I wanted to share that RHS Harlow Carr blew me away yesterday thanks to extensive and well managed wildflower meadows that extend throughout the entire garden. With an hour or so spare after judging the new plant trial I’m on I enjoyed a wander. It struck me how the team at Harlow Carr have hit that magic balance of practical habitat management thanks to their gardening expertise that has resulted in meaningful conservation. On show right now across acres of meadow filled with orchids and other wildflowers that were teaming with insects. If you can visit this week I strongly recommend it. Plants you’ll see include an abundance of common spotted orchid, ox-eye daisies, knapweed, cat’s ear, meadow geranium, wild lettuce, jacobaea, yellow rattle, self heal, achillea, tufted vetch, common hogweed. The great thing is that it is the most accessible meadow I have ever been to because of the great parking and path facilities the RHS provide.
This is so beautiful, and meadows are so inspiring. Yesterday my partner and I walked near Chilham in Kent, and saw meadow after meadow on the route, with hundreds of butterflies we'd not seen before, such as Marble Whites and Meadow Browns. I'm coming late in life to appreciate such joy, but joy it was.