Opening Times 2026
Stillingfleet Lodge Garden, plant nursery and tea room is now closed for the winter. We will be open in 2026 from Wednesday 1st April to Wednesday 30th September between 13:00 and 17:00 every Wednesday and Friday plus the first and third weekends of the month.
The 2026 opening times have now been confirmed, please see the graphic below.
Garden Admission prices for 2026 will be: adult £7.50 and child (5-16) £2.50
There is no entry fee if you are only visiting the plant nursery and/or the tearoom during regular opening times.
You can still buy plants from our plant nursery. Please take a look at the plant catalogue and send us your order via the plant order form and arrange a suitable time to come and collect them.
We have already started posting dates for 2026 workshops and events, and we will be adding more throughout the winter as they are finalised. We will have a good selection of creative and gardening workshops for you to enjoy, check them out here.
We have a beautiful flock of poultry roaming free around the garden. For this reason, neither the plant nursery or garden is suitable for dogs. You are welcome to exercise dogs in the grass car park, but they are not allowed in the rest of the property, (except for assistance dogs).
We love sharing the garden with visitors, but please note our opening times are 1:00pm to 5:00pm on the days shown on the calendar.
You are welcome to picnic at the tables in the car park if you arrive early, but you will not be admitted to the garden or plant nursery until 1 o’clock.
We do not allow picnics in the garden.
An introduction to the garden
Stillingfleet Lodge Garden and nursery is an organically managed, wildlife friendly, family garden close to York. Described as a quintessentially English garden, it is first and foremost a family garden, lovingly planted-up over 40 years by owners Vanessa and John Cook. Read more about how we encourage wildlife here.
It is a fine example of how to balance encouraging wildlife whilst retaining all the beauty of a cottage garden. The four acre site comprises a series of themed areas surrounding the traditional farmhouse plus a pond, meadow and vegetable garden.
The very well-stocked plant nursery includes many unusual perennial plants, 90% of which are grown here. We specialise in hardy geraniums and pulmonarias and have a large selection, both in the garden and to purchase.To help you with your plant selection you may wish to browse our plant catalogue before visiting.
You will see first-hand the many ways that the garden is managed organically, giving you inspiration to take home and turn your garden into a wildlife haven too. We purposefully leave seed heads as food for birds and limit cutting back to provide habitat for insects and places for hedgehogs to hibernate.
After you have explored the garden, finish the day with a cup of tea and a slice of cake in the attractive Tea Room and enjoy the art exhibitions.
Our entire ethos is one of sustainability – not just in how we manage the garden, but also in the tea room and plant nursery.
The garden and the tea room are also used to host a wide variety of workshops, some of which are aimend at improving your gardening skills and others are more creative. These events often sell-out quickly, so early booking is recommended.
Here's what you can expect.....
Opening Times 2026
Stillingfleet Lodge Garden, plant nursery and tea room is now closed for the winter. We will be open in 2026 from Wednesday 1st April to Wednesday 30th September between 13:00 and 17:00 every Wednesday and Friday plus the first and third weekends of the month.
The 2026 opening times have now been confirmed, please see the graphic below.
Garden Admission prices for 2026 will be: adult £7.50 and child (5-16) £2.50
There is no entry fee if you are only visiting the plant nursery and/or the tearoom during regular opening times.
You can still buy plants from our plant nursery. Please take a look at the plant catalogue and send us your order via the plant order form and arrange a suitable time to come and collect them.
We have already started posting dates for 2026 workshops and events, and we will be adding more throughout the winter as they are finalised. We will have a good selection of creative and gardening workshops for you to enjoy, check them out here.
We love sharing the garden with visitors, but please note our opening times are 1:00pm to 5:00pm on the days shown on the calendar.
You are welcome to picnic at the tables in the car park if you arrive early, but you will not be admitted to the garden or plant nursery until 1 o’clock.
Please note: we do not allow picnics in the garden.
Dogs
We have a beautiful flock of poultry roaming free around the garden. For this reason, neither the plant nursery or garden is suitable for dogs. You are welcome to exercise dogs in the grass car park, but they are not allowed in the rest of the property, (except for assistance dogs).
