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
Author: Ashridge Support
The Best Trees Suitable for Heavy Clay Soils
Most trees are happy growing in heavy clay soil, as long as it does not get waterlogged in Winter Clay soil is fertile soil, the problem is that low-lying sites tend to trap water in winter, and exposed clay bakes hard in Summer. Most trees grown in the UK will thrive in clay where: So… Continue reading The Best Trees Suitable for Heavy Clay Soils
Best Plants for a Small Garden Wildlife Hedge
A good hedge is an invaluable addition to any garden. It delineates and disguises boundaries, providing privacy for humans and habitats for wildlife, with nest sites for birds and foliage, blossom, nuts, and fruits to eat. The leaf litter at the base of a mature hedge is perfect for hibernating creatures, especially reptiles and amphibians,… Continue reading Best Plants for a Small Garden Wildlife Hedge
Plant Botanical / Scientific / Latin Names
“Latin” plant names aren’t really Latin, as in the language of the Roman Empire, they are a mix of words and names from Latin, Greek, and other languages “Latin names” is easier to say than Binomial Nomenclature, which means “two part naming system”; that’s lovely, but still doesn’t explain much. Why are these alien sounding… Continue reading Plant Botanical / Scientific / Latin Names
What Does “Bulbs in the Green” Mean?
There are two ways to buy and/or transplant flower bulbs: either when they dry and dormant, or when they are in growth, known as “in the green” Most bulbs are like bareroot trees in the sense that they are only transplanted when they are dormant. But a few species tend to transplant better when they… Continue reading What Does “Bulbs in the Green” Mean?
Royal Horticultural Society Wisley Winter Walk
In January, gardeners stare longingly at soggy patches of lawn and bare trees, scouring the earth for the tender spear of a spring bulb or the plump purple protuberance of a leaf bud on a naked branch But, wait! I’ve already gone on about the best plants for a winter garden, which is all very… Continue reading Royal Horticultural Society Wisley Winter Walk
Best Plants for A Winter Garden
Tiny marvels dispel winter gloom: the uplifting power of nature! As I filled up the bird feeders yesterday, I noticed the intense dogwood stems contrasted against the fence, and the first winter clematis flowers emerging. I inhaled deeply, savouring the trace of witch hazel on the breeze. “Ah”, I said to myself, “I could feast… Continue reading Best Plants for A Winter Garden
Rootgrow by Empathy: RHS Approved Mycorrhizae AKA “Friendly Fungi”
Mycorrhizae fungi coexist with plant root systems in a sharing relationship underground The fungi give the plant water and soil nutrients in exchange for the sugars that plants make by photosynthesis Fungi grow much faster than roots, so they can increase a transplanted plant’s effective root area many times over in only a few weeks, during… Continue reading Rootgrow by Empathy: RHS Approved Mycorrhizae AKA “Friendly Fungi”
Christmas Presents for Gardeners
There are so many things a gardener wants to find under the tree on Christmas morning. But not another decorative fork and trowel set with floral design handle and little practical use, or that grainy, green organic soap, please Let’s get serious and define gardening up front here, as it relates to the garden owner:… Continue reading Christmas Presents for Gardeners
Why Willows and Drains do not Mix…
A video on why willows and drains should not be too close together…
Cooking with Cider this Christmas?
How about pheasant with caramelised apple and cider sauce! Ingredients (to serve 2-4) Method Pheasant and cider sauce Caramelised apples Once the sauce mixture is reduced, pour over and serve! Top tip This is a lovely, tasty wintery dish using well hung pheasant, but if you’re not the gamey type, it works equally well… Continue reading Cooking with Cider this Christmas?
