Cliff Bank Nursery near Harrogate restored to its former glory by young couple

Located at the foot of Almscliffe Crag on the edge of the village of North Rigton, the nursery has a long history and is well known among gardening enthusiasts because it was previously owned by the late Joe Maiden, a gardening guru who presented a BBC Radio gardening show for more than 40 years.

Ben explained: “The seven-and-a-half acre plot that we’ve taken on was previously part of a bigger site that we know had been used for horticulture for many years. We have photographs from the late 1960s, when shrubs, roses and trees were grown here, and we found some really old plant pots when we were clearing the land.”

Sadly, in recent years the 7.5 acre site, which comprises a cottage and four acres of woodland, had been abandoned and was steadily falling into dereliction. When Ben and Laura acquired it in March of last year, it was in a sorry state and they spent the first few months clearing the land of weeds, with the help of their small herd of pigs, before they could even begin to think about growing plants to sell.

Ben was employed full-time as the head gardener at York Gate Garden near Leeds until last August, so initially only worked on the Cliff Bank Nursery site in the evenings and weekends.

Having studied Plant Science and Horticulture at Nottingham Trent University, Ben said that he ‘cut his teeth’ by working at a number of nurseries and gardens, including Goldsborough Hall at Knaresborough. He describes himself as a ‘passionate plantsman and gardener’, but admits that this wasn’t always the case, explaining: “I was a bit lost when I was a teenager and I struggled with my studies until I discovered horticulture. It gave me a bit of purpose; if you love something, it makes it a lot easier.”

He continued: “I love being outside and growing unusual plants, and I want to share it with other people. It doesn’t feel like work, it’s my way of being creative; coming up with planting designs brings out my artistic side.

“Horticulture is quite accessible for young people, but I never knew it was a viable career option so I want to change the stigma around that.

“It’s quite infectious and I think everyone has it in them, they’re just not exposed to it. It’s been said that around three million new garden projects began in the lockdowns during the pandemic. A lot of people get into it when they retire, but it’s a lovely pastime for young people too.”

Although Ben is the first person in his family to make a living from horticulture, he describes his family as ‘quite outdoorsy’. His grandparents had a small holding and his sister breeds livestock.

However Laura, who hails from Windsor and first met Ben with she was living in Manchester, is a newcomer to gardening.

Ben says: “It was initially my passion, but the nursery is very much a joint thing. On a day-to-day basis I run the nursery, but we’re in it together and make decisions together.”

Laura continues to work in the NHS as a mental health nurse, but has cut her hours back to three days per week so that she can spend more time helping out at the nursery, where the couple also have their own flock of chickens, as well as the pigs.

Under Ben and Laura’s careful stewardship, Cliff Bank Nursery reopened in May and specialises in ornamental grasses, unusual perennials, woodland plants and hardy annuals. Ben is huge fan of stylised pot displays capable of bringing colour, texture and fragrance to even the smallest of gardens.

He says: “We don’t grow bedding plants, our plants are for mixed planting schemes. It’s more sustainable and we’re quite traditional, growing everything ourselves, rather than buying plants in.

“Last December we sold Christmas trees sourced from nearby Stockeld Park to get the gate open and let people know that we were trading again, but we didn’t open properly until May. We needed a little more time than expected as we’d been up against it with the wet weather.”

Future plans include creating a garden within the nursery to offer visitors to the site planting inspiration, as well as developing a woodland garden and traditional coppice, where they can grow Hazel and Sweet Chestnut for timber.

It’s clear that the pair are very much at home in their new surroundings and that their venture is not just a business, but a way of life.

Ben says: “The site is sheltered, so it’s good for growing, and we have a lovely little cottage. We have lovely views of Almscliff Crag and out towards the Harewood estate.”

The couple’s first year at Cliff Bank Nursery has not been without its challenges, from tackling stubborn weeds to watering plants for up to six hours each day during the recent hot, dry spell.

However, they clearly take such obstacles in their stride, as Ben explains: “The challenges are all part and parcel of being a grower. I’m a problem solver and I think that the challenge is part of why we chose to do this. There’s a perception that gardeners are green fingered and never kill plants, but we do kill plants and we learn by our mistakes.

“I think many people can be quite apprehensive about where to plant things, so we want to encourage them to be more creative.”