01 / Roots
Peat-free from the start
Our nursery plants start life in peat-free compost. We use it day in, day out, so we get to know how it behaves through the seasons.
The Lay of the Land nursery
Growing runs in the family.
Three generations, plenty of muddy hands and more plants than we ever seem to have room for. Our nursery is where we get stuck into the growing, try things out and keep learning as a family.
Family grown · Peat-free · Working with nature
Grown by us, right here in Settle.
How we grow
Good plants. Thoughtful growing.
Here’s a little of what goes on behind the pots.
02 / Nature
A little help from wildlife
We make room for pollinators and beneficial insects. Some of our hardest workers are very small and never turn up for a tea break.
03 / Care
Make more of what we have
We reuse pots, look for ways to cut waste and reduce transport miles where we can. Sensible little changes all add up.
Room for more than plants
A nursery full of life.
It isn’t all rows of pots. We’re creating wildflower meadows and wetlands, and planting trees and hedgerows to give wildlife somewhere to feed and shelter.
The wetlands help hold water and slow runoff, while flowers feed pollinators. Frogs, birds and beneficial insects all have a part to play. We’re happy to share the space.
Working with nature
Healthy roots. A gentler approach.
We use organic growing methods, encouraging healthy soil and beneficial wildlife rather than relying on routine chemical treatments. We are not certified organic or Soil Association approved.
Ladybirds, lacewings and ground beetles help manage pests. Hoverflies and solitary bees bring their own contribution to a nursery that stays full of life.
Our story / November 2021
Knocked down. Still growing.
In November 2021, Storm Arwen destroyed our first polytunnel. We salvaged what we could and rebuilt it ourselves with help from friends and family.
It’s one chapter in a nursery that began with a patch of grass in 2019 and has grown through years of teamwork, setbacks and muddy hands.
Three generations / Plenty of muddy boots
Growing up with the nursery.
Family life and nursery life have always overlapped. Archie arrived in 2021 and has been finding his own way to help ever since—from exploring between the trees to keeping an eye on the compost piles.
Parents, friends and a small family team have all helped make this place what it is.
Room to grow
Built by hand. Improved year by year.
In late 2023 we added the second half of the polytunnel and tackled the outdoor growing area too. New drainage, a recirculation tank, gravel and sand gave us a proper free-draining nursery floor.
And, of course, our youngest helper found a use for the gravel before we had finished spreading it.
The nursery story most people never see
Most people know our little garden centre on Kings Mill Lane. Fewer realise that the majority of our plants are grown by us, on our own nursery right here in Settle. Behind the pots is a story of family, friends, muddy hands and learning as we go.
2019 — A patch of grass and a hosepipe
We started with a field at the old falconry centre, a hosepipe, a watering can and a small family team. Friends lent a hand, and we began turning that patch of grass into somewhere we could grow our own plants.
2020 — Building as we went
Our first pump shed, old IBC tanks and sprinklers made watering a little more practical. We ordered our first polytunnel and taught ourselves how to put it up, with help from family, friends and plenty of tea.
2021 — A new arrival, then Storm Arwen
A steel water tank helped make things more reliable, and in May Jimmie’s son Archie arrived. That November, Storm Arwen destroyed the first polytunnel, twisting the frame and undoing so much of the work we had put in.
2022 — Picking up the pieces
Late in 2022 we dismantled the damaged tunnel, saved what we could and ordered replacement parts. Together with friends and family, we rebuilt it ourselves.
2023 — Room to grow
We added the second half of the polytunnel and rebuilt the outdoor growing area: new drainage, a recirculation tank, and gravel and sand to create a free-draining nursery floor. Archie was already lending his own particular kind of help with the compost.
2025 — Sharing the nursery
We opened the nursery to visitors for the first time in 2025. For many, it was their first glimpse of where our plants begin. It is still a working nursery, so please contact us about nursery visits and open days rather than assuming it shares the garden centre’s opening hours.
Built by our family, supported by friends and improved year after year. Still a little rustic, still very much us—and full of plants we are proud to bring to the garden centre.
Find us in Settle
Let’s talk about your garden.
Got a tricky corner or a plant you’re not sure about? Come and have a chat at our garden centre on Kings Mill Lane, Settle.
The nursery is a separate working growing site. Please get in touch about nursery visits and open days before setting off.