Ashwood Nurseries

Thank you for taking the trouble to pick up a copy of our Free Monthly Newsletter the “Ashwood News”.  The concept of the newsletter is to keep you informed about what is happening on the Nurseries and advice on jobs in your garden and greenhouse.  We would also like to remind you that we have now reverted to our summer opening hours and details are contained at the end of our newsletter.

First the good news, February has been a good month for the Nurseries as we received Gold Medal number 48 from the Royal Horticultural Society for our exhibit of Hepaticas, Hellebores, Cyclamen and other spring flowers. Rumour has it that a certain member of staff may be allowed to retire once we have been awarded 50 gold medals, others say John is going for 100 gold medals – either way to gain a gold is always a great achievement,  but more so this year after such appalling winter weather and difficult growing conditions.

It is the unbelievably cold start to 2010 that brings the bad news, we are literally three weeks behind calendar wise although I am convinced, as in the past things will catch up. The continuing cold weather is causing both us and customers major problems with non availability of stock and delayed supply of plants. We have a policy of not offering plants for sale if we, as professionals would not want to plant ourselves or we have any doubts as to the success of our plants. We took a considerable number of plants off sale earlier in the year and held them in protected tunnels to avoid damage and possible losses. Growth is still slow or non existent and we, like other genuine nurseries are not happy about putting out plants that are not showing signs of really active growth. Please do bear with us and our suppliers who are also experiencing similar delays across the whole plant supply chain.

The first few days of March certainly were an improvement weather-wise over recent months with temperatures actually rising above the average for the time of year. The long winter and low temperatures has caused many plants in our gardens and nurseries to look unhappy or even possibly die. Basically frost has affected our plants in four different ways.

The aerial parts of some evergreen plants have been scorched and the foliage turned brown. John Massey’s own Garrya elliptica in his garden has turned completely brown and I would advise leaving plants untouched for up to two years. 

Fuchsia, Phygelius and Penstemons may be in trouble on heavier soils with the moisture in the soil freezing and physically damaging the stems of these and other soft stemmed plants like the larger leaved Hebes. Delay pruning for a few weeks in the hope these will shoot from around ground level as in many cases the old top growth will have been killed.

The frost has also damaged the tops of some alpines like Armeria, and while these will recover they will look unsightly and replacement during April or May is probably the best choice. Some of you may have left Dahlia tubers, Gladioli and Cannas in the ground and while these just might have survived on lighter well drained sandy soils I am certain that any on heavier wet soils they will have perished.

For many of us the early onset of winter last autumn meant that lawns did not receive their normal maintenance programme and this is really the month to catch up on this and many other delayed jobs.

I would offer a word of warning! The seasons are three weeks behind and there is plenty of time for even more cold weather yet.  With this in mind we would ask customers to take into account the weather over the next few weeks and how this affects the jobs that you may wish to carry out, delaying jobs where appropriate.

The onset of March sees the end of the traditional winter planting season for deciduous subjects and the start of the evergreen and less hardy planting season which includes many herbaceous subjects, all conifers and many silver foliage and Mediterranean type plants.

During the second week in March we will see the display greenhouse transformed from a hardy display to the warmer environment of our young plant house. We are pleased to offer a wide range of young seedlings and cuttings for the coming summer displays. Providing you have adequate facilities of warmth and light you can make early purchases and buy fewer plants. Those purchasing plants early can grow these on into bigger specimens. This in turn means you will require fewer plants. Specimens can in most cases be regularly pinched or stopped to produce more bushy plants that will also carry more flowers.

Our garden shop is often very busy in March with gardeners rushing for their favourite products. However given a little time take a look at some of our newer products. These include Suttons 10 litre seed and potting compost. Miracle Gro have also introduced a compact compost pack to make 3 litres of compost. We are learning more about the importance of ‘dirty composts’ and the role of beneficial fungi and mycorrihiza and we now stock Root Grow Plus to enhance the root and top growth of your plants. Fish Blood and Bone, the latter being a valuable organic slow release fertilizer makes a superb base dressing prior to planting while Growmore or pelleted chicken manure is often used for short term boosts during or at the start of the growing period.

March is the ideal time for planting fruit trees and bushes, trees and shrubs. It was of course in years gone by the last time for planting bare rooted specimens but now with container grown and containerised plants are available all the year round. However there is no doubt that planting at traditional times does mean plants should establish and grow away more quickly than planting out of season when summer planting may mean more watering etc. March is perfect for planting trees and we do have a wide selection of subjects suited to various soils and sites and most importantly plants that will grow only to certain sizes, please choose wisely. Evergreens such as conifers will readily establish if planted in March or April and here it is equally important to check on the ultimate size of the plant before making your purchase. We give a suggested size at 10 years for most subjects.

