Breezy Knees: How a 'riot of colour' former potato field in Yorkshire became one of Britain's most popular garden attractions

It is known as the Breezy Knees Gardens and it opened at Warthill near York, the result it is said of a mid-life crisis.

Colin and Marylen Parker put theirs to good use by creating a spectacular scene which none other than Monty Don enthused over.

He described it as "a beautiful modern garden created on the grandest possible scale. Breezy Knees features award winning gardens, a specialist perennial nursery and cafe”.

Their plan was to turn the former potato and barley fields into a flower garden and plant nursery, which was wildly ambitious for a couple with no formal horticultural training. Fired by the thought of a life-change, and by a love of gardening, they were prepared for hard work and happy to get their hands dirty.

They are one of only a handful of British gardens with a current five star Trip Advisor rating and are situated on the eastern outskirts of York, some five miles from the city centre.

Vibrant borders, sparkling fountains and a myriad of blossom awaits you at Breezy Knees Gardens. Now covering over 20 acres they are one of the largest gardens in the North of England and with over 7,000 different varieties of plants to discover, there’s always lots to see, with the extensive borders that form the heart of the gardens giving a succession of flowers all the way through from May to the end of September.

Complementing these are a series of seasonal highlights.

Through August the main borders remain a riot of colour and finally, the special September Garden with its late season blooms and the Conifer Garden, with its majestic grasses, are often at their peak as the summer draws to a close.

It’s hard graft and any profit is put back into the business to fund new features.

For more information on Breezy Knees Gardens and Nursery, go to
www.breezyknees.co.uk.