Our Plant Nursery Celebrates 40 Years

Our plant nursery celebrates 40 years of trading this summer and continues to supply unusual herbaceous plants that are particularly suited to the Yorkshire climate.

Back in the early 1980s I was made redundant from her job, so decided to learn something new and attend Askham Bryan Horticultural College. I started propagating plants here and set up a poly tunnel in the garden. Thanks to a Government Enterprise Scheme I was able to open up the budding plant nursery on a commercial basis in 1984. Read more about the history of the garden and plant nursery here

Plant Catalogue

Today the plant catalogue, which you can see here, lists over 800 varieties, 90% of which are grown here and can be seen in-situ by our visitors. You can also see the well-filled stock beds where herbaceous plants are grown-on after splitting from larger plants in the garden.

I am so proud of what we have achieved over the years, supplying a huge range of stunning and unusual herbaceous plants to the gardeners of Yorkshire. Many of our range of plants are good in shady areas, whereas others are excellent for pollinators. You cannot buy most of our plants in garden centres – and you won’t get our personal touch in terms of plant recommendations either.

We housed a national collection of pulmonaria for 15 years and the variety Stillingfleet Meg was bred here. Hardy geraniums are another specialty of the garden and if you visit the nursery in early summer it is virtually impossible not to be tempted by one of our stunning geraniums – the Hardy Plant Society’s favourite flowers! Two cultivars of Geranium Stillingfleet Ghost and Stillingfleet Kiera were bred in the nursery and named by the geranium national collection holder. The nursery has always had close affiliation with the Hardy Plant Society and both the Pulmonaria and Hardy Geranium Groups have had their annual meetings at the garden.

Independent Plant Nursery

Independent plant nurseries are in decline, with the numbers reducing by almost half between 2000 and 2020. That Stillingfleet Lodge Plant Nursery is still thriving is down to the determination of the whole team here and, of course, my many loyal customers.

Whether you are a plant novice or a hardy perennial, we can offer you advice and recommendations to ensure you buy the plants that are right for your garden.