Testimonials
"Lovely gardens, really good to see the plants actually in position then be able to buy them. Well done. lovely time - beautiful cake." Michelle R, September 2025
"Enjoyed the visit very much, from the coffee and cakes on arrival to the plant nursery at the end. Garden are fabulous - a hidden gem. Everyone very helpful - thank you. We look forward to returning in the spring." P. Johnson, September 2025
"Lovely coffee and cakes! Fascinating gardens. What a lovely garden, lots of inspiration, loved the varied planting/textures. So much work has gone into creating a beautiful, peaceful garden. Thoroughly enjoyed our visit." Gregory C, September 2025
"Love your garden (and your hens) and sculptures. Love all your tall plants - not often seen when modern gardens are now much smaller." Rose C. September 2025
"Lovely visit, garden is beautiful and such an inspiration. Plants excellent and I don't hesitate to recommend to those with shady gardens." Hannah, Aug 2025
"Very peaceful, lots of different smaller plots showing a lovely variety of plants." Sheila, Aug 2025
"Thank you from our hearts for the dedication and time you invest in your lovely garden. Thanks for sharing it with us! Many greetings from two happy people visiting from Germany!" A & R, Aug 2025
"A beautiful, serene and calming garden. I really enjoy its 'uncommercialness." Paul B, Aug 2025
"It was such a joy to join Vanessa on the guided walk. I noticed much more than I do when walking around on my own and Vanessa is always happy to share her extensive plant and garden experience. I had left feeling came home inspired and with a few plants from the nursery to continue to enjoy." Charles Aug 2025
"Very restful and relaxing - feeling at peace with the world! Very,very good fruit cake. Thank You" G.W. August 2025
"Variety of trees amazing. Lots of lovely smaller garden areas/'rooms'. Particularly enjoyed the Rill Garden - modern/calming. Wildflower meadow lovely to see so many butterflies/wildlife. Cakes delicious!" August 2025
"Love the way plants are left to do their own thing - very nice walk ways, lots of colour and scent. Perfect" Annette J, June 2025
"Good use of space and multiple garden rooms. Love the way they meander. Good variety of plants. Lots of seating in the shade." July 2025
"Loved the lightly managed effect of the garden. Lots of plants I wasn't familiar with - gets more unusual as time goes by! Geraniums are my favourite plants to grow." Jo B, June 2025
“Lovely to still be able to visit a real life garden and ‘proper’ nursery. Too many garden centres are now only selling lifestyle products and the garden is lost amongst ‘tat’.” Linda T, May 2025
"Such a great variety of plants. And so naturally planted and designed. Really feel we were visiting a family garden. Great cup of tea and cake too. Very nice touch to have a little play area for small children. Thank you!" GC, May 2025
"It was lovely, inspirational, congratulations on a most beautiful garden. I loved seeing the before and after photo's in the cafe." Diane T, July 2025
"We greatly appreciated the warm welcome upon entry and in the tearoom. Beautiful and tranquil gardens and characterful roosters and doves. Most impressed with sustainability at Stillingfleet." David B, May 2025
"A fantastic garden and well worth the visit. The ethos and ethical considerations are second to none." Natalie A, May 2025
'We had a lovely peaceful visit and very much enjoyed the variety of unusual plants and the interesting layout of the gardens. lots of inspiration for us to take home with us. Thank you.' Rick L, May 2025
"It is a lovely garden, very serene the day we came. We like the traditional cottage garden feel. The wire sculptures and statures were in a good setting." Mr & Mrs C, May 2025
"The gardens are all beautiful with plenty of places to take everything in. The handouts and boards were very informative and we were very impressed with the layout and sustainability." Tracy H, May 2025
"How wonderful to experience a private garden like this. So tenderly cared for and shared with others. Thank you! The best slice of fruit cake I've eaten in years. Delicious!!" Margaret H, May 2025
"Didn't know what to expect, but blown away by what we saw. Fifty years of love and dedication shows iteself at every turn. Tranquil and magical., love the peace and quiet." Richard F, May 2025
"It is a lovely garden, very serene the day we came. We like the traditional cottage garden feel. The wire sculptures and statues were in a good setting." Mr & Mrs C, May 2025
“A lovely initimate garden full of character and unusual plants. Picnic table in the car park was helpful!” Jennifer, April 2025
“Its amazing. The wire animals are very clever we just can’t believe this could be anyone’s garden! (The cat is cute)” Kerri and family, April 2025 
“Always beautiful, whatever season, nursery plentiful and unusual.” Angie, April 2025
“We like the scale, the variety of plants, especially the blossom just now – planning really clever – all a delight, thank you.” Gail, April 2025
A wonderful garden full of interest – textures, structures, colour, form etc. So pleased I’ve got a season ticket to enable to return all season.” Sue S, April 2025
“We were looking for somewhere different to visit on a lovely day and came across your gardens on Google Maps. After checking out the website we set off and were delighted by what we found. Lovely and peaceful with a variety of trees and plants that has inspired us to improve our own modest garden.” Mike R, April 2025
“It was lovely! The checklist for my son with things to spot was an excellent touch.” SG, April 2025
Season Ticket 2026
Plant Nursery
Workshops and Events
Wildlife Day
Courtyard Tea Room
The
Garden
Art Exhibitions
Our Newsletter
Seasonal Tips
Find Us
By Car:
Stillingfleet Village lies 6 miles south of York on the B1222. If approaching from Naburn, once in the village turn right opposite the church, following the signpost to “Lodge Nurseries”.
If approaching on the A19 south of York, once you have passed through Escrick, follow the brown signs and turn right and follow the road for approximately 2 miles, then turn right into Stillingfleet village immediately before the Cross Keys Pub. Cross the bridge in the village and turn left following the signs for “Lodge Nurseries” opposite the church.
By Bus from York:
By Bicycle:
Take Route 65, trans-Pennine trail towards Selby (access at the Millennium Bridge or The Knavesmire in York) and leave the route at Naburn, then take the B1222 into Stillingfleet and turn right opposite the Church. We have bike racks.
A Word from Vanessa.....
Welcome to Stillingfleet Lodge Garden and Nursery, our family home since the 1970s. John and I moved here in 1974 with our young (and growing) family. Our aim was to be organic and self sufficient.
For 10 years we used land to produce our own meat and vegetables. As the children grew older we began to convert the garden into a plant nursery and later into the wildlife-friendly garden you see here today.
It is still very much the family home and you are likely to meet our dog, Flops and Donald the cat. Our children, grand children and great grand children still spend a lot of time enjoying the fruits of our labour of love.
You can read more of our story here
By visiting Stillingfleet garden I hope you will be inspired to garden for wildlife and to grow your own food.
Vanessa
