visit to ashwood

[Lesley Cox]

A wonderful selection of pics and plants Diane, many thanks. The Lathraea has always intrigued me too, after seeing it at Sissinghurst many years ago. It should be possible from seed on the right host plant?

[Maggi Young]

Interesting how Paddy was disappointed by his visit.... I have never been  (yet: do you hear me, Diane???!!! ) ) but I know an awful lot of folks who have and who make what can only be described as pilgrimages to the place, where they take as much as they can either carry or afford back home with them, and do this as often as they can!!
Proves, I suppose, that you can't please all of the people..... etc etc!

[Diane Clement]

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!

Paddy, sorry you were disappointed with your visit.  I have known others be disappointed not to find their perfect hellebore.  One issue is that the "best" ones are sold very early in the season - sometimes at the winter RHS shows in London!  If you go on a nursery tour (rather than a visit to John's garden) to see the breeding programme, I think you would see more than enough to satisfy!  over the years, I have bought more hellebores from Ashwood than my garden can hold, and I think their quality does show in time - they always seem super plants to me and I love the display they make in January and this continues for many weeks. 

Ho hum, it's a good job we're all different ...

[Diane Clement]

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!  

John IS usually around and is seen very frequently on the nursery, chatting to people. Try again Mark.  And who is Mrs G? 

[Diane Clement]

What a treat, Diane, thank you. You only live eight miles away?)

Yes, 8 miles, 20 minutes. 

Got a spare room, have you?

Of course, any time!

Such a well planned and beautifuully executed garden, a real joy.

Yes, I love it too. 

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.

Frit meleagris in my garden are just showing buds so only a couple of days from opening. 

I have never been  (yet: do you hear me, Diane???!!! ) )

I'm waiting for you      By the way, if you need any more tempting, they have THE BEST selection of home made cakes you will have ever seen       

[Maggi Young]

We have a lovely morning here in Aberdeen and things are moving along nicely but it will still be quite a while before a lot of the things shown in Diane's photos are at that stage... but thisis all to the good, it extends my season of viewing pleasure!

I wasn't really going to plunk myslelf on Diane's doorstep for a visit , both to see Ashwoods and to view her plants at close quarters... until she mentioned the cakes... now I may be on the next train!!

[mark smyth]

I'll vouch for Aswood's cakes also

[Paddy Tobin]

Diane,

Many thanks for the lovely photographs. Despite saying that I was disappointed with my visit to Ashwood, I think this was most likely because it had been so hyped up as the pilgrimage destination for anybody keen on hellebores. They have a good garden centre and a good selection of plants. I did the tour of the propagation area, saw the hepaticas etc and actually, was most taken by the cyclamen. It's a good garden centre, not a great one. Re the hellebores - they have the most fabulous stock plants but one must remember that they don't sell plants which are identical to these but simply seedlings from these. There's a lot of pot luck involved.

On a positive note, I have found their plug plants, which are sent by mail order, very good value and grew to very good plants also.

Paddy

[Gail]

The mid-anglian group AGS had a trip to Ashwoods on Sunday.  John Massey himself was in China but the garden was looking good.  Lovely sunny day which I'm certainly not complaining about but did make for difficult photography....

Here
Cyclamen house
Does anyone know this birch - beautiful peeling bark
Eranthis 'Pauline'
Eranthis 'Schwefelglanz'
Hamamelis x intermedia 'Sunburst' - attracted most attention of the witch hazels, there is more of a limey tint to the flower than you see here.
Hellebore - Ashwood's yellow hybrid
Galanthus elwesii - single bulb with yellow leaves

[Gail]

Views of garden
Unlabelled crocus
And for conifer lovers Pinus strobus 'Green Twist'

[fleurbleue]

Perhaps Betula nigra Gail 

[mark smyth]

B. albosinensis?

The one I really want is the black barked one with white lenticels. John has them in his garden also

[Ragged Robin]

Diane, thanks for the tour of Ashwood with your selection of photographs showing some lovely spring plants and plantings - Narcissus Ice Wings (a beautiful triandrus hyb) is my favourite but also the Prunus Ko-jo no mai is a wonderful specimen - is it the one with zig zag branches?

[Ragged Robin]

Gail, thanks for your take on Ashwood, the trees look really interesting I love Betula with the peeling barks and Hamamelis x intermedia 'Sunburst' is a fabulous thing - did it smell?

[Gail]

Gail, thanks for your take on Ashwood, the trees look really interesting I love Betula with the peeling barks and Hamamelis x intermedia 'Sunburst' is a fabulous thing - did it smell?

Sadly the scent on 'Sunburst' was very faint - it's hard to beat 'Pallida' for fragrance I think.