Foraged Blackberry & Apple Crumble
Do you have a freezer full of blackberries? If not, then ignore the blackberry & enjoy your apple crumble! This time of year, mid-November, is hefty with apples. Down here in sunny Somerset, the late blackberries are only recently all gone from the bushes. If you have helpful kids around, chances are you have bags… Continue reading Foraged Blackberry & Apple Crumble
Rose Hips are Pretty & Good to Eat
Rose hips are mostly an ornamental second display from Autumn into Winter, but all rose hips are edible if you want to go through the trouble of preparing them And almost all roses will make hips if they get pollinated and you allow them to develop, which is not usually the case with a typical… Continue reading Rose Hips are Pretty & Good to Eat
Ash Tree Dieback Disease Hits Somerset
It Doesn’t Seem Real Until it Happens to You Yes, folks, it finally happened to us. We had a good run, but the dieback got us, right in the Bridgwater Road, which will be closed for five days this October to take down infected Ash trees. Ash saplings infected by the Chalara fraxinea fungus were… Continue reading Ash Tree Dieback Disease Hits Somerset
Millionaire Sustainable Hedgerow Living
Cornwall Council is Leading the World in Public Edible Hedge Planting Foraging berries and fruit from hedgerows for your breakfast is back! As we like to say around here since today: no matter how good things get, there’s always more fruit on the hedge. With the help of trend setters like the Shared Prosperity Fund,… Continue reading Millionaire Sustainable Hedgerow Living
Hedgerow Jelly Recipe
Make a unique Jelly from Country Hedges & Wild Plants This recipe uses fruit commonly found in mixed hedges and wild plants (identify before eating them). Wild plums generally ripen around late summer, apples & crab apples generally ripen later, both can be found in quantity in time to mix with blackberries, and whatever else… Continue reading Hedgerow Jelly Recipe
Soft Edges in Urban Garden Design
Modern buildings and roads tend to create stark boundaries: all structure with no life Well-thought-out planting will soften these hard lines and corners, and bring them alive, like adding a great painting to an empty frame. In general, you want to employ a lot of evergreen shrubs and climbers that cover things up all year-round.… Continue reading Soft Edges in Urban Garden Design
Garden Plants for Winter Colour
Colour from bark, leaves and some flowers will light up your winter garden
When do Snowdrops Bloom in the UK?
Who doesn’t love snowdrops? People who don’t read this article!
How to Propagate Hardwood Hedge Cuttings in Late Winter
Right now is an ideal time to try, when the soil is nice and damp and not-frozen.
Cheese and herb aigrettes
These miniature savoury doughnuts make a lovely canapé served with a glass of fizz, perhaps at a coronation celebration, or indeed if you want to mark National Doughnut Week which also falls this month (20-28th May). They’re a fun way of using fresh herbs in your cooking too. If you have one of those new-fangled… Continue reading Cheese and herb aigrettes
6 Common Bay Tree Problems & Solutions
Broadly speaking, bay laurel plants, Laurus nobilis, are easygoing, low maintenance, aromatic evergreens that are a joy to grow. There are a handful of common problems that can affect bays, especially trees in pots, which always need extra care. Spotting and fixing the problems promptly will give your bay a new lease of life. They… Continue reading 6 Common Bay Tree Problems & Solutions
15 Ideal Trees for Growing in Pots
According to the proverb, ‘To be happy for a year, get married; to be happy for life, plant a garden.’A well-chosen tree makes the perfect finishing flourish, and by planting trees in a pot, it’s perfectly possible for even a balcony-sized garden to enjoy their many benefits. Container grown trees make an attractive focal point… Continue reading 15 Ideal Trees for Growing in Pots
Best Gardening & Garden Design Apps to Green Up Your Space
Gardening can be so last century with its stuffy old shovels and buckets. Garden apps on your phone gardening more Dan Dare® and Cyberpunk® than ever, giving you a reason to get outside and use your phone there. We’ve listed the best gardening and garden design apps for every level, from experienced gardeners to beginners.… Continue reading Best Gardening & Garden Design Apps to Green Up Your Space
Everything You Need to Know about Yew Trees
One of only 3 conifers native to the United Kingdom (along with Scots pine and juniper), yew is a familiar feature of our gardens and parks. But how much do you really know about it, and could there be a place for it in your garden? In this article, you will find everything you need… Continue reading Everything You Need to Know about Yew Trees
Your Guide to Oak Trees: Facts, Types & Essential Information
It’s no exaggeration to describe oak trees as the national tree of Great Britain. They have been integral to our countryside for centuries, so naturally, many people are interested in growing oak trees for themselves. Planting an oak tree is one of the most altruistic things a gardener can do. These slow-growing giants take a… Continue reading Your Guide to Oak Trees: Facts, Types & Essential Information
Somerset Apple Cake with optional streusel twist
The streusel topping elevates a traditional tea time delicacy to a luxurious dessert. The apple store is usually looking a little depleted by this time of year, but if you still have a few Bramley apples knocking about this recipe is a lovely way of using them up. (If you don’t have Bramley’s any other… Continue reading Somerset Apple Cake with optional streusel twist
Comté & pear tartlets
February’s pickings from the vegetable patch can be sparse, but if you’re lucky you’ll have apples and pears from autumn’s harvest to use up. There might also be some winter salad leaves such as mizuna, lamb’s lettuce or baby spinach. Tossed in a punchy mustardy dressing, they’re the ideal counterpoint to this crisp and indulgently… Continue reading Comté & pear tartlets
Getting a Word in Hedgewise
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
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