IT'S about this time of the year that the phone at Gledstone Gardens starts to turn red hot with constant ringing.

The time of the strawberries is upon us, and Gledstone is one of the few places left where the fruit grows as nature intended - outside, at the mercy of the weather and assorted wildlife, but not forced under Polytunnels into tasteless maturity. Those who know their fruit descend on the traditional plant nursery off the A59 at West Marton like locusts - as soon as they get the nod that the fruit is ripe for picking. "People come to get strawberries for jam, or just for eating, and we get a lot of grandparents who bring their grandchildren along," says Peter Leighton, who runs the nursery with wife, Mandy. "They picked strawberries when they were children and they're continuing the tradition,"

The strawberries are also grown at 'table-top' level, which makes for much easier access - and even for those in wheelchairs.

What makes Gledstone so unique and fascinating is its history. It was the original 200 year old kitchen garden of the old Gledstone House, which was demolished in 1928, leaving only the walled kitchen gardens and the courtyard stables. Sir Amos Nelson, father of the current owner, David Nelson, who now lives in the converted stables, bought the estate in the !920s and commissioned the celebrated architect, Edwin Lutyens, to build Gledstone Hall. The hall, Grade two star listed, is set in 30 acre gardens, designed by the equally celebrated gardener, Gertrude Jekyll, and which are also listed. It was converted into a nursing home and is now owned by artist Margaret Francis.

Now, the original kitchen gardens are entirely occupied by the plant nursery and remain part of the Gledstone estate. They were originally entirely enclosed by high walls, now only two sides remain - but their magic remains. Made of red, handmade bricks, they are around 12 feet high and are peppered with wonderful wooden doors with date stones. They were originally heated by fires and featured lean-to glasshouses to grow then exotic fruit, peaches.

The original greenhouses have long gone, but the old attachments remain, along with the fireplaces and equipment stores.

The gardens are south-facing, which makes them excellent for growing plants, and there is plenty of room in the four terraces for the greenhouses used to bring on the many thousands of perennials, shrubs and bedding plants grown by the Leightons.

About 85 per cent of all the plants are produced on site - brought on in propagators from late January and all sold by early July.

Peter, a proper plantsman who spent three years at Horticultural College and two as a working student in Holland, where he became fluent in Dutch, is proud of the fact his nursery is a l00 miles apart from the chain store garden centres.

"When I go to Holland, everything is completely automated, but when people buy our plants, they buy a plant that has had a hard life growing and will continue to grow because it is used to the climate," he says.

After 45 years in the industry, including as a market gardener, he says he is still learning.

"There's two things I' ve learnt, I don't know much, and I'm never going to get rich," he says.

However, he advises both Colne and Barnoldswick with their Yorkshire in Bloom entries, along with providing the hanging baskets and bedding plants, and also provides plants to Skipton's Stepping Stones project.

"Colne has got into the national competition twice and Barnoldswick has also done well over the years," he says.

Every year they produce and sell thousands of herbacaceous perennials, shrubs, trees, conifers, seasonal and bedding plants - everything in fact for the outside garden.

What they don't deal in is the stuff of chain store garden centres - what their customers get is the proper, traditional plant nursery where the owners know their business and where the plants will continue to grow, and not die because they've been grown thousands of miles away in a temperature controlled, artificial environment.