Yes, it’s almost that time of year when I can start thinking about coming out of hibernation and not being quite as grumpy a bear in a morning. My favourite season of the year, Spring! I like Autumn too but I think Spring just beats it. One of the things I love about Spring is the awakening of all those little plants that have been keeping warm under the soil for these last few months. I also have a bit of a thing about baby birds and animals too, particularly lambs.
So, last weekend I thought I’d go to one of my favourite places that I’ve not been to for a few years, the Royal Horticultural Society Garden at Harlow Carr, Harrogate. This is where, around 19 years ago, I did a one-year evening course in garden design and absolutely loved it. So off I went in search of Spring on this bright crisp morning. I love flowers and plants so I’ll tell you a little about my favourites from this visit.
Now this occasion, being a cold one, called for the wearing of my new bobble hat! Yes, that’s right I’ve got another one. I have got this one to match my hair. Because there have been developments on the mid-life crisis front. I’ve gone back to my youth and am once again a red head as I decided that red head’s do have more fun. I was getting greyer by the day and was having a mini meltdown, I am not going to age gracefully, I’ve promised myself I’m going to do it disgracefully. I was red when I was younger and I thought what’s the worst that can happen, if I don’t like it, I can just have it stripped out, no big deal, so I’ve done it. It is very ginger, and it makes my eyes look very blue for some reason. I think I need to wash it a few more times to tone down the brightness before I make my mind up whether it’s staying. But, it gave me an excuse to buy a new hat, so all is well. I have had the expected responses from my two ‘bundles of joy’ who’ve had the ‘do you like my new hair’ Facetime call. One said “It does not look as bad as I thought it would”, I don’t know whether that’s a compliment or not and the other burst into a rendition of “The Sun’ll come out Tomorrow” from Annie the musical (you’ll have to google Annie but I swear on my life I do not look like Annie). They’ve put me off it slightly but I’ll leave it a bit longer before I decide whether it’s staying.
Harlow Carr is one of five public gardens run by the Royal Horticultural Society, a gardening charity founded in 1804. It holds various flower shows throughout the year, the most famous being the Chelsea Flower Show which I have been lucky enough to attend on two occasions. Its gardens are absolutely spectacular and showcase some of the most spectacular plants in a magnificent setting. It’s good to visit four times a year, once in every season, as it is a year-round garden and it changes throughout the seasons. A visit now is lovely as people often think there is nothing much to see in a garden in winter, but the RHS prove otherwise and there are some fantastic winter plants that thrive in the northern hemisphere, and now is the time when all the new spring shoots and bulbs are coming to life. May is superb as they have lots of rhododendrons in the woodland area which are a sight to behold. I love perennials so end of June/July is another perfect time to visit. Then finally Autumn just for the spectacular colours in the Arboretum.
What did I see?…………………Snowdrops, snowdrops and more snowdrops. They have a whole garden dedicated to this plant. There are around 20 different species of snowdrop in existence and in each species, there are number of varieties. In total, there are over 2,500 varieties found in the UK alone. There are huge snowdrops, tiny snowdrops, snowdrops with single layered petals, double snowdrops, pure white snowdrops, snowdrops with green markings…….just so many. Here are some of my favourites from today.
Then I went off in search of one of my favourite spring flowers. On my way I passed a plant with some really big orange berries on there. Very pretty and perched on the top was the most beautiful female blackbird, tucking into dinner between bursts of song. There were so many birds in the garden, and even they seemed happy it’s nearly spring, birdsong from every direction.
Then I found them, the daffodils. It must be a little warmer in Harrogate than at home because I actually found some that were out! It made my day. Daffodils to me mean Spring. They make me think of the poem ‘I Wandered Lonely as Cloud’ by William Wordsworth. One of my favourite poems as I can relate to his thoughts on daffodils, I can’t remember all the words to it like I used to be able to as it was a poem we once had to learn to recite from memory at school.
In addition to flowers the RHS also like to showcase the growing of fruit and vegetables, often showing how they can be grown amongst flowers in a domestic garden. I got really excited when I saw this one, rhubarb! It’s a love or hate thing is rhubarb, but I love it. I have two big crowns of rhubarb on the allotment, one early, one late. The first will be ready in around a month and that means rhubarb crumble, rhubarb pie, rhubarb jam and absolutely anything else I can think of that involves rhubarb.
Then it was time to have a look at the ‘Winter Walk’. This was lovely, full of Cornus (Dogwood), which just looks like it’s on fire from a distance, so bright. I love Hamamelis (Witch-Hazel) too. So pretty in winter and it smells beautiful, although it just will not grow in my garden at home unfortunately, I’ve tried it unsuccessfully.
By this time, I was so cold, but luckily there is a ‘Betty’s’ tea kiosk in the garden. I have Raynaud’s and whilst it’s not a serious thing it is really annoying to live with at this time of year and drives me crazy. At this point I’d lost all my finger ends and they really start to sting and throb so I needed a hot drink to hold to get them back. I also did not need an excuse and used the opportunity to eat a ‘Fat Rascal’. It’s a bit like a scone but has more fruit in, mixed citrus peel and a cute little face made from glace cherries and blanched almonds.
Fingers working again and refuelled the final bit of the walk took me through the Japanese garden and pond and into the arboretum and woodland. In winter I think my favourite winter woodland plant is the Hellebore. So many different colours of purple, pink and creamy white and there were so many varieties of it in flower today. There were lots of Silver Birch with some very cleverly planted red dogwood in front which contrasted perfectly, all ideas for the garden at home! Then I spotted the most spectacular tree, a Tibetan Cherry or Prunus Serrula, it had just the most amazing bark. Time then for a quick visit to the bird hide which I think must have been the busiest hide in Yorkshire today. There was a Woodpecker, who was too fast for his photo, Robins, Chaffinches, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Coal Tits and one of my favourites the Nuthatch, who really does not like anyone else on the feeder except himself, so funny to watch.
A lovely day: birds; plants; trees; sunshine; coffee; a ‘Fat Rascal’ and a new bobble hat, what more does a girl need. Well, perhaps one more visit to the Betty’s cake shop before I drive home? But that would be two buns in one day wouldn’t it. But the plan was to go for a 5 mile run when I got home so I decided that based on that fact, if I ran a little bit faster than normal and went a little bit further to burn off a few extra calories, and also the fact that it’s around Valentine’s Day, and this year I’m trying to focus a bit more on self-love, I came to the conclusion that a Betty’s fresh fruit and cream iced heart cake was just what was needed! This was even better than the ‘Fat Rascal’, it was delicious. And “Yes” I did go for that run when I got back and it was almost 6-miles at breakneck pace!
