Alongside more than 80 contemporary sculptures, the Himalayan Gardens and Sculpture Park showcase nature’s own masterpieces. Now is the time to see the spectacular giant Himalayan Lily (Cardiocrinum giganteum), which is currently in full bloom.
To celebrate being open and with this weekend being Father’s Day, the Gardens in Grewelthorpe near Ripon have partnered with Toast of Harrogate, so visitors can indulge in coffee, cake and café treats this weekend.
Served from a beautiful vintage trailer, Toast of Harrogate will open to visitors to the Gardens from Saturday (20 June) near the contemplation circle to ensure social distancing is adhered.
Naomi Hutchinson, Operations Manager at the Gardens, said: “It’s an opportunity to feed the soul and the stomach! It’s the perfect treat this Sunday for families looking to do something memorable for Father’s Day. Visitors can sip on a cappuccino and contemplate the many sculptures featured in our open-air art gallery. Working with Toast of Harrogate allows us to support a local business which has suffered due to the cancellation of events. While our own tearoom is closed, it also allows us to give visitors the refreshments we know they enjoy, in an open, beautiful space.”
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Toast of Harrogate can normally be seen at the Great Yorkshire Showground and the Harrogate Flower Show. Rachael Harrison, Owner of Toast of Harrogate, said: “It’s great to find a new home for our little vintage trailer and fantastic that we can start trading again with the help of the Himalayan Gardens.”
The team at the Gardens have used natural materials to make its one-way systems and safe-distancing signs around the gardens, toilets and plant shop, stress-free and to fit with the landscape. They have also extended their plant sales with a clear one -way system. Plant purchases can be made via card contactless payment.
Shortlisted for Garden of the Year in the BBC Countryfile Magazine Awards 2020, and winners of the Yorkshire in Bloom Tourist Attraction Award in 2018 and 2019, the gardens have become one of Yorkshire’s must-visit destinations, attracting a celebrity Patron, Joanna Lumley, who described it as “a slice of heaven”.
The microclimate of the valley makes it fertile ground for the rare blue Himalayan Poppy and giant white Lily, alongside the North’s largest collection of rhododendrons, azaleas and magnolias. The gardens feature a Pagoda, summerhouse, Norse Hut, contemplation circle and Himalayan Shelter.
The Himalayan Gardens and Sculpture park is open from Tuesday to Sunday, 10am-4pm until 1st November. For further details and to purchase tickets online please visit www.himalayangarden.com
