On a cold and damp late afternoon, we set off for a drive up the A1 motorway to Harrogate and the gardens at RHS Harlow Carr arriving at 4.30pm. The car park was quite busy with likeminded visitors arriving to see the yearly ‘Glow event’ at the gardens.

On arrival, I popped into Betty’s restaurant for a takeaway coffee and biscuit. There was quite a lengthy queue at the main entrance to the gardens, but it was moving slowly, and we soon passed through the entrance hall without a problem.  This year the route around the gardens was ‘one way’ and in an anti-clockwise direction which worked well. There air was filled with a light drizzle and a cool gentle breeze, but we enjoyed a very pleasant walk around the gardens. Piped music composed by Debbie Wiseman from the musical album ‘Jack Frost a Winter Story’ filled the air creating quite a pleasant, enchanting and haunting atmosphere. Our walk took us from the visitor’s centre, past the garden centre on the right, we stopped for a few moments to look at the coloured chasing lights as they ran the full length of the garden, over the stream to the Gothic pillars in the far distance. We continued our walk through a terrace of illuminated Christmas trees towards the newly opened ‘Harrogate Arms’ café which was nicely lit in front of us, to the right ‘the Alpine House’ looked quite spectacular bathed in a glowing red light. From the ‘Harrogate Arms’ we turned left and headed down the slope to the outdoor ‘Bettys Tea House’ and the old ‘Bath House’. The trees looked amazing bathed in Red, Green, Blue and White lights. The lights certainly transformed this part of the gardens, giant silver baubles hanging in one of the Oak trees near the outdoor dining area cast shadows across the footpath, and a line of giant Petunias with long flower stems made quite a statement, lit with white and purple lights which proved a popular feature for all the young mums with pushchairs. Leaving the outdoor tearoom our path followed the streamside trail towards the Thaliana Bridge. The trees behind the rockery at the side of the old Bath House were bathed in a soothing red and green light. Having walked the streamside walk many times over the years, it is remarkable how a few lights on the trees can completely transform this walk. Passing Geoffrey’s Smiths memorial stone on the right, the newly refurbished bridge over the stream was illuminated in a soothing green light. A little further along the path on the right, set back away from the footpath, in a clearing three deer were standing proud, bathed in a white light with a backdrop of oranges and reds shining through the trees behind them. Over on the left on the opposite side of the stream the gazebo/summerhouse and surrounding trees looks stunning in the orange, white and blue lighting. As we approached the Queen Mother lake on our left there were some beautiful reflections on the surface of the lake, the water was almost flat calm, just shimmering slightly. The lights from the Learning centre on the opposite side of the lake and the outdoor classroom were already reflecting nicely on the surface of the water, but it wasn’t until we got onto the bridge that the full impact of the lone tree on the water’s edge bathed in a red light  took effect,  along with the other trees alongside the stream, a mixture of blues and greens and reds reflected off the water, producing a beautiful and breathtaking image against the dark sky, the light reflecting off the low cloud and mist producing a myriad of colours.

After reluctantly leaving the bridge, we made our way up the gentle slope to the Edwardian Sunken Garden, the inside of the wooden gazebo was bathed in a white light, highlighting the structure and beautiful oak beams. The trees and shrubs around the sunken pond were delicately lit with purple, white and red lights which looked very atmospheric set against the cloudless black sky.

From here we followed the ‘Winter Trail’ for a few minutes, stopping to admire the views across the Queen Mothers Lake on our left. Continuing along the trail the shrubs along the borders were almost as colourful in the dark as they are in the daylight, the flood lighting carefully highlighting the shape and form of the respective shrubs and trees, it did look quite magical.  The small rock garden adjacent to Betty’s restaurant looked pretty, especially with the lights from the restaurant providing a subtle backdrop. From here it is just a short walk back to the garden centre and exit, but before we left, we had another look at the lovely Christmas window display in the front of Bettys.

The RHS Glow event runs until Saturday 28^th December although please check the website for adverse weather conditions and ticket availability, which can affect the opening hours. Note the Gardens will also be closed on Christmas Day.