Group Visits
We welcome pre-booked groups and offer a range of options, including John’s Garden Tours, Hellebore Tours, Combined Garden and Hellebore Tours, as well as Tea Room visits.
We advise allowing plenty of time to browse through our plant sales areas, greenhouses and nursery gardens, as well as the garden shop and our high-quality gift shop. Our tea room serves tea, coffee and delicious lunches, snacks and home-made cakes, all freshly prepared on the premises…everything, in fact, to make a perfect day out.
A tour of John’s Garden, the wonderful 8-acre private garden, created by nursery owner John Massey VMH, includes informal borders, island beds and woodland dells. Set against the beautiful backdrop of the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal, it is planted with an abundance of rare plants as well as many familiar favourites. This really is ‘a garden for all seasons’: you can visit at any time of the year and there will always be plenty of interest.
OPTION 1: Self-guided garden tour with a short introductory talk
This is our most popular option, a relaxing and sociable ‘self-guided’ tour. There will be a brief introductory talk, then you are free to explore the garden at your own pace. Gardeners working in the garden will be on hand to answer any questions.
- Minimum group size: 25 people
- Duration: one hour minimum
- Cost: £10.00 per head.
- Available all year round (not Sundays)
- Enquiries are welcome for smaller groups (minimum 12 people) in ‘off-peak’ months (April, August, September, October & November).
OPTION 2: Fully-escorted garden tour
With a member of the Ashwood gardening team to escort you, this tour takes a fascinating in-depth look at the garden and is aimed at the very keen gardener.
- Minimum group size: 25 people
- Duration: approximately one hour 30 minutes
- Cost: £12.50 per head
- Available all year round (not Sundays)
OPTION 3: Saturday Open Day visit
This is a self-guided visit for groups of any size on the garden’s public open days.
- Duration: approximately one hour 30 minutes
- Cost: £8.00 per head
- Available February to mid-December
This is an escorted tour which includes a rare and unique opportunity to ‘go behind the scenes’ to view the Hellebore Production House where we grow Ashwood’s award-winning hellebores…it really is a fascinating insight into our world renowned breeding programme. At the end of the tour there will be the opportunity to purchase specially selected hellebore plants that are exclusive to the tour (subject to availability) as well as a hand-picked selection of plants and bulbs for winter interest. Our inspirational Winter in Bloom displays on the garden centre are also worth visiting at no extra cost.
- Cost: £8.00 per person
- Minimum group size: 15 people
- Duration: one hour (including browsing time in the Hellebore Production House)
A fully escorted hellebore tour as described above, with a self-guided tour of John’s Garden included. John’s Garden is the wonderful 8-acre private garden, created by nursery owner John Massey VMH, and includes informal borders, island beds and woodland dells. Set against the beautiful backdrop of the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal, it is stunning in Winter with drifts of hellebores, snowdrops, winter aconites and cyclamen carpeting the ground. You will be given a short introductory talk about the garden, then you are free to explore the garden at your own pace. Gardeners working in the garden will be on hand to answer any questions.
- Cost: £18.00 per person
- Minimum group size: 15 people
- Duration: hellebore tour: one hour (including browsing time in the Hellebore Production House) | garden tour: one hour
Our Tea Room is warm and welcoming with beautiful garden views. It’s cosy and warm on chilly days and in summer you can relax in the sunshine on the terrace. Tea, coffee and delicious lunches, snacks and home-made cakes are served, all freshly prepared on the premises.
Please note: a group visit to the Tea Room must be by appointment only. We regret that it’s not possible to reserve tables and we request that members of the same group stagger their visits to the Tea Room to avoid long queues.
You will be free to browse through our beautiful plant sales areas and greenhouses as well as the garden shop, silk flower shop and our high quality gift shop. You can also wander through our stunning nursery borders or you can just sit and relax on the terrace with its wonderful views of the pool and garden.
- Cost: free of charge
- Duration: minimum two hours
Booking well in advance is essential. Please telephone 01384 401996 or email [email protected] with the following information: possible dates, likely numbers of people, your choice of tour, and whether your group will be arriving by coach, minibus, or car. We will also need to know whether you wish to use the tea room.
Once we have agreed on a provisional date for your visit, we will send you a Group Visits Booking Form. Please fill this in and return it to us, either by email or by post within 14 days.
Minimum payment is required by cheque 14 days prior to your visit with the balance payable on the day. Cheques to be made payable to Ashwood Nurseries Ltd.
You may also like to read our full access statement.