Friday, April 18

Harlow Carr - Some highlights

If you follow Martyn's blog you will know that on Tuesday we visited our nearest RHS garden - Harlow Carr.

Having joined the RHS we decided that we would pay regular visits to Harlow Carr to see how the garden changes over the seasons.

Last time we visited at the beginning of March when the early spring bulbs were the stars of the garden.

We missed one part of the gardens during our last visit including this area.
For me the display of white daffodils, blue muscari and primroses were one of this month's highlights. This may well be a combination that I'll steal.
The clouds of snakeshead fritillaries were also a highlight. The pink and white flowers were naturalised in various parts of the garden.
Along the banks of the stream the unflatteringly named skunk cabbage - Lysichiton americanus grabbed attention. Fortunately the scent which is the reason for the common name wasn't apparent.
 Other plants which drew the eye were the mass planted erythronium Pagoda ...
 ... and various types of anemones...
Wood anemones - anemone nemorosa
Anemone blanda
and the bed of anemone de Caen that was full of flower on last month's visit and still producing a vibrant display.

Of course we did have to visit the garden shop just to see if there was anything we would like to buy - and was there? Well what do you think?



25 comments:

  1. A visit to the garden shop is a must, a lovely selection of plants you picked. I rather like the white daffodil & muscari combination myself.

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    1. Now I just need to decide where to plant them, Jo

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  2. The trouble with garden visits like that is that they work like a showroom: once you have seen what can be done with all those lovely plants, you WANT them, don't you? I'd really love to have a meadow full of Fritillaries. They are very much the "In" plant for me just now.

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    1. So would I, Mark but as I can't I'll just have to enjoy them there.

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  3. Some lovely images Sue - the blue white and lemon works for me too.

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  4. We do the same with Rosemoor. It's a great way of getting inspiration and seeing how the garden changes through the seasons. And isn't it a bummer that there's a plant centre too...

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    1. It is Jessica and the plant sales is the nearest way out in my opinion. ;)

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  5. The Skunk Cabbage smell seems to be worse when the leaves are crushed, the white Asian species Lysichiton camtschatcensis AGM tends not to have the bad smell and is sometimes described as having a sweet scent. There is a garden nearby where both are grown and although I can certainly vouch for Lysichiton americanus being unpleasant, I have always found the Asian species to be less unpleasant rather than sweet smelling, they are also slightly larger. Very taken with the Erythronium, I grow this but to see it in such numbers must be really something.

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    1. The Erythronium were fantastic, Rick although like everything else grown in such large drifts it would be difficult to replicate in a normal size of garden. It will be interesting to see whether they plant something else in that spot for the rest of the year.

      The skunk cabbage were interesting novelties but I wouldn't want to grow them,

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  6. So many gorgeous sights and lots of inspiration for me too. I love all types of anemone and some of those are stunning.
    I loved the fritillaria too, I planted ten bulbs last year and they have all come up, such a strange little flower. I do like your choices....fancy splitting them? xxx

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    1. Nope, Snowbird - selfish that's me! I just wish they sold all the types of plants that I saw growing. Each visit involves a fruitless search for something. On the other hand maybe it's just as well for the sake of our pockets.

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  7. How lovely to live near Harlow Carr. I do like those white daffodils, and also the snake's head fritillary, beautiful. I'll be interested to follow your visits there.

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    1. You have wonderful places to visit nearby too CJ.

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    2. Should say we post more photos on Facebook,

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  8. Your blue flowery plants look so interesting for me. Here, blue flowery plant is so rare.

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    1. I love blues Endah - a bit like your butterfly pea flowers.

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  9. Anemones are just so pretty.

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  10. As you know, I've allowed my RHS membership to lapse and I'm missing my visits to Harlow Carr so I shall enjoy all your posts through the year. Those Snakeshead Fritillaries are something else, aren't they? They look fabulous en mass. If only my few plants would decide to bulk up a little, I'd be very pleased.

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    1. And I am being introduced to many places worth visiting through your posts, Jo

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  11. I agree Sue, that white, yellow and blue combination is magical, the very essence of Spring. WOnder what follows all that under those trees? Interesting that they have Skunk Cabbage, I just learnt that Plantlife have it on their top dozen plants to avoid growing in your garden because of the threat to native species when they escape.

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    1. Interesting about the skunk cabbage, Janet and the RHS planting it. You could always grow your acid livers in a tub.

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    2. There's nothing acid about my liver I'll have you know ;-) Thank you for giving me a giggle on a dreary day!

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    3. Oops - why must I and O be so close together. Another typo today was typing 'love in Horbury' rather than 'live in Horbury' which has totally different connotations

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