Another Ashwood plant that rightly is gaining in popularity is our selection of Anemone pavonia, a spring flowering Mediterranean bulbous plant closely related to the more common A. coronaria. We have selected over the years a number of very good forms of A. pavoninas and raised them from seed, each year selecting only the best to breed from and now we have some stunning colours. The plants are proving to be perfectly hardy and are well suited to a well-drained sunny border or raised bed where they quickly form large clumps producing thirty or more flowers from February until late April or early May. They also make ideal pot plants for the alpine house situation. They should be repotted while dormant in summer using any well-drained potting compost. We find they enjoy extra leaf mould and Perlite and when in growth they are very thirsty plants.
 
March and April also sees our Auriculas come into flower and we offer plants of the Alpine section raised from seed, so there is always the opportunity to find some thing a little different. The majority of show auriculas we sell are raised vegetatively, and so are slightly more expensive. In some cases stock plants produce very few cuttings and some named cultivars therefore are always in short supply. We are now producing a number of good lines of Fancy Auriculas from seed as un-named seedlings and are certainly as good as some of the older named Fancies. Auriculas are very hardy but normally we only grow the alpine forms out of doors. The bloom on the foliage of the show sections spoils so these are best grown where the foliage can be kept dry, usually in the alpine greenhouse or coldframe.

Seed sowing should now begin in earnest once you feel able to provide sufficiently high temperatures for seedlings when they need to come out of the propagator. I stress the importance of bringing young seedlings out of the high temperatures of the propagator to avoid etiolation or leggyness.   The other problem often encountered revolves around sowing seeds too thickly.  Sow thinly and grow at the correct temperature for the plant.  Salvias, Geraniums and Impatiens all require temperatures above 15°C (60°f) while Marigolds, Antirrhinums and Asters are all happy providing the temperature is above 13°C (55°f).  Most vegetables are happy being germinated at around 10°C (50°f) and then being grown on as cool as possible. 

This month you should be sowing Impatiens or Busy Lizzie.  The seed of Impatiens is best sown on the surface of your compost and then covered with a thin layer of vermiculite. During the month you should also be sowing the tiny seed of Petunias on the surface of a peat based compost.  In both cases soak in seed trays in shallow trays of water until the surface of the compost changes colour, then allow to drain before placing in a propagator at around 68f.

Begonia and Gladioli corms are often started into growth too early especially where plants are to be used in outside summer displays.  I prefer to encourage Begonia root formation by gently pushing corms into small depressions made in the compost in shallow trays until the edge of the corm is level with the surface of the compost.  Water in and keep in a propagator until new shoots appear.  Grow on cooler for several weeks before potting individually into richer but still peat-based compost.  Only then can you plant up your containers and baskets for placing out of doors when all danger of frost is past.

Gladioli are frequently seen for sale but few of us appreciate the range of species and cultivars and that by planting over several weeks we can have a long display of colour throughout the summer and right into the autumn.  There are several of the nanus types offered for sale that only reach 24” in height and still making good cut flowers.  Others including the butterfly type grow from 24-40” high. Plant over several weeks to ensure a long display in the garden or for cutting. On the Dahlia front we have the best of the old and new, with stocks of Bishop of Llandaff, a dark bronze foliage cultivar with single red flowers. There is a trend to growing the short types as these are well suited to patio and tub work and can very cheaply provide colour over a long season with only a few plants needed for each container.

Towards the end of the month why not sow some Nasturtiums in pots.  These are one of the few plants that seem to be able to thrive in close proximity to privet hedges or conifers.  They thrive on poor soils, pushing their flowers well above the foliage.  The variety Alaska has beautifully marbled foliage and Strawberries and Cream and can be seen on the Thompson & Morgan stand. Their cultivar Jewel of Africa, is a climbing nasturtium with variegated foliage making an attractive colour combination for trellis or over other plants.

If you are looking for an unusual climber to cover a fence or unsightly object quickly then the Eccremocarpus scaber is wonderful, and most seed firms offer this tender perennial. We also used Mina lobata against the pot plant greenhouse last year where it proved a very popular attraction and talking point. Towards the end of this month or early April sow both species to produce good plants for plating out in late May.

March is the month when many gardeners go out for the first time and there are lots of jobs to tackle so here are just a few tips.

Established Camellias can be mulched with cocoa shell or Carr’s Organic Mulch as used here in the nursery show gardens or any other suitable lime-free mulch.  New Camellias can be planted, providing the ground isn’t frozen.  Avoid situations where plants will catch early morning sun which, following any frosts in the spring, could spoil buds and flowers.

Slugs can be a major problem as herbaceous subjects begin to develop shoots.  Consider using slug pellets carefully.  Few people realise that the tiny grey keel slug often burrows into the shoots of your Hostas before these appear above the ground.  So do not wait until the signs of damage - treat now!

