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Ashridge Blog

Should I Cut Lavender In Spring Or Autumn?

Lavender should be pruned hard every year to keep it dense, bushy, and covered in flowers during Summer It’s not good to prune your Lavender plants in late Autumn / Winter when it’s not in growth, and if you prune it in Summer you will remove all the flowers, so that leaves either Spring, or late-Summer… Continue reading Should I Cut Lavender In Spring Or Autumn?

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

Year Round Guide To Essential Garden Jobs

January Hedging Fruit Trees Garden Trees Roses Soft Fruit Climbers Bulbs Olive and Bay Nature Other February Hedging Fruit Trees Garden Trees Roses Soft Fruit Climbers Bulbs Olive and Bay Nature Other March Hedging Fruit Trees Garden Trees Roses Soft Fruit Climbers Lavender Bulbs Olive and Bay Herbs and Veg Borders and Flowers Other April… Continue reading Year Round Guide To Essential Garden Jobs

How To Make Leaf Mould

What is Leaf Mould? Raking up leaves is part of a gardener’s life. The best way to make use of all those leaves is to keep them as mulch, compost, or leaf mould: that crumbly, airy, free draining stuff that improves soil, and makes a superb potting medium for seeds and cuttings. Which Leaves Should… Continue reading How To Make Leaf Mould

How To Use Horticultural Fleece on Pots

Wrap up outdoor potted plants to protect them from frost for Winter When Winter frosts are on their way, sensitive plants that aren’t practical to move into shelter should be wrapped up to protect them from the freezing weather. This is most important for tender plants, but even relatively hardy bay leaf trees can still… Continue reading How To Use Horticultural Fleece on Pots

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

Alabama Snow Alert

Alabama, a county West of Cornwall, is experiencing freak snowstorms Despite the balmy weather in Cornwall right now, neighbouring Alabamians are having a rough “affliction of the stone-mackerel”, under a once-in-a-century-so-far blanket of snow. British gardeners are not well known for growing coffee or loquats, not ripe ones anyway, but we used to lead the… Continue reading Alabama Snow Alert

The Wilsford Community Orchard Group’s Applesolutely Apeeling Vision

Every day, I get to the office really early, sometimes before noon, pick up my online issue of Lincolnshire World from the letterbox, and settle down to read with a cuppa before the hurly-burly work day starts So it was that I was one of the first people this morning to read the article that… Continue reading The Wilsford Community Orchard Group’s Applesolutely Apeeling Vision

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?

Hereford Times Orchard Lane Leylandii Song

Orleton locals got a laugh from the Hereford Times “AI Assisted” article that used a stock image of an Oak Tree for an article about cutting down a tall Leylandii hedge, inspiring a satirical folk song Church Lane residents in Orleton, Herefordshire, were treated to a masterpiece of robot writing in this Hereford Times article… Continue reading Hereford Times Orchard Lane Leylandii Song

Self-Fertile Apple Trees That Pollinate Themselves

Apple pollination is usually not a concern in the UK, because there are so many orchard and crab apple trees around However, self-fertile apple trees are still the most reliable choice for most growers, especially if you only have space for one tree in your garden. Self-pollinating apple trees are the most popular varieties we… Continue reading Self-Fertile Apple Trees That Pollinate Themselves

Which Tree is Yggdrasil?

The question “what species of tree is Yggdrasil?” is not one I ever get asked, but when the day comes I will say “ha, finally! A species is a group of things of the same kind, and Yggdrasil is unique. Gotcha!”This could be why I don’t get invited to parties. According to science, Yggdrasil, honoured… Continue reading Which Tree is Yggdrasil?

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

The Best Tomato & Mascarpone Risotto Recipe: Creamy, Savoury Comfort Food

For a comforting dish that’s bursting with rich, creamy flavours, this Tomato & Mascarpone Risotto is exactly what you need. Ingredients: Method: Prepare the ingredients:Begin by heating your stock in a saucepan over low heat to keep it warm. In a large pan or wide skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the… Continue reading The Best Tomato & Mascarpone Risotto Recipe: Creamy, Savoury Comfort Food

Apple Orchard Wassailing

Orchard wassailing is an indigenous English ritual with records dating back as far as the 11th century, and is still performed by the tribes of the South West in cider orchards Here we come a-wassailing! Traditionally performed on the 12th night after Christmas, January 5th or 6th, some people may accuse me of being a… Continue reading Apple Orchard Wassailing

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”

Hedgerow Heroes: Biodiversity Bloxham Oxford

This winter planting season, about 400 Oxfordshire volunteers spruced up 500 metres of neglected hedgerow, and planted over 2,500 metres of new hedges, beating their target by 300 metres. This is all part of Phase Four of the Campaign to Protect Rural England’s Hedgerow Heroes project. The local Banbury MP, known affectionately as “Sean-Off” Woodcock, joined… Continue reading Hedgerow Heroes: Biodiversity Bloxham Oxford

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