More from RHS Harlow Carr

When the Aunties were visiting, we took them to RHS Harlow Carr Gardens, one of our favorite places to go on a Sunday morning after church (at least, when the weather is nice). We explored some old favorites and got to see a new part of the gardens as well.

Lucy wanted to show off her favorite animals in the gardens. Auntie Regina was suitably impressed.

Lucy is ready to ride!

Jacob, for his part, took the aunties to HIS favorite section, the outdoor musical instruments. He provided a nice little concert.

Jacob is ready to play!

We then wandered into a new area. The first discovery was this rather cryptic structure. It looked man-made (it certainly wasn't constructed by any animals) but seems rather slipshod for such a nice garden. Can you guess what it is?

"Pile of junk" is a wrong, though understandable, guess.

We couldn't figure it out at first until we saw the nearby sign. They call it a "bug bivi" and it's a home for a wide variety of insects and small animals. The sign had instructions on how to make your own at home. If you love bugs living on your property (and who doesn't?), why not give them the sort of place they would love to stay?

One man's pile of junk is another bug's bivi

Further on we found what I was looking forward to. I'd seen it on the map last time but we never made it as far as the "Logness Monster" before. Luckily we approached the beast from behind, so he was unaware of us.

Pile of logs?

A nice walking trail, especially if the ground were muddy

The sign says, "Please ensure children are supervised"

A face only a gardener could love

Jacob and Lucy loved climbing along the back of the Logness Monster. The log trail leads to a small path between the eyes of old Nessie. Jacob was fascinated by the sharp, red-stained teeth. I'm just glad he didn't ask about the red stains because I would have made something up about previous children who were naughty or got too close or had walked on Nessie's back. Maybe on the next visit he will ask?

Over on this side of the garden are some nice open spaces, including a small lake and a field with a wind mill. Unfortunately it's not the sort of mill that grinds up grain. It's just for the electricity.

A tranquil lake

Free energy, after you pay for raw materials, craftsmanship, and installation

Lucy found some interesting benches to climb upon. One had a book on it, which is permanently affixed. Unfortunately turning the pages looks to be quite a challenge.

Exploring without tramping on the grass

Where did that book go?

Jacob found some new waterfalls along the path. He always makes us stop and look at them. The sound is quite refreshing, even from little trickles like these.

Mostly dry waterfall, alas!

More exotic and natural looking waterfall

We also ran across the sort of gardening equipment that would inspire me to do more in the yard. Good thing I don't have it.

Not for riding, alas!

I suppose a visit to or a blog post about a garden would not be complete without at least one picture of flowers, so here are some fuchsia. The sign says they are called "Mission bells."

Fuchsia at Harlow Carr

After a fine morning of walking around, we had worked up an appetite. The local tea shop, Betty's, has a restaurant at the gardens where we had our lunch. It was quite yummy and made for a nice end to our visit to RHS Harlow Carr Gardens.