The hopeful arrival of slightly warmer weather makes for frantic work by many birds and animals, with home building and feeding young. Few of us realise that many of these creatures rely almost entirely on us and our gardens for their food, especially after the long cold winter. We have a wide range of Bird Foods specifically designed to attract as many species of birds to your garden. Feeding them this spring is going to be essential to their survival.

We also have Squirrel Treats as it is scientifically proven that feeding one male squirrel in your garden will encourage him to become territory dominant keeping away all other squirrels. He in turn becomes so fat and lazy he cannot be bothered to damage your valuable plants and bulbs! Alternatively feed peanuts to your squirrels in our bird proof squirrel feeders well away from your bird feeders and your bulbs.

You will see a number of fine alpine troughs around the Nurseries offered for sale.  Alternatively, you can make up your own by purchasing a suitable evergreen or conifer, some alpines or perhaps some seasonal spring bedding plants and dwarf bulbs.  Autumn planted bedding schemes will require a general fertiliser and the soil surface should be lightly pricked over to admit air to the soil and prevent it going green.

March is the month of the yellows albeit later than normal) with daffodils and forsythias gracing our gardens. Years ago there wee a few but very good reliable cultivars such as Forsythia x intermedia ‘Spectabilis’ with its deep yellow flowers covering older stems and reaching 8ft in height, this along with the cultivar F. x intermedia ‘Lynnwood are the classic larger garden plants. Today we are pleased to able to offer other dwarfer cultivars. These include F. ‘Golden Nugget with large bright golden flowers in March and April, 5-6ft, F. x intermedia ‘Weekend’, 4-5ft, F. intermedia ‘Goldraush’. Two other new cultivars are F. ‘Marele D’Or’ and F. ‘Mele D’Or’. Older overcrowded forsythias can be pruned after flowering by removing up to a quarter of the oldest stems as close to the base of the plant as practical, allowing a full growing season for the stems to mature as flowering is on older wood only.

Two other shrubs worthy of special mention this month are  Prunus incisa ‘Kojo-no-mai’ with pale pink delicate buds opening almost white in spring and followed by brilliant autumn shades of yellow and Prunus nipponica  var. kurilensis ‘Brilliant’ This has an upright habit with loads of pale pink blooms with darker calyces in April (height 4-5ft)

Careful pruning of Lavateras, Fuchsias, Cornus, Buddleias and Salix can be carried out towards the end of the month.  The pruning of evergreens is best left until late March or early April.   Late summer flowering Clematis of the Jackmanii hybrid group can also be pruned as the buds begin to swell by cutting back to only a few inches above the ground.  Wisterias should have the laterals cut back to only 2-4 buds to encourage flowering.  Watch out for birds such as sparrows taking the buds and keep your fingers crossed there isn’t a late frost!

There are large number of gardeners complaining about their lawns this month and while there are a few specific problems like the larvae of the chafer grub  (a little too early to apply Lawn Pest Killer) I believe much of it is down to longer growing seasons generally and a few unusual circumstances. Many of you tell me that the weather has not been right for normal lawn maintenance operations for the last couple of years leading to an accumulation of maintenance problems, in some cases leading to all the grass on the lawn dying.

Lawns will require a light raking to remove debris and mowers should be given a pre-season check over.  Set height of cut to as high as practical.  In most years two or three cuts this month are sufficient but with the extraordinarily slow start to the month it may mean a delay to the start of the mowing season.  The weather over the past few months also means we are inundated with moss in our lawns, especially on heavy soils or those that are poorly drained. Moss can be treated with proprietary moss-killer and from your comments the Scott’s Lawn Builder+Moss-Killer from Scotts is proving very effective (their spreader is pretty darn good too). It is not advisable to apply combined weed and feed lawn treatments until the grass and weeds are growing rapidly. Most years this is early to mid April, but best results are often obtained in late April or May.

There seems to be an ever increasing interest in growing your own vegetables especially potatoes in containers.  We can offer a wide selection of potatoes, suitable containers and appropriate potato fertilisers.  There is definitely an advantage in what is termed chitting your potato tubers before planting them.  This involves setting up the end of the potato tuber with the most eyes up most in a seed tray or egg tray in a well lit a cool position.  This is to encourage the formation of good quality dark green shoots which gives the crop a good start when planted later this month or in early April for the main crop and lates.  If you are planting early varieties it is normal to leave all eyes in tact.  For main crop or late varieties where you wish to have larger potatoes for baking and roasting it is advisable to reduce the number of eyes or shoots to between five and six.  Please remember that vegetables in general can become prone to nutritional and disease problems if grown in the same area year after year, so it is a good practice to rotate your crops including the Bean trench to alleviate problems and improve the soil fertility generally.

Leaf vegetables are becoming increasingly popular as Thomson and Morgan have recently recommended a range of leaf beet, lettuce and salad leaves that can be grown in medium sized pots throughout the year.  This is not only environmentally friendly it also means you pick what you want when you want to use it.

