“Where am I, and whose garden is this?” is a common question among cider drinkers and other fun people, and it’s pretty relevant to how your garden works Great Britain has one “temperate oceanic / maritime” climate and isn’t very big, but she is still varied enough that it helps to know where your garden… Continue reading What Garden Zone Am I In?
Whipsnade Tree Cathedral Restoration
The natural loss of Ash trees to dieback leads to a new generation of trees at National Trust run Sacred Grove of faith, hope, and reconciliation. Whipsnade Tree Cathedral in Bedfordshire is a war memorial of trees planted to grow into the form of Liverpool Cathedral, complete with chancel, nave, transepts, chapels, and cloisters designed around… Continue reading Whipsnade Tree Cathedral Restoration
HortWeek ‘End of Peat’ Podcast Series 1 & 2
HortWeek, the coolest name in the industry, produces 4 part peat-free garden podcast extravaganza Ashridge went through the Peat Free Thing on our nursery ages ago, so we can sit back and take it easy while everyone else sweats on this one. But for growers and gardeners across the UK, moving away from peat is… Continue reading HortWeek ‘End of Peat’ Podcast Series 1 & 2
Britain’s Other Greatest Trees
In what can only be a direct response to our post on the Skippinish Oak being made the Woodland Trust’s Tree of the Year, The Telegraph scrambled to release their article on Britain’s 20 greatest trees In our post on the Skippinish Oak yesterday, we allegedly uncovered an alleged scheme by Big Oak to take… Continue reading Britain’s Other Greatest Trees
Oak Tree is UK Band Manager of the Year
After being voted Tree of the Year 2024, an old Oak has promoted the Scottish ceilidh band Skipinnish from stardom to mega stardom Woodland Trust’s Tree of the Year vote was won this year by a Sessile Oak tree called Skipinnish, after a Scottish ceilidh band. Under the tree’s management, they are now the most… Continue reading Oak Tree is UK Band Manager of the Year
Homes & Gardens Outdated Garden Trends
Homes & Gardens has so many interesting articles, we really should steal them more often. This pair of articles about outdated back garden trends and outdated front garden trends are nice for fertilising one’s thinking about one’s garden, its compartments, and the ancient “what I want” VS “what I, or my husband, will work or… Continue reading Homes & Gardens Outdated Garden Trends
Restoring Scottish Montane Flora & Bees for High Altitude Fruit Trees
Montane habitats are at the top of and above the treeline, where the last wind-blasted trees and shrubs grow, below the even colder alpine habitats above where only small grasses and lichens live. Being high on a mountain may be pleasant, but going up a hundred feet is like taking giant strides towards the North… Continue reading Restoring Scottish Montane Flora & Bees for High Altitude Fruit Trees
Mowing Your Lawn & Autumn Leaves
Autumn leaves on your lawn have to be dealt with, or they will ruin it. Likewise, your lovely stone, brick, and concrete areas will get slippery and require more frequent cleaning if leaves cover them for long. If you have a small garden with some trees around it, it’s likely that you won’t reasonably be… Continue reading Mowing Your Lawn & Autumn Leaves
Flower Bulbs in Winter Hanging Baskets
Long-suffering visitors to this website may remember that we gave selling hanging baskets a whirl a few years ago. We stopped because they turned out to require a lot more work than our meticulous business planning on the back of an old envelope had indicated: c’est la vie. From that experience, we learned that there… Continue reading Flower Bulbs in Winter Hanging Baskets
Dollar Spot Fungal Disease Devastates Golf Course Turf
Playing golf has been a big part of several lives here at Ashridge, until things like hip replacements and families and enthusiasm for gambling forced us to move on with our lives. It is a tribute to golf course greenkeepers that I had never heard of Dollar Spot Disease, being blissfully unaware of the battle… Continue reading Dollar Spot Fungal Disease Devastates Golf Course Turf
Free Plants Forever: Pay With Your Lives!
The garden centre industry is a wonderful one, full of great people working in it and great customers intent on making their street that much more beautiful. But maintaining a lush border of beautiful plants, penguins, and a specimen polar bear does not come cheap according to HortWeek: I know what you all are thinking:… Continue reading Free Plants Forever: Pay With Your Lives!
