John’s Garden: National Garden Scheme presentation

John (centre) with National Garden Scheme County Organisers John and Sue Weston

John’s Garden at Ashwood Nurseries is celebrating ten years of opening for the National Garden Scheme.  This was marked with a special presentation on our NGS Open Day in April, when we were delighted to welcome John and Sue Weston, the County Organisers for Staffordshire, Birmingham and West Midlands.

The engraved trowel presented to John

John and Sue presented nursery owner John Massey with an engraved trowel and thanked him for his generous contribution to the NGS charity, which supports so many worthwhile nursing charities.

Over the past ten years, John’s Garden has raised over £26,000 for the National Garden Scheme.  During that time, the garden has raised an additional £228,000 for Ashwood’s Charity of the Year, (this year it’s The Brain Tumour Charity), making a combined total of charitable donations in excess of £250,0000.

About John’s Garden

John’s Garden is regarded as one of the finest private gardens in the UK. It’s a three acre garden created by nursery owner and Chelsea Gold medallist John Massey VMH.

A colourful Autumn border is one of many new projects in John’s Garden

Informal borders, island beds, woodland dells and wildlife meadow are set against the beautiful backdrop of the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal.

This is a garden for all seasons with magnificent collections of trees, shrubs, conifers, herbaceous perennials, bulbs and grasses adding to the interest all year round. It is truly a ‘plantsman’s garden‘ that has an abundance of rare plants as well as many familiar favourites.

John’s Garden opens for charity on selected dates throughout the year. Group visits can also be arranged.

New developments

The garden is constantly evolving, with its most recent addition being a spectacular Autumn border brimming with nerines, hesperantha, colchicums and grasses.  An extensive new area called Adam’s Garden, in memory of John’s former head gardener Adam Greathead, is also undergoing a transformation with bold planting of trees, conifers and a fine collection of Cornus kousa.

Carol Klein in the garden with John

A new greenhouse, home to seasonal displays of tender plants, succulents and a nerine collection, will provide a backdrop to a Mediterranean border that is currently under construction.

John’s Garden: subject of new TV series

John’s Garden is to be the subject of an upcoming TV Gardening Series ‘Great British Gardens’ with Carol Klein. This prestigious new series, due to be screened in late Spring, takes us on ‘a guided tour, throughout the seasons, of four of the most beautiful and important gardens in Britain.’