WE enjoyed a lively and inspiring February evening in Otley when Ben Preston of Cliff Bank Nursery returned to speak to the Wharfedale Gardeners’ Group and share the latest chapter in the transformation of the nursery he runs with his partner, Laura.
Over the past four years, they have been renovating their site at Huby, turning a once-neglected plot into a thriving and creative growing space. Specialising in ornamental grasses, choice woodland plants, unusual perennials and hardy annuals, the nursery reflects Ben’s passion for people, plants and propagation — the three elements that shape the nursery’s ethos.
Ben spoke candidly about the challenges of starting out, the generosity of fellow horticulturists, and the constant learning involved in growing plants from seed, cuttings and division. When he and Laura took on the derelict nursery, they inherited seven years of neglect and rampant weeds from its previous owner, the well-known local plantsman Joe Maiden. With Laura, staff member Nadine and the skills of local digger driver Shane, they gradually carved a productive nursery from what had looked like scrubland.
His earlier work at York Gate Garden in Adel strengthened Ben’s belief in gardens that give back to the people who care for them. Rather than aiming for low-maintenance spaces, his philosophy is to encourage “high-maintenance gardens for people who love gardening”.
Resourcefulness has played a key role. Through contacts in the gardening world, Ben begged, borrowed and swapped materials — even trading limestone rocks, now at RHS Harlow Carr, for a polytunnel. Laura sourced second-hand items online, while local businesses supplied everything from pallets and containers to a tarmac base for the car park. The result is a characterful and inspiring nursery environment.
Ben also shared some favourite plants for the coming season, all propagated on site, including Anemone nemorosa ‘Robinsoniana’, the fragrant Dianthus ‘Elizabethan Pink’ and the compact, floriferous Hebe fairfieldii. He encouraged gardeners to “grow plenty” using his cheerful “cram them in” approach to seed trays, along with shallow sand beds to improve drainage and make lifting easier. While having plenty for your own spaces, it is an unspoken rule that gardeners share their spoils and their seedlings with friends and neighbours!
Cliff Bank Nursery reopens on 1st April for the 2026 season, offering a wide range of home-grown plants alongside inspirational borders. Members left the meeting full of fresh ideas — and wishing they could bottle some of Ben’s boundless energy for their own gardens.
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