Harlow Carr is the RHS Gardens for the north of England, just on the outskirts of Harrogate.  As all RHS endeavours, it is vast in scale, meticulous in its execution and splendidly relaxing to wander around.

Set in a semi-sheltered valley, the gardens cover 27.5 hectares, melding well into the Yorkshire countryside. 

With some legacy relics from the Health Spa Hotel that originally occupied the site still visible, the RHS has re-landscaped on a grand scale creating a variety of mini-landscapes, from rockeries, rolling lawns, running and still water to woodland and wildflower meadows.

The naturally acidic soil creates an excellent environment for Rhododendron, Azalea, Himalayan blue poppies and a wide variety of other cool climate trees, shrubs and perennials. 

Essentially this is a lesson in gardening despite the weather, as they have to contend with cold, drying winter winds, deep frosts, a cooler, shorter growing season and lots of very wet weather and the results are spectacular at times.

The stunning main borders are a showcase for the plantsmanship of the staff, providing swathes of rich colour and texture for most of the year. This leads down to a delightful Streamside walk with quaint stone bridges crossing a bubbling brook banked with a lush array of water loving plants.

The woodlands then rise up to reveal huge old Rhododendron and Camellias and up at the top of the rise is an arboretum, wildflower meadow and bird hide for those who love fauna as well as flora.

Of the many specialist areas the Foliage and Scented Gardens are delightful enclosures while the Alpine House displays an impressive range of often tiny but very pretty rock plants.

The Kitchen Garden features some interesting raised beds, willow-woven climbing frames and fruit trees while a forager’s garden provides thoughtful design and some lovely ornamental aspects to complement.

These parkland style gardens have so much to offer we can't list them all here, but suffice to say that there is more than enough to fill one day - some would say it would take two days to take it all in. 

But then the seasons change and you just have to come back again.

Some say its worth the visit just for Betty's Cakes and although the Eccles cakes are the best in the entire universe I'd say the gardens have to take prime billing.