Cut Hedges in October
Cut cut cut: that’s what it’s all about being a hedge owner. With a typical hedge plant such as Hawthorn, Beech, or Yew, you are fundamentally maintaining a plant that wants to be a tree as a bushy shrub by cutting it regularly. One of the most common questions we get asked is when to… Continue reading Cut Hedges in October
Fine Dining al Fresco: Shrubbery for Two
The other day we mentioned Cornwall’s Million Pound edible hedge project, and, we assume in response, the RHS updated their list of edible flowers, along with a Country Living article adding a few more on top. We know that most garden owners are not breakfasting in the bushes, brunching off branches, or dining on their… Continue reading Fine Dining al Fresco: Shrubbery for Two
Save the Darwin Oak: Free Oak Trees for All
Julia Buckley MP has presented Parliament with a petition to save the newly famous Darwin Oak from being removed for Shrewsbury’s new North West Relief Road. Good for Julia Buckley MP helping a 500-year-old tree who doesn’t even vote. Our interests here are horticultural, not political, but perhaps they overlap when we point out that… Continue reading Save the Darwin Oak: Free Oak Trees for All
Walnut and Banana Bread Recipe
There’s something incredibly rewarding about harvesting ingredients straight from your own bit of Britain! If you’re lucky enough to have walnut trees, the experience of picking fresh walnuts, cracking them open, and incorporating them into your cooking adds a unique, personal touch to your meals. One of the best ways to use these homegrown gems… Continue reading Walnut and Banana Bread Recipe
Troon Church Garden Approved by South Ayrshire Council
This post is not sponsored by the South Ayrshire tourist board, but we are willing to accept gifts of any value over fifty Scottish pounds, or ten haggis in today’s money. South Ayrshire is part of the most beautiful scenery on our island, facing out onto the Firth of Clyde and the magical Isle of… Continue reading Troon Church Garden Approved by South Ayrshire Council
Using Epsom Salts in the Garden
Don’t bother. Using Epsom Salts in the garden is a waste of time and money: may my grandparents (and renowned scientific journals like The Mirror) forgive me for contradicting them like that. Since the dawn of time, the Epsom Salt industry has had one overarching vision for mankind’s destiny: to consume even more product by… Continue reading Using Epsom Salts in the Garden
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
Good Growing October Weather
October’s forecast is looking mild, with nights mostly over 7C (the temperature under which plants generally stop growing) right until the end of the month. Warm Octobers extend the growing season into Official Autumn, squeezing the best out of plants that bloom until frost stops them, such as many dahlias, repeating roses, and late flowering… Continue reading Good Growing October Weather
Homemade Fig Jam Recipe
With Homegrown Figs There’s nothing quite as jammy as the satisfaction of your own fig jam crafted from fig you grew yourself in a British Summer. Serve without elaborating, and let your dining companion ask you where this sweet, honey-like jam is from. Only then tell them that you are part of an elite club… Continue reading Homemade Fig Jam Recipe
Peat-Free Partnership’s Open Letter to Parliament
When we heard about the Peat Free Partnership’s open letter to the UK Parliament calling for a ban on peat use, we thought, ah, it has nothing to do with us; all the plants we grow ourselves have been peat free for years already. But then the good people at the Peat Free Partnership said… Continue reading Peat-Free Partnership’s Open Letter to Parliament
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
Apple Muffins Recipe
There’s Nothing Quite Like Baking with Home-Grown Apples in your Apple Muffin Recipe. Their fresh, crisp flavour brings out the best in these delicious apple muffins. Whether you have an orchard in your garden or a single beloved tree, these muffins are a wonderful way to showcase your apples. For this recipe, we recommend using… Continue reading Apple Muffins Recipe
Raspberry Macarons Recipe
There’s nothing quite like the fresh, tangy flavour of home-grown raspberries, and what better way to enjoy them than in delicious raspberry macarons recipe? Growing your own raspberry plants is easy and rewarding. Pre-order bareroot raspberry plants now and have them delivered from November to March. With a little care, you’ll have a bountiful harvest… Continue reading Raspberry Macarons Recipe
Roses for Buttonholes
Buttonhole flowers are a classic and elegant touch for formal occasions, especially weddings. Strictly speaking, a buttonhole is a single flower, perhaps with some of its foliage, and a boutonnière (which is French for buttonhole) is several flowers tied together, typically with foliage from other plants, such as asparagus. Many flowers could be used, but… Continue reading Roses for Buttonholes
Homemade Beef Burger Recipe
It’s barbecue season, and nothing beats homemade beef burgers cooked over charcoal to enjoy the smoky flavour. Follow these tips and don’t forget to pair your burgers with your favourite side dishes and beverages for a complete meal. Ingredients: Instructions:
Delicious Strawberry and Cream Choux Buns Recipe
Indulge in the delightful harmony of fresh strawberries and rich cream with our scrumptious Strawberry and Cream Choux Buns recipe. Bursting with flavour and elegance, these light and airy choux pastry buns are filled to perfection with velvety whipped cream and luscious slices of ripe strawberries. Whether you’re hosting a gathering or simply craving a… Continue reading Delicious Strawberry and Cream Choux Buns Recipe
Creamy Seafood Risotto Recipe (Frutti di Mare)
Indulge in the tantalizing flavours of the Mediterranean with our exquisite Risotto Frutti di Mare recipe. Bursting with the bounty of the sea, this classic Italian dish combines creamy Arborio rice with a delightful assortment of fresh seafood. Ingredients: Instructions:
Bruschetta with Parma Ham, Brie, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and Fresh Basil or Rocket
A delectable and sophisticated appetiser that combines the rich flavours of high-quality ingredients to create a delightful culinary experience. This dish is a modern twist on the classic Italian parma ham bruschetta, infusing it with a fusion of flavours that will tantalise your taste buds. At its core, bruschetta consists of grilled or toasted bread… Continue reading Bruschetta with Parma Ham, Brie, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and Fresh Basil or Rocket