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09
Feb
Flower power: the essential ingredient to Harrogate's success
Ask someone who’s not from these parts what Harrogate’s greatest asset is, and the number-one response will undoubtedly be “tearooms”.
It’s hardly surprising – Bettys' reputation extends far beyond the county boundaries – but the top answer should really be “flowers”.
In RHS Harlow Carr we have one of just five gardens maintained by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), and the town’s year is punctuated in spring and autumn by flower shows of national importance.
The town's success in the annual Britain in Bloom competitions is unparalleled, and while Harrogate has never been rated top in Europe for tearooms, it has won the Entente Florale – the continent-wide version of the In Bloom competitions – twice.
Pam Grant, who has long chaired Harrogate in Bloom, told the Stray Ferret:
Harrogate has for many years held the floral crown of the North.
So many people come here just to see the flowers. People come to live here because it’s such a nice town, and Harrogate in Bloom creates more awareness of that. It’s important that people know how lovely the town is.
I mean, what has Harrogate got? It’s not got a cathedral or much in the way of historic buildings, and it has no specialised industry. But it has got flowers.
RHS Harlow Carr makes a huge contribution to Harrogate's floral culture
Much of the town’s floral reputation can be credited to Harrogate Borough Council and its successor, North Yorkshire Council, which have always ploughed money and effort into keeping the borders bright.
Paul Cook, curator of RHS Harlow Carr, told us:
Floral displays provide a unique experience for visitors to Harrogate. How many places are still putting resources and horticultural skills into producing this annual floral feast? It takes a lot of planning and effort to get the highest-quality displays.
Pam Grant singled out one spot in particular for praise:
The Prince of Wales roundabout is always used as the picture to illustrate Harrogate, and it really is a credit to the council. It’s superb.
Local authority budgets have been squeezed in recent years, and while North Yorkshire Council has managed to maintain high standards, Harrogate BID (business improvement district) has taken up some of the slack, since its members told it they wanted it to “champion our floral heritage”.
As a result, it funds almost 200 barrier baskets, shop doorway planters and hanging baskets, has producing sponsored videography to showcase the town around the country as a floral destination, and its annual Floral Shop Window competition offers local businesses the chance to dress their windows and fronts, with honour and trophies up for grabs. It has also created new events, such as the Harrogate Floral Summer of Celebration, which won a gold In Bloom award.
Matthew Chapman launching the BID's Harrogate Floral Summer of Celebration
BID chief executive Matthew Chapman said:
The In Bloom competitions are part of our town’s DNA. They’re what keep bring people back to Harrogate, it’s part of our local community and it’s part of what makes Harrogate repeatedly regarded as the jewel in Yorkshire’s crown.
Doing well in these competitions also cements our place and promotes us as a leader on the national floral league table.
But Pam Grant stresses that the In Bloom competitions create a positive social impact far beyond the realm of flowers. She said:
It’s not just about horticulture – there are environmental and community projects that go into this too. Sixteen community groups belong to Harrogate in Bloom, including the Allotment Society, Rossett Nature Reserve, Hookstone and Stonefall Action Group, Harrogate Civic Society, and of course Harrogate BID, all doing their bit to add to Harrogate’s entry.
We’ve got 12 schools running various gardening projects too – mostly prep and primary schools, but also St Aidan’s and Harrogate Grammar School, which has a sensory garden.
Each year, we run a competition for children to design a bed in the Valley Gardens. This year, the theme was ‘teeth’ and the winner’s design will be created near the entrance to the gardens.
Next year will be the 250th anniversary of the birth of the United States, so the theme will be the USA. There’s quite a lot going on.
One of the previous winners of the children's competition inspects her creation
The RHS recently announced that Harrogate will be one of just three places representing Yorkshire in this year’s Britain in Bloom finals. The other Yorkshire towns doing battle in this latter-day war of the roses are Rawdon (Small Town) and Mirfield (Large Town).
Each of the finalists will be visited by a pair of judges in summer 2025, and winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in October.
Harrogate in Bloom will battle it out in the Small City category against seven rivals: Aberdeen, Chorley, Derry, Tower Hamlets, Tunbridge Wells, Shrewsbury and Torquay.
But what are our chances of success? “Very high”, according to the RHS’s Paul Cook, given Harrogate’s long history of participation and high standards.
Pam Grant is more guarded. She said:
I don’t know what our chances are. We’re not near to any of those places, so I don’t know what we’re up against.
But we’re going to pull out all the stops.
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