Here at Ashridge the ‘dormant season’ is anything but – in fact it’s our busiest time of the year. But we’re not the only ones kept busy in winter. While we’re despatching bareroot trees and hedging plants from the nursery, out in the fields hedge layers are hard at work. Hedge laying has been practised… Continue reading Getting a Word in Hedgewise
Author: Ashridge Support
Wine in the garden
We adore colour here at Ashridge. Find us a plant lover who doesn’t. So we’re excited to get on board with Pantone’s Colour of the Year, the energetic-sounding Viva Magenta. Pantone describes its 2023 hero as ‘A shade rooted in nature… brave and fearless.’ Closer examination reveals a rich, saturated wine – or claret if… Continue reading Wine in the garden
The best of bareroot trees
We’re slap-bang in the middle of bareroot planting season. And that’s something worth celebrating when you love trees and shrubs but are on a budget. If you’re new to the joys of bareroot, the bottom line is that these are brilliantly healthy – but dormant – specimens. All trees and shrubs enter a period of… Continue reading The best of bareroot trees
Coming up Roses Part 2
Hybrid Tea Roses If you are going to say it with flowers, say it with a rose. Imbued with centuries of symbolism, roses speak volumes when words aren’t quite enough, and with Valentine’s Day and Mothering Sunday on the horizon (and bare root season in full swing) now’s the perfect time to think about giving… Continue reading Coming up Roses Part 2
New Year’s Resolutions in the Garden
The new year is a perfect time to reflect on your garden and look to the future. Make changes and be inspired to try something different. Winter is also a great time to look at how we garden. What will be your New Year Resolutions for 2023? Here are some ideas. Plant a tree…or twoPlanting… Continue reading New Year’s Resolutions in the Garden
Pruning Jobs to do now: Coppicing
Requiring only a sharp saw or secateurs and the courage of your convictions, coppicing is a straightforward and satisfying winter job. This short burst of activity will both warm the body and enhance the garden, with the added benefit of perhaps providing a fresh crop of bean poles or even some of next year’s firewood.… Continue reading Pruning Jobs to do now: Coppicing
Coming up Roses
Part One: Climbers and Ramblers Gardeners love nothing more than dreaming of summer in the middle of winter – it’s a delightful antidote to a cold, dreary day. And counterintuitive as it seems, now’s the perfect moment to think about which roses will be the stars of your garden later in the year. Roses are… Continue reading Coming up Roses
Italian-style Brussels & Parmesan slaw
The perfect recipe to use up those extra sprouts and nuts left over from Christmas There’s not a great deal happening in the veg patch in January. In my small plot I can usually find a few winter salad leaves, and maybe the first sprouting broccoli starting to shoot. You might have roots such as… Continue reading Italian-style Brussels & Parmesan slaw
National Tree Week 2022
National Tree Week 2022 will take place from 26 November – 4 December 2022. Trees are the true heroes of nature. They sustain wildlife, create oxygen, purify our air, are the lungs of our planet and are extraordinarily beautiful. Ashridge is pleased to support National Tree Week – a moment to celebrate our trees, and… Continue reading National Tree Week 2022
Planting a quince tree…
“They dined on mince, and slices of quince, Which they ate with a runcible spoon;…” What other reason could there possibly be for planting a quince tree? Well, there are a few: Now is time to harvest your quinces, and Julian, proprietor at Ashridge, has just gathered his first crop of Serbian Gold (pictured). We… Continue reading Planting a quince tree…