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Rounton Coffee Plants North York Moors Orchard

Yorkshire Coffee Roasters Support Local Heritage Orchard

Lavender 8:8:8 Watering Rule

Water your lavender plants, just don’t overdo it.

Who is a Which? Gardening Best Plant Supplier?

Let’s be realistic. It’s us, isn’t it?

Best Plants For Growing Over & Covering Fences

Climbing Plants Hide A Lot of Fence for a Small Footprint In many cosy gardens, the vertical surface area of fence is larger than the soil surface! Putting a hedge in front of a fence has the advantage of keeping the fence itself free for maintenance, and there is no risk of plants getting too… Continue reading Best Plants For Growing Over & Covering Fences

Ashridge Nurseries Service Reviews

Our customers review our service

Planting a Garden Hedge Like Beech, Yew, Laurel

How to Trench Plant a garden hedge like Privet, Beech, L:aurel, or Yew in well dug soil

How to Plant a Tree With a Stake

Planting with a stake is optional but highly recommended.

How to Plant Sweet Pea Plugs

Planting sweet pea plugs is easy, all you need is some nice rich soil, a sunny spot, something for them to grow up. Plant them a centimetre or two deep, so that the soil just covers the base of the stem, which will set root and give you a stronger, more stable plant. You will… Continue reading How to Plant Sweet Pea Plugs

How to Grow Lavender

We start delivering Lavender plants each year when the weather warms up in April. How to Grow Lavender Don’t plant lavender out too early in Spring: the cold soil will shock the roots. In most years for most of the UK, wait until warm nights arrive in May, even June in the coldest Northern regions. … Continue reading How to Grow Lavender

Nik Mitchell’s Problem With Pollarding

Following on from David Cracknell’s observation that “Britain’s love of trees is real, but it needs to grow up”, we have the story of Nik Mitchell’s response to the routine pollarding of some local poplar trees near Sandwich in Kent. Yes, that is a harsh cut to make in Spring, early Winter is best for… Continue reading Nik Mitchell’s Problem With Pollarding

Harvesting Lavender Flowers

Seasonal pruning of lavender. A bunch of cut lavender and pruning shear. Gardening concept

All the lavender plants we sell have flowers suitable for drying or oil extraction, great for aromatherapy, chandlery and baking. When should I harvest Lavender for its oil? Lavender flowers contain the most oil immediately after their full bloom, when the very first florets begin to wither, but most are still looking lovely. Which Lavender… Continue reading Harvesting Lavender Flowers

Differences between English, Dutch, and French Butterfly Lavenders

Differences & Similarities The groups of Lavender plants commonly grown in UK gardens are English Lavender, Dutch Lavandin, and French “Butterfly” Lavender. They all: Lavandula angustifolia: Common or English Lavender Lavandula x intermedia: Dutch Lavender or Lavandin Lavandula stoechas & L. pedunculata: French / Spanish “Butterfly Ears” Lavender Which Lavender is Best as a Herb for Kitchen Use? All lavender is edible, but only… Continue reading Differences between English, Dutch, and French Butterfly Lavenders

David Cracknell Starts British Woodland Substack

David Cracknell, renowned piano player and former Sunday Times political editor, has started a substack, Stump Speech @djcracknell, kicking off with a piece musing on the mostly felled Toby Carvery Oak, a 500+ year old Common Oak in North London, and the implications of people’s reactions. His debut post rightly points out the difference between… Continue reading David Cracknell Starts British Woodland Substack

Is Lavender Native to the UK?

No, Lavender is not native to the UK, it’s a Mediterranean plant. The Romans introduced lavenders to Britain over 1,500 years ago, using the flowers to scent and wash themselves; the word itself is from the Latin lavare, to wash. Their legionaries carried dried lavender to pack into bandages for its antibacterial properties, and it… Continue reading Is Lavender Native to the UK?

2024/25 Bareroot Season Is Over

The End of the Bareroot Season Means the Start of Spring! We are doing our Spring stock take and putting potted Big Trees, Rose Bushes and Fruit Trees up for sale as we speak. Warming Soil is Perfect for Planting Out Potted Plants With the Spring weather warming up, it’s time to get going with… Continue reading 2024/25 Bareroot Season Is Over

How Deep Do I Plant a Clematis?

Most people plant their Clematis vines a little deep, the British Clematis Society says: “Ensure that the surface of the root ball is at least 3″ / 7.5cm below the level of the surrounding soil.” In our clematis growing guide, we add that even up to 6″ / 15cm below soil level is good for… Continue reading How Deep Do I Plant a Clematis?

