Ashridge Blog & Recipes

Plant Based Words & Photographs about Gardens, Recipes, Design, Bees and Wildlife

Classic Capresse Salad
The best capresse salad uses the freshest ingredients What better way to get the most fresh ingredients than growing them yourself (obviously not the mozzarella), but basil and tomatoes are a must! Fresh ingredients: Basil & Tomatoes Tomatoes ripened by...
Delicately Poached Rhubarb with Orange & Ginger
A lovely and simple recipe for rhubarb Beautiful rhubarb stalks that are high in antioxidants This easy recipe blends the coppery, savoury flavour of rhubarb with hints of orange and very gentle ginger. Delicious as soon as your rhubarb is...
Fanatical About Ferns
Pteridomania - the passion for ferns - swept through the Victorian era and is now sweeping through us. As we launch our carefully selected range, we look at the continuing fascination gardeners have with ferns and why they work so...
Peat-free Compost and proud of it
We champion Peat-free April and talk to Toby Thomas, the co-founder of Rocketgro: the source of the peat-free “rocket fuel” that we deliver to your garden! We’ve long held a pioneering peat-free approach at Ashridge (see our peat free blog...
Lupins Looking Lovely at Doddington Gardens
Our expert gardening writer, Amicia Oldfield, tells us how to grow and look after lupins and reveals her plans for them at her fabulous garden, Doddington Place, Kent It is not surprising that lupins are one of the most popular...
Herb-crusted lamb cutlets
A lovely recipe for Easter Sunday lunch. We’ve taken to visiting our local butcher every Thursday (who incidentally we totally recommend as he does mail order - see The Thoroughly Wild Meat Company) and asking for his week’s recommendation for...
Victoria Sponge Cake
The Perfect Victoria Sponge Cake and A Superb Strawberry Or Ripping Raspberry Jam Filling An age-old recipe taught to us at our grandmother’s knee with a few extra tricks to turn into a perfect Platinum Jubilee celebration pudding or tea-time...
Wildflower Meadows
The trend for natural gardens is thriving. Glorious wildflowers at RHS Wisley Last summer, across London, councils ditched the manicured look and left great swathes of lawn to grow long and wild. Flowers sprung up from seeds lying dormant in...
What’s in a Name?
Our buy “three or more bareroot roses & get a third off” is proving to be a seriously attractive offer, what with Mothering Sunday looming and all those weddings... You have the code: ROSE22 in your basket to get a...
For Peat's Sake
Peat has long been a hot topic amongst gardeners and climate change activists. We are proud of our reputation of being ahead of the times in how we have handled the issue. We asked writer Sarah Newitt for her view...
Silver Leaved Plants
Why Silver Foliage is a Winning Formula in Your Garden There’s nothing second rate about silver in the garden, whatever the season. In winter that sparkly foliage chimes spectacularly with frost and sub-zero temperatures, creating scenes of dazzling dynamism. In...
Dark Chocolate Truffle Torte
Decadent and delicious, a slice of this wonderfully luxurious, yet relatively cheap and easy-to-make dessert, is great for Valentine’s Day - and every other day of the year too! They say dark chocolate has several health benefits: it is highly...
Inspiration For Winter Colour
How a splash of colour in a winter-dulled garden can eliminate the SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) blues Oh the joys of Instagram. As a social media vehicle, it undoubtedly has its faults: psychologists say that as a rule we look...
Happiness is a walk amongst trees
Look after your mental wellbeing by walking in the great outdoors and amongst trees. Even young trees can be a source of great joy and inspiration. The beautiful Stourhead gardens in Wilshire We went for a walk with the dogs...
Ham Hock Terrine
The shelves in the supermarkets seem to be full of ham this time of year, and especially when it's discounted, as a family, we stock up on it throughout January. Our family eats a lot of ham throughout the winter...
Winter Beauty
How to love your winter garden How do you feel about winter in the garden? For many years I shrank from it; I was uncomfortable with its stark structure and unforgiving chill. But I feel differently these days. And I...
The Cambridge Project
Ashridge Nurseries Great Big Tree Discount hashtag is sprouting on Cambridge City Council’s twitter feed That’s because we are offering Cambridge residents a mighty discount on their tree orders to encourage them to be involved with the council’s Green Canopy...
Baked Camembert, Olive & Straws
The perfect food for your Christmas dinner party, New Years Eve, or all to yourself! Baked Camembert is both fancy and so simple to prepare with olives and pecorino straws: all your guests will be asking for the recipe. Camembert with...
On Working with Garden Designers
Making the decision to employ a professional garden designer is a big step. Here are a few tips on how to get the best out of your partnership, making your garden an exceptionally beautiful space for years to come. Designers...
Spicy Squash & Sweet Potato Soup
Warm your cockles and calm your wockles with some homemade butternut squash and sweet potato soup. As the weather chills, recipes in the kitchen heat up from salads and summery stirfrys to soups and stews: after being outside on a...