North Yorkshire is located partly in northeast England and lies within the region of Yorkshire and the Humber. It has a rich coal mining history, and today is a mixture of both urban and rural areas. In fact, 40% of the region is dominated by national parks, including the Yorkshire Dales and North Yorkshire Moors. The most built-up area in the county is Harrogate, followed closely by York. Scarborough, on the North Sea coast, is a popular holiday destination.
The geology in the region comprises a range of uplands, valleys, lowlands, and coastal plains. As well as coal, deposits such as sandstone, ironstone, limestone, dolomite, gypsum, and clay are found in the region, left behind by prehistoric seas and glaciers in the area. The land is extremely fertile, but due to the nature of the geography, grassland dominates – just 26% of the farmed area is arable, whilst 56% is used for rearing livestock.
North Yorkshire has a temperate oceanic climate, though there are large variations in weather across the region due to its geography. For example, the upper Dales are some of the wettest parts of England, but the Vale of Mowbray is one of the driest areas in the UK. Towards the coast, sunshine hours average at 1650 hours per year, but closer to the Pennines, this reduces to 1250 hours per year. Gardens in North Yorkshire therefore vary in their ability to sustain lawns and plants. Homeowners will need to assess the typical weather patterns in their area when selecting the best gardening approach.