Himalayan Gardens & Sculpture Park – A beautiful collection of rare plants and artwork

I have given Himalayan gardens and sculpture park signs many times when driving near Ripon, Masham and Grewellthorpe, but never actually made time to stop and visit. A few weeks ago, I finally did it.

Located in 45 acres of woodland with acidic soil, this garden actually holds the largest collection in the northern part of Rhododendrons, Azaleas and Magnolia. When I visited, they were lucky that they were still in bloom, so the 150 magnolia trees in particular were worth the entry myself.

It was also said that the local acidic soil is ideal for rhododendrons and explains the fact that there are actually over 1400 varieties in the garden.

The gardens are inspired by the Himalayan region, including parts of China, Vietnam and North India. In addition to the array of giant plants, the garden also includes three small lakes at the bottom of the valley, as well as a pagoda to truly give you the Himalayan theme.

Gardens are also important for conservation work, and in fact they hold 95 species that are included in the Royal Horticultural Society's Red List of Endangered Species Species.

The unusual microclimate at the bottom of the valley means that there are optimal conditions for the rare Meconopsis blue poppy. This influenced the incredible display of ceramic poppies covering parts of the valley side.

The garden will be a wonderful space to wander no matter what. The collection of sculptures on the premises makes the place special.

There are 90 sculptures, a permanent exhibition, but when I visited there were 60 additional temporary sculptures (all for sale) that were part of the “Sculptures of the Landscape Exhibition.”

The garden is the perfect space to see the sculptures in the open air gallery. There is a giant magnolia floating in one of the lakes.

Not just Ministone Henge. Andy is a more interesting exhibition.

The owner states, “Each sculpture is chosen in a way that relates to everything around its surroundings and is placed within the landscape. Weather, light, vegetation, close and long distance views. It is a positive relationship, and each sculpture focuses, strengthens and animates the environment.”

The garden has an interesting history. The garden has now been donated to the Hutt Foundation. This is a charitable trust established to secure the purpose of the park for future generations. The donation was made by Peter and Caroline Roberts, who bought the house and grounds in 1996.

The foundation was called the Hutt Foundation (hatt was a Scandinavian word meaning “head of the Valley.” They even made Joanna Lumley on TV as a patron. She said about the place…

I spent a few hours walking around the property. It was a truly sensory overload with a stunning collection of bright colours, visually inspiring artwork, plenty of bird songs and wildlife.

Near the entrance is an interesting walled garden with more artwork displayed.

There are also cafes, shops and plants available near the large car park at the entrance. It is worth mentioning that due to the charitable status of the site, you cannot sell tickets for the site, so you must purchase tickets online before you arrive. It is also worth mentioning that the site will not open until April 8th each year and will close in early November.

I really think this was a special place and another of Yorkshire's hidden gems.