Alan Titchmarsh's praise for Harlow Carr
CELEBRITY gardener Alan Titchmarsh said Harlow Carr is leading the way in education when he visited Harrogate to launch the construction of a carbon-neutral learning centre.
He was joined by children from Beckwithshaw Primary School who took up tools to start work on the charity's educational centre which will become one of the greenest buildings in the country.
With their fluorescent helmets the celebrity gardener and his young team highlighted the impressive green credentials of the 3 million innovative project, which will benefit 10,000 children a year.
Alan, dressed in an open collar lilac shirt, dark zip-up jacket, brown trousers and green wellies said he was happy to be back at the "cradle of his gardening interest".
'Delighted'
He said: "I am delighted to be invited back to Harlow Carr and it is doubly lovely to come back for an occasion like this.
"I am almost honour-bound to get children involved in gardening and I am sure this will both adults and children from all around to show people that Yorkshire is at the heart of these types of projects.
"Some children have got a bit out of touch with the great outdoors lately – it is such a technical generation with all their Xboxes and Yboxes and Zboxes.
"It is a moment of great pride for me to come back here.
"I have been coming here since 1964 and Harlow Carr has never stood still – it is at the forefront of gardening in Yorkshire."
Sustainable building
The Learning Centre is expected to gain the highest rating used to recognise the UK's top sustainable buildings.
The building's environmental credentials include a zero carbon rating; a wind turbine and ground source heat pump; construction from natural and recycled materials; a water recycling system; solar heating and a sedum roof.
It will also feature an edible garden and interactive learning area and triple-glazed windows and it will be built in a 's' shape to maximize the amount of natural light available.
Fundraising efforts
The RHS will be asking supporters to dig deep to raise the remaining 866,000 needed to complete the centre which is due to open in early 2010.
Harlow Carr curator Matthew Wilson added: "We hope it will instil the joys of gardening in children and create a building that is significant for the region.
"We are thrilled to have Alan here today – he has a long association with the area and we hope he can show children the excitement you can get from the garden and the green world."
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Weather for Harrogate
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
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Temperature: 10 C to 24 C
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