I am not the most green-fingered of people. My Dad has even been known to remove house plants from my possession for their safety! But I love being out in gardens and taking photographs of the plants and flowers. Nature has always been a big inspiration in my creative life and I would always choose going for a walk in the country over going to the gym. So when I was visiting my parents in Yorkshire, we went Harlow Carr, an RHS garden near Harrogate.
Spring is only just getting underway, so I wasn’t sure how much there would be to see. But there was some really lovely things. They have an alpine house (like a cool greenhouse) with some beautiful, tiny flowers.
The alpine house also had some amazing rock plants, including the totally intriguing sempervivum (bottom left) which is an alpine succulent. Just look at the intricate patterns created by these tiny plants!
The lack of big, showy plants and flowers did allow the sculptures to take centre stage.
Even things like this weaving to stabilise stakes in the kitchen garden becomes sculptural without leaves.
Harlow Carr has a small exhibition space in The Bath House, currently housing a delightful collection of crafts, including these textiles by Janet Browne.
No day out in my family is a complete without going for tea and cake. In fact sometimes, entire days out are arranged around a good cafe! Harlow Carr is also home to a Betty’s Tea Room. There are several around Yorkshire and visiting one always feels special. It is a decadent experience where the silverware is actually silver and the food beautifully presented without being over the top.
Harlow Carr was a delightful combination of pretty flowers, craft and tea, I would love to go back when everything is in bloom. And it would be a good excuse for more cake!
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