RHS Harlow Carr, Harrogate, North Yorkshire

RHS Harlow Carr, Harrogate, North Yorkshire

The plan’s for a new teaching centre at RHS Garden Harlow Carr involved moving a large area of raised beds. The opportunity was taken to replace many of the old wooden raised beds with Marmax Products Ltd recycled plastic alternatives.

The recycled plastic does not rot or splinter and needs no chemical preservatives. This reduces the cost of maintenance and increases the life span of the raised beds. The recycled plastic is made from HDPE which takes a long time to break down naturally, a fact which is very bad for disposal, but very good for the raised beds. Plastic milk containers provide most of the HDPE used in the raised beds.

The recycled plastic raised beds are now part of the kitchen garden area in front of the new alpine house and RHS Garden Harlow Carr will assess their performance. Visitors will be able to see what can be grown using this method of cultivation and at the same time see what has become of their old milk containers in a demonstration of recycling in action.