Pruning Day with John Massey and his Head Gardener Nigel Hopes
An exciting opportunity to join nursery owner John Massey and head gardener Nigel Hopes for a garden walk in the morning, with the focus on some of the pruning techniques used in John’s Garden, followed by a practical demonstration in the afternoon.
John is an exponent of transparency pruning, also known as French pruning, having learned the skill from the late Princess Greta Sturdza, whose Normandy garden, le Vasterival, is renowned amongst gardening enthusiasts.
Transparency pruning of ornamental trees, shrubs and conifers involves thinning out the branches and lifting the canopy, to produce an open, balanced, light and airy effect, enhancing both the plant’s natural attributes as well as creating vistas through the garden. Most important of all, this pruning technique broadens the scope for planting underneath the plant’s canopy. It’s a skill that is easily learnt and can be applied to everyone’s garden.
Morning garden walk:
- 10.15am: Please meet at the Oss Box by the Main Car Park for complimentary coffee and biscuits. A member of the Ashwood team will welcome you (your name will be on our guest list).
- 10.45am: A garden walk with John and Nigel with the focus on pruning techniques and transparency.
- 12.30pm-2pm. Lunch break.
Gardeners’ Lunch we would like to invite you to join us for lunch with John and the gardens team during our Pruning Day in our events tunnel. We are offering a light lunch freshly prepared by our Tea Room catering team.
We will be serving homemade seasonal vegetable soup served with a filled roll (cheese, cheese and onion, cheese and tomato, ham or ham and tomato), a bag of hand cooked crisps, cake and a drink of your choice.
(Please let us know at time of booking if you would prefer to opt out of lunch)
Afternoon demonstration:
- 2pm-3.30pm. A practical demonstration in the garden.
Essential Information
- Tuesday 22nd September
- Cost: £55.00 (with gardeners’ lunch) sold out
- Essential to pre-book your place
- Telephone Booking (01384 401996) or in person in The Garden Shop
Additional Information
- This is an outdoor event so please come dressed with sensible sturdy footwear, a warm waterproof coat and hat/gloves.
- There will be plenty of time to visit our plant sales area, greenhouses and shops.
- Don’t miss our Bulb Spectacular in the Garden Shop.
About John's Garden
John’s Garden’ is a wonderful eight-acre private garden created by nursery owner John Massey VMH. Informal borders, island beds and woodland dells set against the beautiful backdrop of the Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal.
Autumn in John’s Garden brings some fine displays of spectacular foliage colour, late-flowering herbaceous perennials and Autumn bulbs. The grass border is at its peak, shimmering in the soft sunlight and spangled with echinacea and Michaelmas daisies while the many cultivars of Hydrangea paniculata have taken on their beautiful burnished hues. There are carpets of cyclamen and colchicums, malus trees laden with crab apples and the fiery hues of liquidambar, euonymus and acers.