Harwood House is one of the treasure houses of England with many royal connections. What's more interesting is that the gardens are full of exotic plants!  I am a regular visitor to this great place and have visited throughout the seasons to see how the gardens progress.  The main two areas of interest are the Himalayan Gardens which is a relatively new area opened by Alan Titchmarsh in May 2009.  Here you will find orchids, cobra lilies, blue poppies, Musa basjoo, giant grasses, bamboos and lots of weird and wonderful plants.  In spring the area is carpeted with Primulas in every colour.

The other area of interest is the Archery Border.  This is where tropical plants are bedded out for the summer along with the permanent plantings of Trachycarpus, Yuccas, Loquats trees and Figs as well as the largest Eucryphia in the north of England.  In summer the hot colours are a feast for the eyes with gingers, bananas, dahlias and Colocasias.

In winter the structure of the borders can be seen along with the protection techniques employed by the gardeners.  Here are some comparison shots between January 2012 and summer 2011 along with a slideshow from spring 2011.

And here is the slideshow showing what hte gardens look like in spring.