Stillingfleet Lodge, York: The magnificent Yorkshire gardens which have had a lifetime of tender care

Later this month, the gardens at Stillingfleet Lodge, near York, will feature in Vanessa’s wildlife open day.

The 80-year-old said the gardens are the result of a lifetime of loving tender care.

She told The Yorkshire Post: “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 of the work you put in.”

Stillingfleet Lodge Gardens are quintessentially English, buzzing with insects and overflowing with plants and floral scents.

The wildlife open day demonstrates just what you can do to aid various species while still maintaining a glorious garden. Vanessa’s organic approach sets it apart from the norm, creating a wildlife haven.

The open day is on June 30 and 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, and Yorkshire Wildlife Trust.

Vanessa and her husband John, who celebrate their golden wedding anniversary this month, bought the derelict farmhouse at Stillingfleet in 1974.

After buying a cow to make their own butter, yoghurt, and milk, and growing their own vegetables, they bought their four children up Good Life style.

The journey from an empty patch of land to a flourishing garden oasis is a testament to a lifetime of dedication and love.

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.”

Stillingfleet Lodge, which also has a plant nursery garden, features hardy geraniums, lush herbaceous borders, wild orchids, a meadow, and once housed a national collection of pulmonarias.

Vanessa said: “I can’t paint, but I have an artistic approach to gardening and paint pictures using plants, colour, texture and foliage.”

She studied botany at school, then horticulture at Askham Bryan college, near York, and imparts her knowledge with regular talks and workshops hosted at the gardens for keen gardeners.