Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall will officially open the new carbon neutral Bramall Learning Centre library at RHS Garden Harlow Carr.
The official opening will take place on November 3 at the £3m eco-friendly centre, which was created to provide free horticultural education facilities for more than 10,000 Yorkshire children every year.

The two-storey s-shaped building was constructed using renewable and recycled materials and incorporates a number of energy-saving features, including sun pipes, solar panels and a wind turbine. A teaching garden and wildlife pond are also included in the design.

The teaching facilities are complemented by the new Blundell Library, which is housed within the centre and offers the North's premier public-access horticultural book collection.

The RHS are thrilled at the prospect of a royal opening next month. Head of site at the Garden Harlow Carr, Liz Thwaite said: "It is a great honour to have the Duchess officially open the new centre. We are looking forward to introducing her to some of the team who made this project possible, as well as showcasing the learning centre in action with local school children taking lessons in the building and its teaching garden."

She added: "Staff members have worked extremely hard to deliver a flagship project of sustainability and education for the RHS."

In October the garden received a White Rose Award for sustainability, a Yorkshire and Humber Construction Best Practice Award and has been shortlisted for a national Sustainability Award.