Trees are coming under the spotlight at RHS Garden Harlow Carr in Harrogate as they launches this year’s ‘Glow’ Winter Illuminations (Thursday 22 November – Saturday 29 December 2018).
Running three-evenings-a-week from Thursday to Saturday, ‘Glow’ is a chance for visitors to wrap up warm, grab a festive treat from Bettys and embark upon an illuminated trail around the garden as coloured lights transform the magnificent and unusual trees and much-loved natural sculptures as dusk falls.
Paul Cook, Curator of RHS Garden Harlow Carr said:
Trees add character, structure and texture to a garden as well as offering a huge range of environmental benefits, from alleviating flooding, to locking up carbon from the atmosphere, cooling our towns and cities and capturing pollutants. They truly are nature’s heroes and we’re delighted to offer visitors the chance to see some of our favourite trees given a special after-dark makeover.
The following trees will be highlighted:
- A selection of venerable old oak trees, once part of the ancient Forest of Knaresborough
- A collection of statuesque conifers running along the Streamside, one of the longest streamside gardens in the UK
- The striking copper bark of the Tibetan cherry trees near the Queen Mother’s Lake
- A rare Maytenus boaria tree on the Main Borders
- An unusual 50-year-old Indian Bean Tree – Catalpa bignoneoides – so-called as it retains the previous year’s beans pods which were used as rattles by native Indians
The Queen Mother’s Lake, revamped Edwardian Garden, Streamside and Winter Walk will be all aglow, as well as many of the garden’s famous willow sculptures – from the Boxing Hares and BFG to Betsy the Bee and a herd of dinosaurs! Visitors can round off their adventure with a walk by the enchantingly-lit Alpine glasshouse, new for this year.
People visiting the garden during National Tree Week are also invited to plant a variety of young tree saplings, from willows and alders to cherry trees and witch hazels. Daily tree planting sessions will run on weekdays between 10.30am – 12.30pm from Monday 26 – Friday 30 November 2018. Organised by the Tree Council, National Tree Week is the UK’s largest annual celebration of trees and marks the start of the winter tree planting season each year.
