Wednesday 19 August 2015

Harlow Carr In August

There was quite a change in the feel to Harlow Carr this month. You can tell that we're heading towards the end of the season as many of the bright hues of July are fading fast. This was most noticeable down by the stream where the banks are covered with mostly greenery and pale flowers with just the odd bright splash.



I like the frothy type of planting here, it makes you want to reach out and touch the plants as well as look at them.



The gunnera is looking splendid, it's hard to believe that this bank was bare at the start of the year, all this growth in just a few months.


The gardens have an Alice In Wonderland theme going on at the moment to coincide with the school holidays, there were lots of younger visiters. I loved this topiary, the White Rabbit, Queen Of Hearts and Tweedledum and Tweedledee. There were characters walking around the grounds too.


I couldn't get over the size of these flowers, they were as big as footballs. This is Hydrangea arborescens Annabelle.


Not all the areas are winding down quite yet though, this border continues to flower with hot colours.


I really like these echinops, apparently, they're great in a vase too.


One of my favourite flowers is astrantia, this one is Roma. I keep saying that I'll get one for my own garden but I still haven't.


The wildlife was enjoying this border, the bees were diving head first in to the Crocosmia Lucifer.






Another border with lots of colour still on show.


The Kitchen Garden has just come in to its own where colour is concerned. The dahlias are now blooming and many other types of flowers are dotted around growing amongst the veg.



There's a huge difference in the vegetables since my last visit, everything seems to have grown so quickly. This pumpkin is Atlantic Giant, there's some way to go until it will be harvested.


The squash are growing nicely. There's lots of different types sprawling in the bed.


The sweetcorn has its silks. I haven't grown any this year, I did buy the seeds but I never got round to sowing them.


They're going to have a great apple harvest. The trees are trained as espaliers against a framework bordering the paths.


No kitchen garden should be without sunflowers. These four beauties give a different meaning to Pretty Maids All In A Row.


The border I'm following has taken on yet another look. It seems new things pop up and flower each month.



Outside the Alpine House is a Pictorial Meadow, an annual flower meadow with a mix of plants which flower in summer and then die. A traditional wildflower meadow is perennial and flowers repeatedly year after year.



I like the use of cosmos, it's feathery foliage fills any bare spots giving the meadow a more fluid appearance.


I expect my next visit will see many of the vegetables in the Kitchen Garden being harvested and many of the flower beds starting to wind down ready for winter, however, I'm sure there'll be a few surprises too, there always is.

22 comments:

  1. Such gorgeous sunflowers - that's a great photo of them. I have some of those echinops in one of my beds, but had no idea what they were - must write that down. I love their grayish/blue tint as it's so unusual in the garden.

    And those apples look delicious! They are THE favourite fruit at our house, so I'm really hoping that we'll be harvesting from our own trees in a couple of years.

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    1. I've never grown echinops but I'm very tempted, they certainly add interest to a garden and the insects love them too. None of my trees have done very well this year, I did move them from containers in to the ground at the start of the year though so that's probably why. I'm hoping they do better next year.

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  2. It must be lovely visiting the same place so often & taking note of what changes each time. I can't see my sweetcorn coming to anything this year the plants that survived are still small, always next year though! x

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    1. It's really interesting making a monthly visit to Harlow Carr, it changes so much each and every month. The gardeners are on top of their game though, even the containers are changed so regularly that there's always plenty of new things to see. I did well with my sweetcorn when I grew it in containers but it's never done particularly well growing it on the plot.

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  3. There certainly seems much to appreciate at Harlow Carr Jo whenever you visit. I think that there are a lot of 'Alice in Wonderland' events this year to coincide with the fact that it's 150 years since the book was published. Oh I do like that dark cosmos - must make a note for next year's seed orders :)

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    1. I didn't realise about it being 150 years since Alice in Wonderland was published, the topiary was a lovely display. I usually go for Purity, a white variety, when growing cosmos. I do like this darker version through.

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  4. It is lovely to see how the garden changes through the year and what is flowering at different times. The topiaries are fun aren't they! xx

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    1. I think visiting a garden like this every month gives you lots of ideas for your own garden, as you say, you can see what's at it's best and when. I like topiary, I think this display is very clever.

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  5. Amazing... Great flowers and great colors too... I love to see this garden. I hope some day I can visit this garden one day. Thank you for sharing

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    1. There's so many beautiful gardens around the world, the internet enables us to see places we wouldn't otherwise get a chance to visit.

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  6. A lovely post with wonderful pictures. I especially like the four sunflowers. Flighty xx

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    1. I thought the sunflowers were lovely all lined up in a row like that, I wish mine had done as well this year.

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  7. Those gardens are still looking lovely, it's nice that you visit so regularly. I love Astrantia I have a pale pink one, Roma? and a beautiful very dark one, I have tried to grow them from seed but have failed.

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    1. The astrantia here is Roma, I'd love a white one and have been promising myself one for quite a while. I'm sure I'll get round to treating myself eventually.

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  8. We planned to visit one afternoon a couple of weeks ago after we had had lunch with friends nearby. When we arrived the carparks were packed and it was heaving so we ended up going back home.

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    1. It's quite busy at the moment because of the school holidays, there's activities on most days for children. I don't think you notice the extra people once you're in the gardens though, there's plenty of space for everyone.

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  9. I do love Harlow Carr but I haven't managed to visit for quite a while now. We only have a few days or so when we're up north on a visit and after negotiating the A1 and the roadworks on the way up. We never really fancy going back through them the following day. Must make more of an effort next year.

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    1. There always seems to be roadworks whenever and wherever we travel these days. We're lucky to have some beautiful gardens so I'm sure you can find and alternative to Harlow Carr where you are.

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  10. What a lovely post to read and I enjoyed looking at all your photo's. The flowers still keep their colour well.

    I can't believe it will be September in just a couple of weeks time ...

    All the best Jan

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    1. The flowers are still looking remarkably good but I'm sure we'll see a big difference on our next visit when the summer blooms start to fade. The year certainly is whizzing by.

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  11. How beautiful it looks now...I did enjoy it all but the annual meadow had me riveted! Sighs...it looks so easy when done well!xxx

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    1. I think gardens take on a different look in late summer and the meadow is certainly part of that look, it took my eye as soon as I saw it, absolutely beautiful.

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