A horticultural nursery near Harrogate is to reopen after almost eight years.
Cliff Bank Nursery at North Rigton was run for years by Joe Maiden, who appeared on radio gardening shows for 40 years until his death in 2015.
Ben Preston, who was previously head gardener at York Gate Garden, and NHS worker Laura Kennedy have spent a year restoring the Harrogate Road site, which will re-open on Saturday, May 27.
The nursery will specialise in rare woodland plants, unusual perennials and ornamental grasses as well as offering a yearly selection of hardy annuals.
Mr Preston and Ms Kennedy, both 35, took on the challenge to bring the derelict nursery back to life in March last year.
Ben Preston and Laura Kennedy
They have cleared the overgrown site, installed new polytunnels and created selling space. A derelict glasshouse has also been refurbished.
The couple plan to grow everything at Cliff Bank by propagating from seed, cuttings and divisions.
Mr Preston, who is originally from Boston Spa, worked at gardens across the UK, including Goldsborough Hall, near Knaresborough, before overseeing the expansion of York Gate Garden as head gardener fro 2017 to 2022. He is also a lecturer at Yorkshire School of Garden Design.
Ms Kennedy has worked in the NHS for nine years.
Mr Preston said:
“We’re really happy to be re-opening the gates at Cliff Bank. It has seen many horticultural chapters over the years and hopefully we’ll be here for many years to come growing unusual plants and providing inspiration and knowledge for gardeners.
“Being a local lad and having a passion for plants, it has been a dream to open our own nursery so close to where I grew up. Our aspiration is to become a popular local nursery with a national reputation for growing interesting and unusual plants here in Yorkshire.’
The greenhouse pre-renovation
The renovated greenhouse
Ms Kennedy added:
“We’ve got huge plans for Cliff Bank and I can’t wait to see them come to fruition, but in the meantime, we look forward to welcoming the gardeners of Leeds and Harrogate over the summer.”
Cliff Bank will open Wednesday to Saturday from 9am to 4:30pm until October.
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Harrogate law firm Hempsons sponsors play
Harrogate law firm Hempsons has sponsored a play about the struggle to access care for elderly relatives.
Hempsons specialises in the health, social care and charity sectors so the theme of the play Fighting for Life chimed with its work.
The play was performed last Thursday at Harrogate Neighbours, a not-for-profit care organisation for the elderly.
The performance was followed by a Q&A session where audience members could ask questions relating to the themes discussed in the play.
Audience members at Harrogate Neighbours’ play.
Philippa Doyle, head of social care at Hempsons, said:
“As leading health, social care and charity lawyers, we assist these sectors with the challenges they face and take pride in offering support via free advice lines and training.”
The play, written by Brian Daniels, is currently touring the UK after premiering in 2018 at Hampstead Marie Curie hospice in London.
Harrogate Neighbours’ care fest event in July will see local companies including Powell Eddison Solicitors, Avery Walters and Full Circle Funerals give advice and support for people going through bereavement.
Harrogate garden centre launch new hydrangea at Chelsea Flower Show
Harrogate Garden Centre has launched a new hydrangea plant at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
The signature Red Butterfly Hydrangea is an exclusive at the show, and will be available to buy in garden centres across the country later this year.
The Red Butterfly Hydrangea launched by British Garden Centres
£10 from each plant sold at the show will be donated to the charity Greenfingers, which create gardens for children in hospices around the UK.
Tom Cook, plant buyer at British Garden Centres, which owns Harrogate Garden Centre, at Bishop Monkton, said:
“When looking for the perfect plant to launch as the group’s signature at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, a red hydrangea was the only option. It links to the group’s symbolism for passion through the colour and name, which is the Red Butterfly.”
First established in 1913, the RHS Chelsea Flower Show will be open until Saturday.
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Alan Titchmarsh visits Harrogate’s Horticap today
Harrogate charity and garden centre Horticap welcomed gardening celebrity Alan Titchmarsh today to officially open its cafe area and to tour the new nature trail.