Last year I put together a number of new talks and one that has created considerable interest is the concept of Howard Drury 21st-century pottage style garden.  Here I am recommending the use of relatively small areas, possibly with raised beds in which flowers, fruit and vegetables literally crammed in and the second a crop is harvested young seedlings or plants are immediately used to fill in any gaps. 

The idea of mixing flowers and vegetables together is an interesting one environmentally. Many plants give off a slight scent and when combined with others this scent becomes so confusing that host specific pests who are unable to locate your plants and lay eggs. That means you can literally grow crops without using pesticides.  Classic examples are mixing carrots and onions or growing marigolds between crops. Italian ryegrass and many herbs will give off sufficient scent to deter what are normally troublesome vegetable pests. This seems to be a combination of sensible organic gardening principles and an extension of the Rosemary Verey potager style garden yet combining them with the concept of using raised beds.  This offers a low cultivation system with easy access and adds a third dimension to the landscape of your garden yet providing also healthy food at the same time.

Please do browse carefully our extensive range of vegetable seeds on the racks in the garden shop.  Gone are the days when you would simply grow one crop per year on an extensive vegetable plot or allotments.  Today it is all about inter cropping and maximising the number of crops that you can get from a very small area each year.

There are many new types of vegetables that, possibly because of global warming are very feasible to grow.  There are many forms of Pak Koi along with many other new members of the brassica family that offer exciting alternatives to traditional vegetables. 

You don't even have to have a garden as some companies including Suttons and Thomson and Morgan are now recommended 25 day vegetable crops. Just three day seed sprout crops which have become all the rage recently in London commanding extremely high prices at some of the city's top restaurants.  So why not grow your own. You get the satisfaction of knowing what you have put into growing the crop and the probability that you've grown them entirely organically which according to all the latest news is the best possible way to ensure a long and healthy life - all for the cost of a few packets of seeds.

Over the last few weeks I have seen an unbelievable number of problems on Camellias, Hollies, Citrus and Bay trees.  While the problem is not just limited to these the symptoms are always a black sticky deposit on the upper surface of the leaves.  This is called sooty mould and grows on sugar deposit excreted from insects usually feeding on the underside of the leaves.  In the case of the plants mentioned above the pest involved is usually one of the scale insects.  This is a very difficult pest to control as the adult literally appears to be stuck to the underside of the leaf making it difficult to apply an effective pesticide.  Add to that the fact that eggs can remain dormant on the underside of leaves for weeks or months and are unaffected by pesticides it becomes apparent we have a major problem.

Young scale insects literally walk around your plants, finding suitable places usually against the main veins on the underside of leaves.  These then settle down sticking themselves to the leaves and change to a brownish or cream and green colour depending on the species.  Control is necessary to stop the number of scale insects building up and Bug Free or Bug Clear both mention on the label that they are suitable for controlling the adults.  Spraying the underside of the leaves thoroughly is essential and needs care as you could be spraying towards your face.

Then we have the problem of the sooty mould deposit which needs carefully wiping off with a damp cloth while the leaf is supported with the other hand and I would recommend the use of rubber gloves.  Regrettably this is a fungus growing on a sugary deposit and not on growing plant so our garden fungicides do not work on this black mould.  As a general guide I often find plants that have undergone a check or are struggling in some way such as pot bound or starved are attacked as it is thought they give off a sweeter scent than a healthy growing plant so perhaps it is best to keep your plants in tip top condition and avoid the need for pesticides,the time and patience for wiping leaves clean which otherwise cannot photosynthesise correctly and your plant will decline even further. 

Houseplants are beginning to show signs of growth and watering can be increased.  A little liquid feed can be introduced each week, but I would delay any major re-potting until the end of the month.  Watch the temperature in greenhouses, conservatories and cold frames as this can rocket on sunny days, cooking plants that are only just waking.  Ventilate as necessary.

New in on the bookshelf is the yellow book Guide to Gardens open in England. This is an invaluable annual reference to what gardens are open and when. It also includes other vital information such as telephone numbers, light refreshments and plant stalls etc. at garden open days. The 2010 edition lists 400+ new gardens open for the first time, and costs £8.99. Those of you looking for the 2010 Plant Finder are advised that our first deliveries of this popular plant listing should be in early April.

Looking for present ideas or just nice gifts? You will find lots of inspiring ideas in both the main garden shop and the gift shop, if all else fails why not give a garden token which we will happily supply complete with card and envelope.

The Nurseries are open  (from 1st March until further notice) Mon –Fri 8.30am – 5.30pm, Saturdays 9.00am to 6pm and Sundays 9.30 - 6.00 pm. Howard Drury is on hand most Sundays (All day) for Advice (Please check the notices on display at Information Desk in Main Shop or phone first if in doubt)  
Howard Drury - Editor