RHS Garden Harlow Carr

About the garden

Owned by

The Royal Horticultural Society

For more than 50 years, RHS Garden Harlow Carr has set itself the challenge of educating, inspiring and delighting northern gardeners. The garden was opened in 1950, by the Northern Horticultural Society, as a trial ground for assessing the suitability of various plants for growing in northern climates. The gardens are comprehensive and spectacular. One of the highlights is the display of some 46,000 daffodils (240 cvs.) in spring, followed by the famous Streamside Garden - possibly one of the longest in the country - which peaks in June and July with the vivid colours of the famous Harlow Carr hybrid candelabra primulas, along with blue Himalayan poppies, astilbes and hostas.

The woodland, arboretum and wildflower meadow are home to insects, birds, squirrels, stoats and roe deer, and, as such, form a pivotal role in encouraging biodiversity. The ornamental gardens include scented, foliage, herb, grasses and winter gardens, alpine display houses and herbaceous beds. New features appear every year: look out for the new kitchen garden and fruit garden, the redesigned main borders, and the new mixed border which combines herbaceous plants with grasses and roses in a contemporary design.

The RHS also ensures that Harlow Carr is an important centre for horticultural learning, with a full programme of workshops and longer courses on all aspects of gardening and horticulture, plus year-round events for all the family.