Harrogate

I'm sure you're all rolling your eyes at the obviousness of this observation: but bless me, the English know how to put together a good garden. Took the train to Harrogate today, and once the weather was no longer frostbite-bait cold I walked through Valley Garden.

( And in Valley Garden, there be dragons )

See the wingless dragon? I didn't notice them at first, and then -

This is brilliant design: unobtrusive, but delightful when you notice. It's like a very detailed painting, or a well-written story: you look at it closely or read through again, and you find things you didn't notice.

Valley Garden fades into a few pathways through a pine forest, which lead to the gardens at Harlow Carr. Harlow Carr has many things, but the most impressive was the alpine garden. You know alpine plants? Moss and lichen and tiny little pine trees, all of which are very well and good in their natural habitat but kind of...boring?

You'd think a garden of alpine plants and nothing but would be positively mind-numbing, but no. It's like walking through fairyland.

( And if you walk around back of the garden, where there isn't a path and hardly anyone ever walks... )

Lovely stuff.