visit to ashwood

[Diane Clement]

Last Saturday the two shows (Exeter/Hexham) were both a very long journey for me, so I ducked out and instead took a trip to Ashwood Nursery where the owner John Massey had his private garden open for visitors.  It's a marvellous garden, in a lovely setting by the side of the Stafford-Worcester canal.  The garden itself is a bit of a frost pocket and most winters has recorded temperatures several degrees lower than my garden, approx 8 miles away.  John has, over the years, landscaped the garden with incredible sensitivity and artistry.  Every year there is something new to see and lots of different little sections with planted treasures.     

Here's just a flavour of some of the garden. First, the lake area with an excellent selection of planted conifers.
Lake
ditto
conifers
Abies lasiocarpa compacta

[Diane Clement]

And round the lake
Prunus Ko-jo no mai
Anemone pavonina
ditto

[David Nicholson]

What a lovely garden, thanks for sharing Diane. I don't suppose John Massey has any problems getting plants

[Diane Clement]

Some bulbs now,
Tulipa humilis Eastern Star
Trillium rivale (or is it nivale?)
Muscari macrocarpon
Narcissus Ice Wings (a beautiful triandrus hyb)

[Diane Clement]

Ipheion seems to be flavour of the week (onion flavour  )
Ipheion Alberto Castello (I've probably spelled it wrong, as I always call it Abbott and Costello)
Ipheion Charlotte Bishop
Ipheion mix

[Diane Clement]

A favourite area of mine is by the canal, where John has developed a woodland area with stumps.  It is lovely earlier in the year, when it is full of Primula vulgaris.  But now, new treasures starting to show, Frit meleagris and Erythroniums.
Woodland glade
Primula dark blue hyb
Helleborus argutifolius (I think)

[Diane Clement]

And some more that caught my eye round the garden
Anemone x lipiensis
Primula blue hyb
Corydalis Beth Evans
Cyclamen pseudibericum
Cyclamen repandum
Erythronium Pagoda

[Diane Clement]

Under a winter dormant willow tree by the canal was an area of rough ground that caught my eye.  A vivid patch of pink - Toothwort - a plant parasitic on willow, among others
Lathraea clandestina

[Diane Clement]

And just a final round up in the nursery itself.  Can't go without showing a couple of hepaticas.  And lastly, an Auricula theatre and floaters
Hepatica acutiloba
Hepatica americana
Auricula theatre
auriculas in a bucket
That's it!

[mark smyth]

had the chance to look at the garden at snowdrop time but although John said to ask for him when we arrived the staff said he wasnt there. I guess that is the answer all the time. We had his private number but didnt use it. Next time I'll wrestle Mrs G's phone out of her hand!  

[Maggi Young]

What a treat, Diane, thank you. You only live eight miles away?  Got a spare room, have you?

Such a well planned and beautifuully executed garden, a real joy.
 The Trillium is rivale and Alberto is Castillo !
That patch of Cyclamen repandum is superb!
Can't believe how advanced some things are... Fritillaria meleagris, for example.

Just love the Lathraea clandestina... I am intrigued by these plants, Orobanches,Pedicularis  and their like.

[Paddy Tobin]

Sorry to rain on the party but...

Last year Mary and I flew over to visit the famous, renowned and much-hyped garden and garden centre at Ashwood.  As Diane has shown in her photographs, the garden is quite nice if quite immature in most of its planting; plants well separated for most effective display, though not for best garden effect. We went in search of the perfect hellebores, those so vaunted and praised hellebores for which Ashwood is famous. Well, lots of hellebores, lots of seedlings, but not many of the perfect hellebores I had been led to believe would be available there. A disappointment!

Advertising excellent, delivery very poor.

Now, in fairness, I have met others who were happy with their visit but I certainly was not.

Paddy

[mark smyth]

Paddy this year was my third time there and have enjoyed it as much as the first. You must have been at the tail end of the sales? Give the nursery another go.

[Paddy Tobin]

No Mark,

We were there at a good time just disappointed with what was on offer. We felt it was a case of all hype and no substance.

Paddy

[mark smyth]

Did you go to the Hellebore poly tunnels? Did you see the Hepaticas that are available?