By Joshua Robinson –
Stillingfleet Lodge Gardens is a quintessential English garden, buzzing with insects, and overflowing with plants and floral scents, situated just six miles south of York.
The gardens are the result of a lifetime of labour by 80-year-old gardener, Vanessa Cook; their plant nursery, which sells over 800 herbaceous plants, celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.
Families are invited to the family-friendly Wildlife Day on Sunday 30th June, which features a host of wildlife organisations, including:
- Bumble Bee Conservation
- Butterfly Conservation
- British Dragonfly Society
- East Yorkshire Bat Group
- Project Wild CIC, the Woodland Trust
- Yorkshire Wildlife Trust
Wildlife Day is part of National Insect Week, a celebration of the ‘little things that run the world’.
Vanessa said: “I’m proud to be 80, and still pouring my heart and soul into the gardens every day. I hope to inspire others to find the secret to youthful vitality – gardening! It’s my natural Pilates, and a source of strength and joy. Gardening is all about having a ‘can-do’ attitude, and the results are a testament to the work you put in.”
Vanessa and her husband John, who celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in June, bought the derelict farmhouse in 1974. After buying a cow to make their own butter, yoghurt, and milk, and growing their own vegetables, they brought their four children up ‘Good Life’ style.
The journey from an empty patch of land to a flourishing garden is a testament to a lifetime of dedication.
Vanessa said: “I hope to inspire others in what can be achieved, as anyone who dreams of a garden can create one with a little patch of land. I have trees here I planted as tiny saplings and are now towering giants. It is a joy growing something from seed and I still find an excitement in it. I’m proud too, to say we were one of the first organic gardens, and there are very few out there, which is why so many conservation charities and organisations use it for their research.”
The garden features geraniums, herbaceous borders, wild orchids, a meadow, and once housed a National Collection of Pulmonarias.
Rooted in her Yorkshire heritage, Vanessa’s deep love of flowers is evident in what she describes as a ‘living canvas’ painted with love and dedication.
Vanessa said: “I can’t paint, but I have an artistic approach to gardening and paint pictures using plants, colour, texture and foliage.”
Vanessa studied botany at school, then horticulture at Askham Bryan College. She imparts her knowledge with regular talks and workshops hosted at the gardens for keen gardeners.
Visitors to Stillingfleet Lodge Gardens can also enjoy monthly art exhibitions in its tearooms, showcasing local artists, guided walks led by Vanessa herself, and art, crafts, and gardening workshops.
The gardens are also home to residents that include white doves, a flock of pekin bantams, Guineafowl, hens, and their resident cat, Donald. It also sees badgers and wild birds, including owls.
Stillingfleet Lodge Gardens and Nursery: Wildlife Day, Sunday 30 June 2024, is sponsored by Harrowells. To book advanced family tickets, go to https://
Entry on the day will be adults £9 and children £3.
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