The temperatures have risen across the Harrogate district this week and that summer feeling has well and truly kicked in.
And what better time than to enjoy some of the stunning flora and fauna that our area has to offer.
There are lots of gorgeous gardens to explore over the next few months as part of the National Garden Scheme.
The initiative gives visitors unique access to over 3,500 exceptional private gardens in the UK and raises impressive amounts of money for nursing and health charities. The scheme also promotes the physical and mental health benefits of gardens.
We have put together a list of the participating gardens in our district from now until August:
Birstwith Hall, Birstwith
When: Sunday, June 19, 2pm-5pm
Admission: Adults £5, children go free
About: A charming and varied four-acre garden nestling in a secluded Yorkshire dale.
A formal garden and ornamental orchard, as well as extensive lawns leading to a picturesque stream and a large pond. There is also a walled garden and Victorian greenhouse.
The gardens can also be visited by arrangement.
Yorke House and White Rose Cottage, Dacre Banks
When: Sunday, June 26, 11am-5pm
Admission: Adults £5, children go free
About: An award-winning English country garden in the heart of Nidderdale.
A series of distinct areas flowing through two acres of ornamental garden. There are also colour-themed borders, as well as a natural pond and stream with delightful waterside plantings. Secluded seating areas and attractive views.
The adjacent cottage has a recently developed garden designed for wheelchair access. There is a large collection of hostas and an orchard picnic area.
The gardens can also be visited by arrangement.
Prospect House, Burton Leonard
When: Friday, June 24, 1-.30am-2pm
Admission: Adults £35, children go free
Booking: A limited number of tickets have been made available for this special event. Tickets must be booked in advance here
About: Following a welcome by the owner, there will be talks on the development of the garden, the creation of a cutting garden and colour-themed borders plus demonstration of cut flower arrangements in the potting shed. Buffet lunch included.
Prospect House features a one-acre walled, landscaped garden with ornamental pond, pergola, large oval lawned area, cutting and vegetable beds.
There is a colour-themed herbaceous long border, ‘hot’ borders, and a physic bed. There is also mature hedging, trees and seasonal interest throughout. Additional new planting areas are being established.
A renovated outhouse has been converted into a potting area used for garden workshops.
The gardens can also be visited by arrangement.
Cobble Cottage, Whixley
When: Sunday, July 3,11pm-5pm
Admission: Adults £4, children go free
About: An imaginatively designed, constantly changing, small cottage garden full of decorative architectural plants and old family favourites.
There is an Interesting water garden, containers and use of natural materials. It also features a black and white courtyard garden and Japanese-style garden with growing willow screen.
The gardens can also be visited by arrangement.
Group openings – gardens that open on the same day
Grafton gardens, Marton-cum-Grafton
Well House.
When: Sunday, July 3,11am-5pm
Admission: Adults £6, children go free
About: These two gardens in adjacent rural villages are also connected by a public footpath.
Paddock House is on an elevated site with extensive views down a large sloping lawn to a wildlife pond. A plant lover’s garden where the house is encircled by a profusion of pots and extensive plant collections combining cottage gardening with the Mediterranean and Tropical. A curved terrace of Yorkshire stone and steps using gravel and wood sleepers leads to many seating areas culminating in a cutting garden and small greenhouse.
Well House, in Grafton, nestles under the hillside, with long views to the White Horse. This one-and-a-half acre garden was begun 40 years ago and is constantly changing. A traditional English cottage garden with herbaceous borders, climbing roses and ornamental shrubs with a variety of interesting species. Paths meander through the borders to an orchard with ducks. Refreshments are available at The Punch Bowl pub, a five-minute walk from Well House.
Dacre Banks and Summerbridge Gardens
Woodlands Cottage.
When: Sunday, July 10,12pm-5pm
Admission: Adults £10, children go free
About: Dacre Banks and Summerbridge Gardens are situated in the beautiful countryside of Nidderdale and designed to take advantage of the scenic Dales landscape.
The gardens are linked by attractive walks along the valley, but each may be accessed individually by car.
Low Hall has a romantic walled garden set on different levels around the historic C17 family home (not open) with herbaceous borders, shrubs, climbing roses and a tranquil water garden. The gardens can also be visited by arrangement.
Riverside House is an atmospheric waterside garden on many levels, supporting shade-loving plants and features a Victorian folly, fernery, courtyard and naturalistic riverside plantings. The gardens can also be visited by arrangement.
Woodlands Cottage is a garden of many rooms, with exquisite formal and informal plantings, and an attractive wildflower meadow which harmonises with mature woodland. The gardens can also be visited by arrangement.
Yorke House has extensive colour-themed borders and water features with beautiful waterside plantings. The newly developed garden at White Rose Cottage is specifically designed for wheelchair users. The gardens can also be visited by arrangement.
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The Priory, Nun Monkton
When: Thursday, July 7,11pm-5pm
Admission: Adults £6, children go free
About: A large country garden surrounding William and Mary house (not open), at the confluence of the River Nidd and River Ouse.
It features species trees, calm swathes of lawn, clipped yew, beech and box, formal rose garden and mixed borders.
There is a new area of soft perennial planting and informal parkland. There area also kitchen gardens with a greenhouse and swimming pool where teas will be served.
The Nun Monkton Ferryboat will be running a special service on this day, connecting Nun Monkton with Beningbrough and Moor Monkton, from the riverbank next to The Priory.
Markenfield Hall, Ripon
When: Tuesday, July 12, 2pm-3pm
Admission: Adults £5, children go free
Booking: By guided tour only (max 10 people). Tickets must be booked in advance here
About: The work of the hall’s owner Lady Deirdre Curteis and gardener Giles Gilbey.
