Cliff Bank Nursery; A new chapter by Ben Preston

 Presentation: Cliff Bank Nursery; A new chapter

 Ben Preston of Cliff Bank Nursery, Huby

Ben, former Head Gardener at York Gate, told us of the progress made at his nursery through his vision, hard work, enthusiasm and the support of his partner, Laura.

The site, formerly owned by Joe Maiden, had been closed for about eight years until Ben took it over about three years ago.

Since Friday Forum visited in September 2023, we could see the enormous improvements made and the challenges he had to overcome. He has employed a full time gardener, Nadine, formerly of Beningbrough Hall, to help realise his ambitions. Ben is interested in plants for all weathers and is experimenting with growing in sand.

 Ben saves all his own seeds and brought along a selection 

By the end of the talk, we felt as though Ben had taken us along on his journey.

The nursery is still evolving but will remain a plant nursery rather than a garden centre.

The website is Cliff Bank Nursery

The nursery is currently closed, except for Christmas trees and wreaths, but we hope to visit again soon when it reopens on 1^st April.

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Judith brought Phytolacca “Laka Boom” and offered the seeds with the caveat  that they are poisonous

 

 Amanda brought cuttings of Erysimum for members to take

 Ann brought a pot of Cymbidium orchids, which she mistook for Agapanthus before they flowered.

Next Meetings:

5th December: Forum - Making table decorations for Christmas. Please bring containers, foliage etc to create your personal display during the meeting.

19th December: Christmas party Quiz and food. Crafts demonstration by Peter Blackwell

 

"In Flanders fields the poppies blow, Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly." "In Flanders Fields" by John McCrae

 

 Knitted poppies decorate the walls of the National Coastwatch Station on Hornsea Promenade

Celebrating the Poppy

Friday Forum member Dr Anne Bell gave us an interesting talk about the medicinal use of the poppy and its role in the world wars. The juice from the opium poppy was used to relieve pain and, during WW1 it was delivered by glass syringe and by WW2 soldiers were equipped with a dose to administer to themselves or a fellow soldier if wounded on the battlefield. The drug Laudanum, made from poppies, was used as a stimulant by authors and poets in the Victorian era. Originating in the Eastern Mediterranean region where it was known as the Joy Plant as far back as 3,400 BC, the East India company traded with China which sparked the Opium Wars.

Kate then gave a presentation on the various species of poppy.

Members brought various examples of poppies:

Marjorie’s scarf adorned with poppies 

 Poppy seed heads and some sprayed gold

Ann’s brought a book which  includes illustrated poems about poppies

 Linda brought bread rolls sprinkled with poppy seeds

 Kate made this cross stitched sampler which includes a poppy for August

                                        Amanda’s packet of poppy seeds

 

 Peter’s beautiful painting of a poppy

Poppy seedlings from our late member Margaret Hayton grown on by Norma 

 

Norma’s ceramic poppy from the Tower of London Centenary in 2014

Sue G read John McCrae’s poem On Flanders Field and explained how poppies grew on the earth disturbed by explosions and the digging of trenches in WW1. She also told us how the gardeners of Sissinghurst found a white poppy for their garden by obtaining seed from the local bakery.

Judith showed us the illustrated book on poppies by Christopher Grey-Wilson borrowed from the library at Harlow Carr

 Maggie M brought this lovely painting of poppies by a local artist

 … and last but not least, Ann in her Poppy design cardigan

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Proof that there is an amazing and abundant range of flowers in the gardens of our members.

 

Amanda brought a mix of annuals and perennials: Mallow, Nasturtium, Snapdragon, Alyssum, Rosemary, Fuchsia Delta Sarah, Primrose, Calendula, Winter Honeysuckle, Spiraea, Potentilla, Geranium, Daphne transatlantica and Dahlia

 Kate brought Rosa: mutabilis,The Fairy and Blush Noisette, Erysimum Bowles Mauve, Pelargonium capitatum, Ceratostigma willmottianum, Salvias Amistad and Mystic Sprires

 Amanda also brought this Salvia

 Wendy brought Mahonia, Alcathea Park Allee and Park Rondell, Scabious Kudo Pink, Osteospermum, Abelia Kaleidoscope,Erodium La Feline and Spanish Eyes, Diascia Personata, Vigilis and Fetucanensis, Clematis Arabella, Penstemon Just Jayne and Osprey and Salvias Amistad, Pink Amistad, Hot Lips, Amethyst Lips, Blue Note, Salmon Dancer, Neon, Involucrata, Delice Aquamarine, Desert Blaze, Nachtvlinder, Flower Child, and Lemon Light.

Ann: Aster agerezo murazaki, Bergenia, Weigelia, Alstromeria Indian Summer, Dahlia, Rosa Golden Showers, Nerine, Liriope, Crocosmia Emily McKenzie, Ceratostigma Desert Skies, Persicaria affinis and Vibernum bodnatense Dawn 

 Wendy also brought this ornamental grass for identification

Next Meetings

21st November: Presentation -Ben Preston (Cliff Bank Nursery). A New Chapter

5th December: Forum - Making table decorations for Christmas

19th December: Christmas party Quiz and food. Crafts demonstration by Peter Blackwell.  Members are encouraged to dress suitably for the occasion!

The new programme for 2026 can be found on the blog

Gardening in a changing climate

Cathy (right) and Georgina

Cathy Kitchingman and business partner Georgina Bordewich gave a presentation on gardening in a changing climate which gave us all food for thought. Friday Forum visited Cathy’s beautiful garden, Prospect House in Burton Leonard, last year but they are making changes in view of the wetter winters and hotter summers we are experiencing.

