Northdale Horticulte, in Northallerton, is more than just business - it's the heart and soul of the community, helping those with learning disabilities gain independence. Sharon Griffiths reports.

A TV gardener, polytunnels full of bedding plants and a team of trainees with learning disabilities working their way to independence - that's Northdale Horticulture. Oh yes, and a lifebelt for bees...

From cramped and humble beginnings at the back of the old Mount Maternity Hospital in Northallerton, Northdale moved a few years ago just along Yafforth Road to purpose-built premises where it has, of course, blossomed.

Given room to grow, Northdale now produces more plants than ever - as well as running a woodwork workshop and contracting landscaping and gardening services - and is now busy gearing itself up for the gardening season.

Ian, Ken and William are carefully potting up trays of tiny seedlings. Today, it's lobelia. And no, they might not be the speediest of workers, but they are thorough, careful and methodical and take a justifiable pride in the rows of pots full of healthy plants.

Northdale was born with terrific goodwill - and donations - from the town and surrounding area and continues to flourish with help and support, both practical and financial, from local volunteers, charities, businesses and individual families.

"But as far as our work is concerned, we're certainly not looking for charity," says manager Simon Cross. "We have to compete commercially, both on price and quality. That's the only way we can expect customers to be satisfied and to keep coming back."

Simon has been at Northdale for 18 months, after ten years at Nature's World in Middlesbrough. He divides his time between Northdale and his other career - which includes appearing on television programmes The Whole Nine Yards and The Kitchen Gardner on Tyne Tees and a forthcoming spot on This Morning. As his fame grows, it all provides a bit of a boost for Northdale - as well as excitement for the trainees who love having a boss they can see on TV.

"And when I get commissions for garden design, then, of course, the plants come from here," he says cheerfully.

Thirty-two trainees work at Northdale, 18 at a time in three teams of six, divided between the three departments, each with its own qualified trainer. The woodwork section makes garden tables, seats, bird tables and feeders to sell in the shop. "But increasingly, we get asked to make bespoke pieces too," says Simon.

The gardening service is so popular that it gets booked up well in advance. And the nursery goes from strength to strength. It has just acquired another polytunnel and there are plans for expansion.

"We would like to go into shrubs and trees," says Simon. Now Northdale has bigger grounds, it has a small nature walk. A generous donation means it can plant more trees and add more outdoor furniture to the pathways. In the future, it hopes to welcome school parties and spread the joy of gardening.

It has a meeting room which is let out to groups in the town. "That's important because it brings in money - very useful - but also it keeps us part of the community. We don't want to be a ghetto," says Simon.

That hardly seems likely. The trainees are so enthusiastic about what they do and as the contracting teams go round the district, they act as their own ambassadors. At the centre, there is always someone knowledgeable, either Simon or his predecessor Anna Broadley, on hand to offer help and advice.

"More and more people are taking a real interest in their gardens. There's a real enthusiasm out there for plants and growing things and people want to know more. When they come here, we like to have time for them. We want this to be a nice place to come to," says Simon.

And the lifebelts for bees? They're little circles made out of old wine corks. Pop them on your water trough and any bee in danger of drowning can get onto the cork, dry out and fly off unharmed. Every pond should have one.

* Northdale Horticulture, Yafforth Road, Northallerton. Open daily. Weekdays 9.30am-4.pm. Weekends 10am-4pm.

l There is a series of workshops at Northdale throughout the summer. These include Organic Gardening on May 8; Herbs for Health on June 5; Wildlife Gardening on June 5; Green Gardening with Emma Casson on July 24; and on September 25, The Whole Nine Yards Team will be there to do a workshop on How to Get The Best From A Small Garden.

Each workshop lasts from 10am-4pm and costs £35. For details of these and others, tel: (01609) 770269.

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