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Harewood Gardens

Tree Story

Autumn landscape at Harewood created by Capability Brown

As the dark nights draw in and the leaves begin to change, views across Harewood’s landscape become a vivid autumn spectacle. The red, orange and yellow leaves provide a vibrant display throughout October and November.

With 850 acres of managed woodland, there are hundreds of trees under Harewood’s care. From the creation of the “Capability” Brown parkland to modern events like the Tour de France, these trees have presided over much of Harewood’s history. Here are a few trees for you to look out for on your next visit.

  • The Tallest Grand Fir in Yorkshire:
    Harewood is home to Yorkshire’s tallest Grand Fir growing in the Lakeside Gardens (SE of the Cascade beside the path towards the Walled Garden). This tree was last measured at 36m tall or 118ft!
  • Our Oldest Trees:
    Exactly which is the oldest tree on the Estate is difficult to say. What we do know, is that along the Lakeside Path, two, beautiful, native trees reside which were planted around the same time as the “Capability” Brown parkland was design in the late 18th century. The striking Beech and Oak trees can be found just before the Walled Garden and are at least 250 years old.
  • Fairy Tree: Did you know Harewood has a magical tree which is home to a family of fairies? The grand old Oak stands proudly on the water’s edge of the Lake. If children walk up really quietly, they might just see a fairy busy tidying their house!
  • Head Gardener’s One to Watch:
    Choosing just one tree for you to look out for was no easy task for our Head Gardener, Trevor Nicholson. After some persuasion, it was decided that the Black Walnut tree, which sits alongside the Ice Cream Kiosk, is the one for you to find. As autumn flourishes, the leaves on this beautiful tree become a striking gold which you simply cannot miss!

We hope you can join us to see this wonderful, autumnal display. Enjoy the crisp air, warm sunshine and crunchy leaves as you explore everything autumn has to offer at Harewood.

Green Fingers

Gardeners love the Lakeside Garden at Harewood

Whatever the time of year, the Lakeside Garden provides beautiful views for visitors to enjoy

We have had a very busy ‘winter’ in the grounds and gardens, implementing a plan of practical improvements, which will enhance the quality of our visitor experience. Through a closer working relationship with the Estate, the gardens’ staff have ventured beyond the gardens to contribute to a wider remit of landscape restoration and conservation. As well as restorative works around the Church and to the main approach to the House, much attention has been focussed on the lakeside gardens, where the redressing of overgrown shrubberies has reopened old vistas across the lake, as well as creating new ones. The Himalayan Garden has been transformed over the past few months in a similar fashion and the area has been cleared of dense vegetation, so as to reveal the underlying contours and structure of this attractive garden.

We are currently working behind-the-scenes on the planning of new summer bedding schemes for the Terrace, to coincide with the arrival of Le Tour de France in July, as well as some impressive new   planting in the borders. In the Walled Garden, much has been done to improve the standards of upkeep in the kitchen garden, where a whole range of modern and heritage vegetables will be grown side-by-side throughout the coming season. Come and visit the Gardens and Grounds to discover more.

Exotic Chusan palms in the Archery Border…

Our group of Chusan palms are just coming into flower in the Archery Border. You most likely won’t have seen these palms anywhere else, nor would you necessarily associate palm trees coming into flower in Yorkshire! These flower here thanks to the southerly-facing aspect and sheltered location of the Archery Border below the Terrace, it’s a real sun-trap in Summer and a nice quiet spot for relaxing with a book…

The palms look fantastic in the Archery Border here at Harewood…

They were planted in the border about twelve years ago as part of the sub-tropical replanting scheme and have since grown to more than ten feet high. They are native to central China. Another name for them is the ‘Chinese Windmill Palm’. Their scientific name is Trachycarpus fortunei, they are named after the famous (and very interesting!) Victorian plant hunter, Robert Fortune, who discovered them growing on the island of Chusan near Shanghai.

Find out more about Robert Fortune on the Plant Explorers.Com website

Find out more about the Gardens at Harewood here…