BACK TO THEIR ROOTS
Expert gardeners John and Kate Foley have transformed their nursery at Holden Clough, creating a truly delightful destination
Having recently undergone a total transformation, Holden Clough Nursery is a magical place to visit! For expert gardeners, Holden Clough is the place to go for unusual plants and specialist perennials, and for the amateur gardener it is a haven of attractively laid out beds with slate signage letting visitors know exactly where the various species will thrive.
If you have an area of shade or sun, Holden Clough’s expert John Foley has gathered together a collection of plants that will grow there.
Similarly if visitors are on a quest to find plants that will thrive in waterlogged areas or places that are very dry, or if they want foliage or ground cover, they will find a collection grouped together making selection easy.
If gardeners are looking to develop a colour themed garden, they will find colours are also grouped, as John explains: “We have tried to make this a place that inspires people to garden more. Grouping by association helps gardeners in their choices. If they come here and see that we can make a garden look beautiful – they know they can do the same at home.”
Stocking unusual roses and herbs, all perfectly laid out in the grounds of Holden Clough, their new look nursery, which is tucked away in the pretty hamlet of Holden, is also wheelchair friendly and has a new sales area.
Garden accessories including vintage-style clay pots sit against an attractive backdrop of heritage colour and French-style furniture – this is a beautiful place to visit at any time of year but especially as the summer months approach!
The latest transformation has been a triumph for John and Kate, who have managed to seamlessly link the nursery to the hugely successful Garden Kitchen, which opened five years ago.
This smart, country-style café bar, with its flag floors and wood burning stove, has forged a reputation for great food and drink, using locally produced ingredients. Having established itself as one of the best in the region, John and Kate decided it was time to get back to their roots, breathing new life into the nursery, transforming it into an aesthetically pleasing destination where visitors can wander through the garden, checking out the various plants and herbs before enjoying lunch or afternoon tea in Garden Kitchen – something for which the café has become renowned!
This summer sees the afternoon tea ‘picnic bench’ feature delicacies such as a mini Mojito along with courgette and lime cake: “We are trying to bring the flavours of the garden into the kitchen so they are very much linked to each other,” says John.
While the transformation of the nursery has been a triumph, there are further plans in the pipeline for a new glasshouse and potting shed that will link into the Garden Kitchen, keeping the experience under cover in the wetter months and also at Christmas, when Holden Clough is transformed into a winter wonderland.
The plans will also see a new glazed terrace added on to the Garden Kitchen making dining there even more of an experience with views over the surrounding countryside and meandering river below.
And for those who want to learn more about how they can improve their gardening skills, a new riverside classroom will also form part of the building work that is due to start later this year.
“We are very much hands-on gardeners here at Holden Clough and we like to pass on our skills,” adds John, who is hoping the new glasshouse and potting shed will be completed by Spring 2019 while the classroom is set to open in Autumn 2019.
GARDEN KITCHEN SPECIAL OFFERS!
EVERY WEDNESDAY: FREE SOUP OR CHIPS WITH ANY SANDWICH
EVERY THURSDAY MORNING: BOTTOMLESS BREW
Unlimited tea and coffee with cake – £5!
T&Cs apply
Holden Clough Nursery
Holden, Clitheroe BB7 4PF
01200 447447
www.holdencloughnursery.com
Open seven days a week
