The Ashridge Nurseries Blog
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Easter
Easter seems to be more and more about chocolate now, but given my surname (Cadbury) that’s probably inevitable in my case! Alongside the chocolate fest, for we happy band of gardeners it’s all about getting out into the garden, sharpening the secateurs and planning ahead. My wife and I have... -
Hurray for herbs...
I love the geometry and neatness of Elizabethan knot gardens, the manicured symmetry of low box hedging filled with a tangle of flowers and greenery. The best, I think, are those planted with fragrant herbs such as rosemary, cotton lavender, marjoram, thyme, lemon balm and chamomile. On a hot day... -
It’s still cold out there
February had snow and a heatwave, March with warm and cold spells, April has begun with lovely blue sky sunny days but also frosts at night. As I’ve written before, weather is a preoccupation, if not an obsession, as planting, covering, putting seedlings out and so on is so important... -
Bring on the blossom
Every year the anticipation mounts. I look out of my bedroom window at the ornamental plum tree on the street, scouring its deep claret branches for signs that the colour is changing, life stirring within. Subtly, from a solid winter opacity to something with just a hint of deepest rose... -
Ashridge Nurseries Cold Store
Our cold storage facility allows us to prolong the dormant season of our bare root hedging plants and trees. It keeps the quality of our bare root plants to a high standard, inducing and maintaining dormancy in mild winters, such as the one we have had this year. It means... -
They call me mellow yellow
I used to have a serious problem with yellow. As a colour for clothes, for home decor and – most of all – in the garden. Even daffodils were banned. Somehow it seemed too cheery, too bright and, by association, just a little bit tacky and common. I was a sunshine snob. It’s... -
It’s a great time for planting
Whether you’re thinking of a hedge, wallflowers, fruit trees, climbers, roses, lavender or ornamental garden trees, now is the time to get out there and plant to your hearts’ content. I’ve recently planted broad leafed lime trees to act as a screen to cover up the background of a town... -
Brilliant bark
If I had a bigger garden, one of my (many) aims would be to plant more trees. There are the obvious benefits for the environment and wildlife to consider: more habitat, food and shelter for birds, insects and other creatures, plus all that oxygen being pumped back into the atmosphere... -
Obsessions of a gardener
There are two obsessions that gardening induces; firstly the weather and most importantly your own garden taking over your thoughts and dreams. The weather Is it too cold, is the ground frozen or even warming up? Is it too wet, or too dry? Is it the right time to plant... -
Hedges, hedgerows and hedgelaying
Being a complete novice to hedgelaying, my son (Harry) and I signed up for a competition run by the Blackmore and Sparkford Vale Hunt in East Pennard, Somerset. The competition was divided into two classes, the open for the professionals and the novice for the amateur enthusiasts, we were most...
