Spring Ideas from RHS Harlow Carr
Karen Chapman | Uncategorized | bulbs, combinations, design, edible, England, foliage, groundcover, perennials, spring, Travel
| ByI'm just back from England where I spent two weeks visiting very special friends. It was wonderful to spend quality time together, bumbling around my favorite villages and towns, hiking in the Yorkshire Dales, swimming in the Solent, and drinking lots of 'proper' tea. While in Yorkshire my friend Jill suggested an outing to RHS Harlow Carr, one of my favorite public gardens. Far from just being a showcase, this garden is filled with ideas that the homeowner can recreate in their own space. This was my first visit so early in the year so I was excited to explore and discover something new. I must apologize for the photo quality though. Since I had to pack my wetsuit and hiking boots I didn't have room for my DSLR, hence these are just cell phone snaps (from an old phone).
Combinations to Celebrate Spring
After relentless grey winter days we are all ready for COLOR. I was excited to see some fresh ideas for spring ephemerals beyond crocus and tulips. The border above caught my eye with its crisp white and yellow color scheme. The white birch bark set the scene, the color repeated by double white hellebores and some white daffodils with a soft yellow corolla (almost spent at this point). That yellow was echoed by tall yellow crown imperials as well as earlier yellow daffodils and a golden Carex spp.. This simple trio is definitely one I would like to copy. The common woodland primrose (Primula vulgaris) is the most delicate shade of buttermilk yellow, yet planted adjacent to White Beauty trout lilies (Erythronium c. 'White Beauty') it reads white. Notice the lovely veining on the foliage of the trout lily too. Adding a punch of bolder yellow, which echoes the eye of the primrose is a carpeting perennial which I think might be yellow wood anemone (Anemone ranunculoides). Sadly, I suspect that rabbits might like this. Let me know if you've grown it and what you thought. The problem with ephemerals is that they are indeed short lived, often going dormant by early or mid-summer. I like the way these trout lilies have been interplanted with herbaceous ferns, whose foliage will hide the tired bulbs. Likewise these anemone have auriculate lady ferns (Athyrium otophorum) ready to take over the summer scene. In another part of the garden there was a completely different yet equally striking color combination. Primula 'Dark Rosaleen' is one of several stellar cultivars bred by Joe Kennedy in Ireland. Noted for its bronze foliage as much as the flowers, this may be my favorite so far. The flowers almost look like the summer annual called Cherry Star super bells (Calibrachoa). Here it is partnered with the bronze foliage of an emerging peony while a laceleaf maple is in the distance. Clumps of black mondo grass are interspersed among the primula. Stunning.Woven structures
I've shown you this living willow fence before, but I thought it was interesting to see at this time of year when it is just starting to leaf out. I was struck by these archways in the kitchen garden but forgot to ask what species they had used. They appeared to have used two different species which have been lashed together at the base. I noticed red twig dogwood (Cornus spp.) used to create a low woven border in the kitchen garden too. They appear to have planted cuttings then woven them together and pruned as needed. I suspect the above edging is woven hazel but thought the design itself was a great way to use a corner for edibles or ornamentals. You could easily practice crop rotation in the sectioned beds and the pathways make access easy. Talking of edibles what about these dwarf apple trees espaliered to create a fence around the garden: They would need some regular pruning but who can resist them in springtime?See more from RHS Harlow Carr
Every time I visit here I see something new and of course just like our gardens at home this is always evolving with new areas being added and older ones being edited. You might enjoy these earlier posts that feature aspects of this garden:- Hedgehogs, Floral Tapestries, and Design Inspiration from Harlow Carr
- Gourdgeous Pumpkin: An Exciting, Colorful Backdrop
- Celebrate Spring with Candelabra Primroses
Want to see this garden for yourself?
Be sure to sign up for my newsletter and be offered priority registration for our 2026 tour which will see us returning to the beautiful Yorkshire Dales and RHS Harlow Carr. You'll receive a free download when you subscribe too. Note that this is a separate registration for subscribing to my blog. The form for that is below:
Subscribe to Receive Blog Posts
Gardening inspiration delivered right to your inbox from Le Jardinet
Caladium Inspiration
Here in the Pacific Northwest, caladiums are considered a rather exotic houseplant that can vacation outside on the shady summer patio but are not your 'mainstream' summer annual. In fact they will rarely be found with geraniums or petunias at the local nursery, but rather remain tucked away with the indoor plants. Despite that I…
Read More Pinterest Peer Pressure – baring it all!
I thought it would never happen. Sunshine finally arrived in Seattle for two days in a row! Enough time to get 21 yards of mulch on the garden and persuade me to take some photographs. To celebrate that spring may finally be reaching us I thought I'd share some of the early season color that…
Read More Making TWO Containers Work
I'm often asked how many containers should be grouped together, do they have to be in groups of 3, do they all have to match and should they all be planted identically. The answer is NO to all those concerns! Here are several ways to make a group of just TWO containers work with style.…
Read More Using a Signature Color
The display gardens from the 2017 Northwest Flower & Garden Show may be dismantled but the memories and design inspiration will feed my creative soul for years to come thanks to photographs . As I reviewed my images this morning I was struck once again how several designers had used orange as a signature color.…
Read More Creating Sanctuary
What does the word 'sanctuary' mean to you? A place of peace, protection, an oasis? Somewhere you you feel at ease? Cocoon-like? How would you go about creating such a space in your own garden? I had the honor of co-judging the City Living displays at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show last week. These…
Read More Inspired Design – Updating the Front Garden
This beautiful home was suffering from 'plant-it-and-sell-it-itis'. I see this problem all the time; builders are usually required to landscape the front garden when construction is complete, so a haphazard selection of trees and shrubs are planted with little regard to their mature size, texture, form or even the homes architecture and five years later…
Read More Celebrate with Me – and Enter to Win!
I am thrilled to be able to announce that my new book Gardening with Foliage First (Timber Press), co-authored with Christina Salwitz is finally HERE! Why do you need this book? The beauty of flowers is seductive, but flowers, by their fleeting nature, are a fickle base to provide long-lasting gardens with year-round interest. Tackle…
Read More Reflections
My Mum was one for frequently reminding me to "count my blessings". Whether it was for an unexpected gift, for food on the table or for a warm home. She taught me never to take these things for granted, to give thanks and to freely share. In a social media dominated world where we tend…
Read More Wishing You Peace
Amazing Peace: A Christmas Poem By Dr. Maya Angelou Thunder rumbles in the mountain passes And lightning rattles the eaves of our houses. Flood waters await us in our avenues. Snow falls upon snow, falls upon snow to avalanche Over unprotected villages. The sky slips low and grey and threatening. We question ourselves. What have…
Read More Thoughtful Hand-Crafted Gifts
It's that time of year again when the post-Turkey coma gives way to a shopping and wrapping frenzy. Let me make life a little easier. Put the kettle on, enjoy a cup of tea and use these ideas to get you started on finding the perfect gift for everyone on your list. All these items…
Read More Welcome to My Garden Adventures
I'm a serious plant-aholic. In other words I'm usually covered in a layer or two of soil, I drive everywhere with a large tarp for impromptu plant purchases and I'm truly passionate about sharing the joys of gardening.