Horticap is based on Otley Road, across from RHS Harlow Carr, and provides training in horticulture and rural skills to adults with learning and other disabilities.
The TV presenter and patron of the charity was invited when the cafe and nature trail first opened last summer but was unable to attend due to covid restrictions so he performed the official opening today.
Mr Titchmarsh also spoke to students and staff about new projects underway at the centre.
Phil Airey, operations manager at Horticap, said:
“We don’t really make it public when he is coming because the place gets too busy, but he came down to speak to students and see the new cafe and shop.
“It was great, he really spent time with the students and spoke to them about the projects they’re working on.
“He said he had a lovely time and even visited Bettys to take some Fat Rascals home!”
Cutting the ribbon at Horticap today. Photograph: Horticap
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Michelin-starred chef’s new cafe to open at Killinghall nursery this month
Michelin-starred chef Frances Atkins is to open her new Paradise Cafe at Daleside Nurseries in Killinghall this month.
The cafe, run by Ms Atkins, chef Roger Olive and front of house manager John Tullett, will be open six days a week from 9am until 5pm. It will be closed on Mondays.
The trio, who have all worked together for 20 years, have been operating out of a wagon at the garden centre for the last 18 months.
The Paradise Cafe wagon has served its last meal.
The wagon has now finished trading as attention turns to the new venture.
A post on the Paradise Cafe Facebook page said:
“It has taken longer than we anticipated to finish the cafe given the various curveballs we have all been thrown in the last two years.
“From today we are using all our time to be fully prepared for our opening date.”
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The post added:
“To begin with, Friday evening will be open for a series of special dinners, these will be bookings only and there will be more information coming shortly.
“We look forward to progressing our opening times and our takeaway business in the future as we develop.”
Harrogate’s Crimple appoints executive chef
Harrogate’s newly-renovated Crimple has appointed a new executive chef.
Tim Kitchen started his first head chef role in 2013 at D&D in Leeds and has worked in various venues across Yorkshire since.
Mr Kitchen has moved to Harrogate from Skipton’s Keelham Farm Shop — a success story Crimple is keen to replicate.
This new chef joins shortly after Crimple, previously known as Crimple Hall, completed a £6 million investment. It now has a 20,000 square foot food hall, 150-seat restaurant and private events space plus a garden centre and gift hall,
The food hall has an in-house bakery, 12-metre butcher’s counter and chef-cooked ready meals. All the food and produce is locally sourced and fresh.
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Graham Watson, the owner of Crimple, said:
‘”We are incredibly excited to bring Tim aboard the Crimple team. We’re passionate about supporting local and can’t wait for Tim to weave his creativity and passion into our menus.
“With late night dining launching imminently and a big focus on private events in 2022, there’s lots to do but with Tim at the helm we know the food will triumph.”
Mr Kitchen added:
Vintage tractors on show in Ripon next weekend“I’m looking forward to this next chapter in my culinary journey.
“With all the buzz around the re-launch of Crimple I can’t wait to get started.
“I am truly excited about the opportunity to meet customers and help make their dining experience unforgettable.”
A collection of around 30 vintage tractors and engines will take over a Ripon garden centre next weekend.
The event organised by the West Yorkshire Vintage Tractor and Engine Club, based in Harrogate, is to encourage its members and the public to enjoy outdoor events once more.
In previous years the club has hosted a wealth of events but coronavirus put a stop to that. Members have frequently put their tractors on display at Newby Hall’s Tractor Fest.
However, next weekend chairman Mark Nicholson said members are travelling from across the area with their machinery.
Tractors and stationary engines will be running throughout the day for people to take a look.
The entry is free and he is encouraging people with an interest to come down and have a look. He said:
“Some of our members have worked with the machinery for decades so have hug amounts of knowledge. We are running it so people can get out again and just have a chat.”
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The event is free and will be open fro 9am to 4pm next Saturday, September 25 at Tate’s garden centre.
The club has been going for 51 years with some of the founding members still involved. The group meets once a month to talk about their shared interest in vintage machinery.