Mature planting combines with newly designed areas, where walls with espaliered apricots and figs frame a mix of hardy perennials.
In 2018 the farmhouse border was replanted to eventually blend seamlessly with the hall’s main east border.
Goldsborough Hall, Goldsborough
When: Sunday, July 24, 11pm-5pm
Admission: Adults £5, children go free
About: An historic 12-acre garden and formal landscaped grounds in parkland setting around Grade II*, 17th-century house, which was the former residence of HRH Princess Mary, daughter of George V and Queen Mary.
Goldsborough Hall boasts Gertrude Jekyll inspired 120ft double herbaceous borders, a rose garden and a woodland walk.
There is a large restored kitchen garden and glasshouse which produces fruit and vegetables for the hall’s commercial kitchens.
Greencroft, Littlethorpe, Ripon
When: Sunday, August 7, 12pm-4pm
Admission: Adults £5, children go free
About: A half-acre informal country garden created by the owners. It features long herbaceous borders packed with colourful late summer perennials, annuals and exotics culminating in a circular garden with views through to large wildlife pond and surrounding countryside.
Special ornamental features include a gazebo, temple pavilions, formal pool, stone wall with mullions and gate to pergola and cascade water feature.
The gardens can also be visited by arrangement.
Harrogate district business says Brexit has cost it £210,000A Harrogate district horticultural business has estimated that Brexit-related bureaucracy cost it £210,000 last year.
Johnsons of Whixley, which sells over 5 million plants per year, said in a press release yesterday that the “bureaucratic burden” of Brexit had reduced revenue, increased cost and slowed its supply chain.
Britain left the EU at the end of January last year.
Johnsons said the company brought in 462 loads from the EU in 2021, which cost the company £210,000 more than it did in 2020 due to Brexit.
Of those costs, £150,000 was spent on EU plant health.
Jonathan Whittemore, head of production and procurement, said:
“This is money Johnsons is spending in the EU, with EU companies and authorities, on inspections and phytosanitary certificates.
“The EU phytosanitary certificate is a perfect example of the costly bureaucracy that doesn’t achieve its aim.”
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Whittemore explained that although the certificate was required to bring plants into the country from the EU, it is not given any authority by the UK Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). This leads to situations where plants are repeatedly delayed for duplicated checks and tests. He added:
“A robust stance is critical in disease control matters, and UK horticulture should be pleased that this is the approach APHA is taking. But if we are not going to put any credence on the inspections and testing done in the EU then let’s not ask for it to be done, and let’s not pay for it.”
Johnsons, which was established in 1921, has supplied plants for various high profile projects, including Studley Royal Water Garden, the Forth Road Bridge, the National Arboretum Centre and the athletes’ village at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
Whixley plant nursery celebrates 100 years of businessFamily-run horticultural nursery Johnsons of Whixley is celebrating 100 years of business this month.
The company is one of the UK’s largest plant suppliers, and has sold an estimated total of 220 million plants since it was founded.
Eric Johnson, company founder
It was founded in 1921 by war veteran Eric Johnson; he began with a small piece of land yielding two dozen fruit trees and grew the company to sell fruit, vegetables and flowers.
When the Second World War started, most of his small team of staff joined the war effort. He was given a commission with the Home Guard in a platoon of 60, covering Wetherby to Green Hammerton.
By the end of the war he was running the well-established ER Johnson Nurseries Whixley, as it was formerly known, and was able to buy seven acres of land to expand the company.
Mr Johnson and the Home Guard.
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In 1964 the company was bought by John Richardson, who maintained it as a family-owned business. At this time the company was producing about 150,000 plants annually.
John is now 83 and is still chair of the business, with 11 members of the Richardson family also having various roles.
John said;
“This has not been just my own doing but is thanks to the support of motivated and trusted colleagues who have run the different elements with such professionalism.
“It is with great pride that I have seen my sons continue to develop the business year-on-year, and now I watch my grandchildren take up the reins to the even further successful growth of the company.”
Today the company owns over 200 acres of land and sells five to six million plants every year.
The business has supplied plants for ambitious projects such as HS1 and the athletes’ village at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
Appeal after cyclist seriously injured in WhixleyPolice are appealing for witnesses after a cyclist was left seriously injured in Whixley.
The man, who is in his 50s, remains in a serious condition in hospital.
North Yorkshire Police are investigating the incident, which happened on Station Road in the village on May 12.
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A police statement said:
Emergency services training vehicle stolen from Whixley“The incident happened at around 1.10pm on Wednesday 12 May 2021 on Station Road in Whixley, when the cyclist, a man in his 50s, was found in the carriageway with serious injuries.
“He was taken to hospital where he remains in a serious condition.
“Officers would like to speak to anyone who stopped to help at the scene and has not already spoken to the police and to anyone who may have seen the cyclist prior to the incident, witnessed the incident or has any dash cam footage of the cyclist or the incident.
“Anyone who can help the investigation is asked to email Marie.Williams@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk or call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 1 and pass information to the Force Control Room.
“Please quote incident reference number 12210116961.”
Burglars stole an emergency services training vehicle from Whixley in the early hours of Sunday.
After breaking into a home at 2.40am, they took two sets of keys for the marked Volvo, registration E4 RFT, along with a Brietling watch.
The vehicle was later discovered in Knaresborough. Police are appealing for information about the burglary.
A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said:
“We are requesting the public’s assistance to help establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident and asking anyone who saw anything in the area at the time or saw he vehicle being driven in the early hours on Sunday, August 16 to get in touch. In particular, we are appealing for information about the stolen Brietling watch.”
Anyone with information should contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for Elizabeth Estensen, or email elizabeth.estensen@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk.
Alternatively, report information anonymously by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number 12200141951.
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