After a cold but dry weekend, this morning continued much the same with just a light overnight frost covering the grass with a white sheen of tiny ice particles. The forecast for the remainder of the week looks quite good with high pressure lying over the country, hopefully it will start to dry up some of the excessive moisture in the ground that has been around for some time now.

After breakfast and with the dogs settled asleep on the three-piece suite after their morning walk, we jumped into the car and headed up North to Harrogate for a very pleasant morning walking around RHS Harlow Carr. The sun was shining as we arrived, the temperature was about 5C with only a light breeze, and a lovely blue sky, more often than not when we come here it is either raining or dull and overcast so it was nice to walk around with the sunshine for a change.

This morning there was a lot of maintenance work being carried out at various points around the gardens, work was being carried out clearing out and enlarging the QM lake with a huge digger, I’m sure it will look good when finished in the Spring, work too was being carried out on several of the main pathways with a new screed being laid which will make it much easier underfoot and especially for wheelchair users.

From the visitors centre we headed left towards the library and learning centre and had a look at the Lakeside gardens, with work being carried out on the lake that area was cordoned off to visitors so we headed back to the little lodge and headed along the footpath to the ‘streamside walk’. Although January is generally regarded as a reasonably dormant and colourless time in the garden, there was plenty of colour in these borders with lots of red and yellow coloured Dogwoods looking quite vibrant in the morning sunshine, clumps of giant Snowdrops were in full flower as were lots of beautifully coloured cream Hellebores. Maples, Betula Utilis and Golden Willow provided lots of structure and colour to these borders as well. We continued our walk along the streamside path, towards the old bath house, work was being carried out on one of the several bridges over the stream, it looked to have been stripped back and was currently being rebuilt and strengthened.

We called in to have a look at the Japanese Art Exhibition in the Bath house for several minutes or so and admire the prints and artefacts on display, as well as the prints there was some beautiful ceramics, clothing and gifts on show too, the exhibition is on till the 13^th February and certainly worth a visit. We continued our walk following the other side of the stream before climbing up to the newly restored Sandstone rock garden, stopping to admire the planting around the ponds. From here it is just a short walk back to the visitor’s entrance and Betty’s, just in time for brunch.