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
Author: Ashridge Support
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 symbiotic relationship: 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 which… 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
Killing Yew with Feet in Clay
October can be a peak month for planting and digging. You’ve got your Spring Flower Bulbs going in the ground, a flurry of pot grown plants from soft fruit to ferns (many of which are on discount in Autumn, as newsletter subscribers know), and gardeners on their ‘A game’ will work that soil in preparation… Continue reading Killing Yew with Feet in Clay