I can’t quite believe Laura and I have been living here for 6 months. It has been an absolute whirlwind. A year ago, we had no intention of setting up on our own, then fate struck on 26th November, when I visited Cliff Bank for the first time. My good mate Roger had seen the ad online for a nursery to let, I didn’t need much persuading to have a nosey, with little intention and the ink drops of a pipe dream. As the viewing drew closer and our dreams became more elaborate and the what ifs became maybe this could work.
THE FIRST OF MANY… …WELCOME TO CLIFF BANK NURSERY
26th November 2021 – First Visit to Cliff Bank – What a project!
As I strolled up the site on that crisp autumnal morning, 8ft high teasels swaying under the weight of goldfinches…….my mind was already made up. As we did more research, the layers of horticultural history began to reveal themselves, it and quickly become evident that this was more than a dream and time jump in the deep end.
17th March – The beginning…
On 17th March 2022 we moved in and the monumental task of clearing the site began. Laura started on the teasels, which as you will gather by now has weaved itself into our Cliff Bank psyche. She has saved every single teasel which will be wired to our hand-made Christmas wreaths, stand vases in the house and remind us of where we began.
March 26th 2022 – Laura aka ‘The Grafter’ and my partner in crime
There is so much to share from our beginnings here, but like many generations before, this land will be reincarnated in another horticulture guise and provide many more stories to tell, which I will endeavour to share over the coming months.
We have also had overwhelming support from family and friends. Days clearing, evenings chatting and friendships deepening, all through a shared passion for plants, people and the outdoors. New friends that feel like life-long acquaintances and old friends showing unwavering support. We thank you all that has helped so far.
22nd May- Our good friends Cat and Jacko getting stuck in.
Our ideas will continue to evolve, and our thoughts and philosophies will continue to change but the process (cracking on with it) is the daily satisfaction that really fuels us. There is so much to share from our first 6 months here, to help show our journey so far look at our monthly gallery to see what we’ve been up to.
I hope you enjoy following our journey over the coming years.
Ben