People say a gardener’s job is never done, no matter what scale you’re working on. From your own back yard, down on the allotment or on a much grander scale, as the days turn into weeks and the weeks into months, the seasons slowly but surely come and go, each bringing with them something new to grab your attention or fresh challenges to overcome.

Plants never stop growing and a garden never stands still. All gardeners know the feeling of never quite having enough time, always wanting an extra hour in the day, or another pair of hands to help with the weeds. Here at RHS Garden Harlow Carr, when people ask how many gardeners we have, I feel very lucky to be part of a 20-strong team, but nevertheless, I always jokingly add “we could do with double that number”. This is because we are never content with what we have and constantly strive to improve, add new cultivars and more colour, and continue the evolution of the garden.

And so new projects are inevitable, as we keep stretching our minds to what we can achieve. If you’ve visited Harlow Carr in the past few weeks you may have noticed some strange markings on the ground in the area known as the Sandstone Rock Garden. The markings are for a new project to create a new path, widen flower beds and re-shape the lawns in this fairly quiet area of the garden, tucked away next to the main borders. The work is designed to protect a large Pine Tree (Pinus sylvestris) which currently has a small path running directly on its roots, compacting the soil around it. We aim to remove the existing path and replace it with a new one not too far away, but far enough away from the Pine’s root plate. This will help with the compaction, allowing the roots to breath and moisture to penetrate down through the soil.

Typically, if we are in danger of a path going over unavoidable roots, we use a root protection system which is a web-like structure which helps to lift the path over the roots and ensure loads placed upon it are laterally dissipated rather then transferred to the roots and soil below. This is also perforated to allow movement of air and water to pass freely through and ensure nutrient supplies are maintained to the tree.

The current project to protect the Pine Tree has added benefits too: it allows us to look at the flow of visitors through the area, and assess how the area links up with its surroundings, softening the transition from one area to the next with very different planting styles.

Harlow Carr is a garden which is evolving at an astonishing rate; with big improvements over the last few years and a lot more to come in the future. We have to work really hard to fit these projects in around our day-to-day work - with as little disruption as possible to visitors - but that’s all part of the fun and what makes Harlow Carr such a special place to work.

Craig Woodhouse, Horticulturist at RHS Garden Harlow Carr

Jobs for the Week

  • Collect seeds from annuals you want to sow next year like sweet peas, foxgloves and aquilegias.
  • Deadhead roses and perennials to keep them flowering and looking good.
  • Summer prune wisteria by shortening all long side-shoots to about 20cm.
  • Keep on top of watering, especially in containers and pot plants.
  • Keep on top of weeds in lawns and patios to stop them establishing, by pulling or using weed-killers.

Diary dates
RHS Summer Advisory Service RHS members can get free face-to-face gardening advice from an RHS advisor from 11am - 3pm on the first Saturday of each month and every Monday from 1pm - 3.30pm from July to September. Come to our desk in the entrance conservatory with your questions. Normal garden admission.

Summer Sundays
Bring a picnic and enjoy live music in the beautiful surroundings of Harlow Carr every Sunday throughout July and August from 1 – 4pm. Normal garden admission.

Until September 4: Rocket Science Summer Family Fun
The countdown is on to six weeks of summer fun at RHS Garden Harlow Carr. Families can embark on an out-of-this-world adventure this summer in Harrogate as the northernmost RHS Garden goes intergalactic. Youngsters can take part in their very own space mission to Mars on a space-themed garden trail, enjoy stratospheric storytelling with the Garden Detectives, create cosmic crafts, and discover how our feathered friends have influenced flight and space exploration during spectacular birds-of-prey flying displays.

Normal garden admission.