Cathy and Georgina gave us many tips and planting ideas on how to build in resistance and adapt to cope with the changes for our consideration.

If you would like to visit Prospect House, the NGS open day for 2026 is on May 24^th. They also run workshops

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Judith brought this pot of Nerines which have been more successful than growing them in the ground, although exposing the top of the bulbs may help

 

 Derek brought some home grown chillis. “Viper” had no bite at all but the Scotch Bonnets were the real thing!

 Judith also brought this yellow rose “Buff Beauty”

 Kate brought a yellow Dahlia “Bishop’s Children” grown from seed, Symphotochum “Prairie Purple”, Salvia Amistad, Helianthus “Lemon Queen”, Erysimum “Bowles Mauve” and Caratostigma willmottianum

 Sue brought Asters: Barrs Pink, Samoa, Monch, Alma Potschke and unknown purple and white ones, Persicaria amplexicaulis “Black Field” and “Orange Field”, Bidens aurea, Penstemon “King George” and “Wedding Day”, Nerine bowdenii, Hesperanthus coccinea huttonii baurii, Helenium “Sahin’s Early Flowerer”, Catananche and Fuchsias “Genii” and “Delta’s Sarah”

 Amanda brought a pot of Salvias: Wendy’s Wish, Black and Blue with its green foliage, Nachtwinder, Devon Cream and Cera Potosi.

 

                                                           A pot of Nemesia

 

                     and a pot of the scented, climbing Petunia “Tickled Pink” and Alstromeria

Next Meetings:

7th November: Forum -Celebrating the poppy. Please bring anything relating to the poppy; art work, poetry etc. Member Ann Bell will talk on the medicinal uses of the poppy.

21st November: Presentation -Ben Preston (Cliff Bank Nursery). A New Chapter

5th December: Forum - Making table decorations for Christmas

19th December: Christmas party Quiz and food. Crafts demonstration by Peter Blackwell

Harvest is a joyful time of gathering the produce of the land. Sunday Adelaja

 

Harvest Baking Contest

Members were asked to submit their entries which were judged by John Freer and then sampled by all the members.

Category 1: Savoury Scones - 1^st Prize went to Amanda

Category 2: Fruit Scones – 1^st Prize went to Amanda

Category 3: Fruit Pie – No entries

Category 4: Cake to include a vegetable - 1^st Prize went to Suzanne

Congratulations to all who entered. We certainly enjoyed sampling the produce.

Quiz

While the judging was taking place, Maggie had organised a quiz for us on famous cats from Bagpuss to Puss in Boots. Two teams shared first place and won prizes, some of which were kindly donated by Caroline and Chris.

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 Dorothy brought Polianthes Super Gold

 

Dorothy also brought homegrown Pears (which one 1^st Prize at the National Vegetable Society show)

Kate brought the foliage of Euonymus

 

Kate’s vase contained Mahonia “Soft Caress”, Anemone “Dreaming Swan, Rudbekia deamii, Persicaria bistorta Superba, Persicaria “Dikke Floskes”, Geranium “Ann Folkard”, Spirea “Katherine Havemeyer” and Hydrangea

 Judith brought Dahlias, Caryopteris, Aster “Little Carlow”, Nicandra physalodes, and Ricinus

John brought Dahlias, annual Rudbekia, Cosmos, Guillardia and Helichrysum all sown from seed 

Ann’s Clematis “Pink Dwarf”

Next Meetings

17^th October – A presentation by Cathy Kitchingham and assistant Georgina from Prospect House, a garden we visited last year, entitled Gardening in a Changing Climate

7^th November - Celebrating the Poppy. Ann Bell will be speaking about the role of the poppy in medicine. Please bring anything poppy-related to display or discuss eg handicrafts, poetry

Presentation by Henrietta Huntley of Freckles and Flora

 

Presentation by Henrietta Huntley of Freckles and Flora

Henrietta Huntley spoke to us about Asters and the late flowering perennials.

Henrietta is based near Thirsk in North Yorkshire and has recently started a new business called Freckles and Flora.  

Henrietta mainly propagates her own plants and particularly loves umbels and asters. The talk gave us new ideas about what to have growing in our gardens for colour throughout the Autumn, which of course benefits the wildlife in our gardens. 

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 Kate brought Astrantia ‘Buckland’, Aster frikartii ‘Monch’, Sedum karfunkelstein, Lythrum, Epilobium ‘Alan Bloom form’, Perovskia ‘Blue Spire’ and Pelargonium capitatum.

 Judith brought a selection of autumn foliage plants with a pop of colour from Tithonia.

 Dorothy brought a ‘pinkish’ selection to include a rose, dahlia, bizzy lizzy and antirrhinum. 

 

Ann brought Caryopteris clandonensis ’Summer Sorbet’, Amicia zygomeris, Kirengeshoma koreana, Euonymus elata, Liriope, Clematis ‘Lambton park’, and Persicaria ‘ JS Caliente’. 

Sandra brought Rudbeckia deamii, Dahlia Thomas Edison, Agastache Apadana Rose, Anemone ‘Honorine Jobert’, Gelega ‘Lady Winston’, Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’, Rosa mutabilis and Verbascum blattaria.

 

Peter brought an amazing succulent, Orbea variegate, which has just started to flower after six months

Paxton Show

Paxton Show is Sunday 28th September at Opal in Cookridge. 1.30pm onwards

Next Meeting

Next meeting is 3rd October. This will be our Harvest Forum where we have our baking competition. Categories are: savoury scones, fruit scones, Fruit pie and cake containing a vegetable. Prizes will be awarded for the winner of each category.  There will also be a quiz.