think about getting some for the bee plot!!

    I wish my allotments looked like the raised beds here!!

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    1. It's great to see everything starting to grow again. I'm sure heather would be a good plant for your bee plot, it would provide an early food source. The raised beds look so tidy, the Kitchen Garden is my favourite part of the gardens.

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  21. What lovely spring flowers Jo. I love this time of year when each day something new appears from beneath the soil.

    Daphne is one of my favourite shrubs. I have never planted one, they are so expensive and I worry the rabbits will eat it. I have researched the plant and supposedly they do not like said shrub.
    One day.......if I have the courage :)

    I have planted tulips in containers this year.
    They are all up, so with some luck for the first time in many years I may have flowers. Those pesky rabbits can just look at them :)

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    1. Harlow Carr is a fabulous garden to visit in spring, so much is happening at the moment, if only it wasn't so cold. Daphne sounds as though it may be ideal for your garden, it must be nerve wracking paying out for a shrub if you don't know for sure that the rabbits will leave it alone, but it's so pretty, it would be a lovely addition to the garden. I plant my new bulbs in containers each year and then once they've flowered I plant them in the ground so that, hopefully, they'll come back again the following year. I don't have any tulips out yet but the daffodils are flowering away.

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  22. I'm not that keen on heathers but that massed planting really makes for a stunning display. We were up in Cumbria very recently Jo and came across the patches of petasites that we saw last year. You have a good memory :) I wrote a postcript to that post as Wellywoman and I came to the conclusion that the plant I saw is probably petasites albus. It is supposed to be fragrant but I've not sniffed it yet. Maybe if it's still out next time you're there you can have a sniff and report back.

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    1. I shall definitely check on the petasites when I'm at Harlow Carr again and report back. I remembered your post as soon as I saw it, it will be interesting to see how it develops.

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  23. The heather carpet is amazing!!! Such wonderful colours!

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    1. It's a beautiful sight. It's made me think of heather in a different light since seeing this display.

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