For novice gardeners considering having a go at growing their own plants, Zora says you should just “Go for it! Growing from seed is the cheapest way to begin, and there are many seeds you can sow straight into your flower beds with no need to worry about propagators and pricking out if you don't have room indoors or time.”
Zora suggests planting the following flowers from April: “Sweet peas, Calendula, Nigella, poppies and cornflowers are hardy annuals that can be sown directly into flower beds now and thin them out once they are big enough to handle, while sunflowers can start to be sown indoors now and planted outside after the frost risk passes
The gardener warns there are a number of veg to avoid sowing too soon, especially with expected frost. “You need to avoid planting tomatoes, cucumbers, courgettes, pumpkins, and squash right now, as they are all frost-tender. Directly sowing these veg outdoors in April will likely result in failed germination or stunted growth.
“The same can be said for half-hardy or tender annuals like nasturtiums, zinnias and my personal favourite, cosmos. These can be started indoors now, or wait until after the last frost to sow them directly into flower beds or planters. All seed packets come with instructions so you can’t go wrong.”
The safest veg to grow right now, according to Zora:
- Carrots and parsnips: “Sow seeds directly into well-drained soil; they prefer cool weather and can handle some frost and benefit from the longer growing season”
- Beetroot: “Sow these directly outside as they germinate well as temperatures rise.”
- Spinach: “This likes cooler conditions but will fail if planted too late.”
- Peas and broad beans: “Peas and beans are hardy enough for early outdoor sowing, and this helps avoid pea moth later in the season.”
Managing pests
As a RHS Partner Garden, Zora says that following RHS guidance on weed and pest control means that striving for perfection across the 190 acres site is hard to achieve, but manageable when working with nature rather than against it. Sustainability and increasing biodiversity is at the heart of how Zora and the team manage the garden’s pests.
“We use very little in the way of herbicides and pesticides. This does mean that we have a few weeds in some places and some of our plants have been feasted on by bugs, but working with nature rather than attempting to control it is so important.
“There are a number of natural ways to deal with garden pests, used coffee grounds and eggshells are the ones that get the most airtime,” says Zora. “Slugs and ants hate them, so it’s great for small gardens. Copper tape or beer traps are also worth a go - great for home gardens, but for large gardens like ours, we have to think bigger! We use nematodes to control the slugs in our veg and herb beds.
“We have a significant amount of box hedging and so the box tree caterpillar is a real worry. We now use synthetic pheromones to manage the risk of them destroying our plants, and it's working really well. Basically the pheromones mimic the scent of potential mates for the moths so that they get so overwhelmed by the thought of the opportunities to mate that they don't do anything to the plants.
“Certain flowers are naturally pest-repelling too,” says Zora. “Growing these around garden beds or borders can help to keep pests away organically. Lavender will repel mosquitoes and flies while marigolds will take care of whiteflies and aphids.
“Herbs are great natural repellants too. Basil, mint, rosemary, thyme and garlic will all help to keep pesky bugs off your garden.”
“When it comes to weeds, hoeing is something we find we are doing more and more to control those growing both in the gravel paths as well as the flower bed. It is so much better for the environment than spraying weed killers.”
For more information on Ashridge House and Gardens, please visit: https://www.ashridgehouse.org.uk/visit-us/gardens/