Backseat Driving Thatcher’s Cider Biodiversity

I saw this article in HortWeek: Thatchers Cider plants 13,000 apple trees in new Somerset orchard. I made a mental wager to myself before reading it: I bet they exaggerate the environmental benefit side of the orchard. Not because of anything about Thatchers Cider. It’s because I think it’s nigh impossible to write a press… Continue reading Backseat Driving Thatcher’s Cider Biodiversity

How Big is a P9 Pot & What No One Tells You!

A P9 pot is 9cm wide at the top, containing about half a litre of soil It would be clearer if P9s were called “half litre pots”, but the industry standard is to measure pots under 1 litre by their width in centimetres, rather than their volume in litres. P9 is the smallest pot size… Continue reading How Big is a P9 Pot & What No One Tells You!

Which Fruit Trees Grow Best in the UK?

This article is about fruit trees out in your garden, or grown on wires against a wall, rather than a green house or polytunnel. Just tell me the best fruit trees to grow in the UK, please Quick Overview of Fruit Trees Grown in British Gardens People planting a fruit tree or two in their… Continue reading Which Fruit Trees Grow Best in the UK?

Monty Don Gives the Green Light for Aerating Lawns

This episode of totally healthy and appropriate fawning over Monty Don is brought to you by the phrase “Monty Don shares”. Disappointed as we were to discover that Monty is not called Mo’ Dough, nor Monty Donty, or even just George at home, and underwhelming as the “news” that hazel trees live for over 34… Continue reading Monty Don Gives the Green Light for Aerating Lawns

Why We Don’t Sell Isaac Newton’s Apple Tree

It’s not a very good apple. Simple as that. Several years ago, we sold “Isaac Newton’s apple tree”, which is already a part-fib. Flower of Kent is a good example of why many grand old heritage varieties are no longer grown. They were the best available in their day, but now they are outclassed in… Continue reading Why We Don’t Sell Isaac Newton’s Apple Tree

3 Steps to Set Up an Amazon grade Polytunnel like a Pro

Polytunnels are amazing if they are yours, somewhat unattractive if they are your neighbour’s (a hedge in between might help), and most gardens have space for a wee one. But if you get a regular old polytunnel from Amazon and set it up like the vanilla instructions say, then I am here to tell you… Continue reading 3 Steps to Set Up an Amazon grade Polytunnel like a Pro

Why Are My Cherry Laurel Leaves Turning Yellow?

It is true that Cherry Laurel, Prunus laurocerasus, is a trooper and will grow almost anywhere, but that is not the same as looking tip top as a hedge in all situations. A few yellow leaves here and there are natural, especially in the early years after transplanting when it’s still catching up on root… Continue reading Why Are My Cherry Laurel Leaves Turning Yellow?

Backseat Driving: Do I Need To Stake A Tree?

Picking on Huw Richards Inspires Us to Make Better Tree Planting Videos At Ashridge, we feel a bit responsible for how well people plant trees. We are not the the Huw Richards police; we would never pick on him because he is YouTube famous and we want some of that. We totally agree with his… Continue reading Backseat Driving: Do I Need To Stake A Tree?

Partial Self Fertility in Fruit Trees Like Summer Sun

One of our customers, M, got in touch with a fruit tree pollination question, asking about the difference between: M had bought a Summer Sun cherry tree, and noted that the RHS said she’s partially self-fertile, whereas we clearly state that she’s practically kinda almost self-fertile. Other top garden sites like Garden Focused lean toward… Continue reading Partial Self Fertility in Fruit Trees Like Summer Sun

Trim Lavender Around Late February / March

This post is a bit late for getting in a February trim, but since the weather has been fresh and plants slow to wake up, we got away with it. Our school of thought on clipping Lavender is to do it twice a year: The first trim needs to be done by early March. This… Continue reading Trim Lavender Around Late February / March

Can I Slit Plant Bareroot Hedge & Tree Whips into Grass?

Establishing trees & hedges should be kept clear of grass & weeds

RHS Dead Hedge In The City Video

The RHS has produced a dear little video that very sweetly promotes hedges over fences on the basis of their usefullness and environmental value. On a debatably even sweeter premise, I will offer my dear little criticisms in the traditional manner of my people, the backseat driving folk of Somerset: RHS Horticultural Advisor Nick Turrell… Continue reading RHS Dead Hedge In The City Video