A BOLTON-BY-BOWLAND nursery has won a prestigious award at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Tatton Park show.

Holden Clough Nursery beat off competition from centre’s from around the world to be awarded a silver prize for its summer-flowering perennials.

The garden centre, which specialises in hardy plants that grow in the north, is run by John Foley, 25, and his girlfriend Kate Lawson, 23.

It was originally established in 1927 by Richard Milne-Redhead and has become one of the country’s leading alpine nurseries.

John, who took over the nursery from his father, said the prize was excellent news for the nursery.

He said: “It has been really good, we got a silver medal and we are really proud of it.

“We have been struggling this year with no sun or heat so it has been a challenge for us. The competition was really tough.

“It has been one of the hardest years we have had and the plants have to be absolutely perfect without any blemishes.”

This was the fouth year the nursery had taken part in the competition. Last year it won a gold prize for its superb plants.

John, a former pupil at St Augustine’s High School, in Clitheroe, is now planning on expanding the blooming business and opening a space for tea rooms and training courses.

John, who also won the BBC’s young gardener of the year competition in 2011, said: “Business is going really well.

“Gardening is quite a knowledge-based subject, you need to get advice, so I really want to teach others about it.

“It would be great to get more young people interested in horticulture.”