Holden Clough

Holden Clough occupied a distinctive position: combining the knowledge of master growers with the imagination and hospitality of a lifestyle destination.

Rather than create separate brands for every product, service and physical space, we established Holden Clough as the master brand. The Growing Field, The Glass House, The Potting Shed, The Botanical Room, The Wonder Garden and everything else became part of one connected world.

Growing mastery, inspired design and a richer way to experience plants.

From experienced horticulturists to complete beginners, Holden Clough’s customers shared one thing: curiosity about the natural world.

Together, we turned that feeling into the brand’s central idea. Plants would always remain at its heart, while expertise, heritage and a sense of discovery shaped the world around them.

Natural & Earthy
Guided by nature, always growing and adapting.

Established & Heritage
Nearly a century of knowledge, passed between generations.

Enchanting & Expansive
A perfectly imperfect world of discovery and tangible magic.

Inspired by historic botanical journals, the identity feels established without becoming nostalgic or slipping into pastiche. Expressive typography, restrained compositions and tactile materials give it the character of an heirloom made for the present.

A grounded palette of heritage stone, fertile green and winter white remains consistent throughout the year. Seasonal colours allow the brand to change naturally — introducing blossom, berries, earth, frost and sky as the nursery moves through spring, summer, autumn and winter.

The system also includes a dedicated centenary mark, ready for Holden Clough’s hundredth year in 2027.

Holden Clough’s physical environment had already been shaped with remarkable instinct by creative consultant Alli Croft. I developed a brand system that could grow naturally from her architectural, landscape and visual-merchandising work, giving the identity and the place a shared language.

Alli’s botanical illustrations became a distinctive layer of the identity, bringing detail, craft and wonder to printed and spatial applications.

The finished system extended across signage, named areas, plant labels, bulb plaques, brochures, postcards, gardening guides, stationery, bags and team clothing — embedding the brand throughout the destination.

I also established principles for warm, honest and seasonal photography, curating imagery that captured Holden Clough’s plants, people and sense of place.

I designed and built a bespoke Squarespace website that brought Holden Clough’s many offerings into one inviting, coherent journey.

The structure encourages visitors to explore the nursery, understand its growing expertise, discover food, retail and events, and return for seasonal advice and inspiration. Unforced photography, botanical detail and considered pacing evoke the feeling of wandering through Holden Clough itself.

I also re-edited Tom Pope’s existing footage into a more atmospheric portrait of the destination, then trained the internal marketing team to manage the website after handover.

Since launching in July 2023, the website has brought this isolated Ribble Valley nursery to hundreds of thousands of online visitors.

The identity continues to shape the website, physical destination, communications and seasonal campaigns — a working system now carried forward by Holden Clough’s internal team.