Knowledge Base

Time for something a little more unusual. It’s always good to occasionally step out of our comfort zone, and try and push the boundaries of what we think possible. Sure, there may be failures along … read more

Maiden:A one year old tree - normally a straight stick approx. 90-100cm tall. This is the basic building block, suitable for growing on into a wide range of shapes and sizes (depending on the rootstoc … read more

Damsons, and their close relative, the little known bullace, are a godsend to the gardener who wants to grow fruit in an unfavourable location. Live in a cold area - no problem, these trees are bone … read more

Browse through our website and there is a bewildering choice on offer. There are over 5,000 named varieties of apple recorded in the UK, and although the vast majority are not available commercially … read more

If you were asked to name 5 varieties of cooking apple, the chances are that you would come up with ‘Bramley’ straight away... and then possibly struggle. However if you asked the same question a hu … read more

For many of us who strive to ‘grow our own’, the beauty of a plant often takes a back seat to usefulness. We care less about what a tree looks like, instead obsessing over flavour, cooking qualities … read more

In the first part – Beginner's Guide - Part 1 - we looked at how or choose the right fruit for you, and also had a look at pollination groups. Now we delve a little deeper into the knowledge yo … read more

For many people, their working life has been substantially altered in the past few years and the large increase in people working from home has led to many reconnecting with their gardens and outsi … read more

This summer has been a scorcher. Every day seems to be picture postcard weather, sun streaming down from endless blue skies. Fantastic news if you own a deckchair franchise at Bridlington, perhaps, … read more

Blackcurrants are a quintessential part of any soft fruit garden. My favourite time on the nursery is in the last weeks of June and early July when the potted blackcurrant bushes are smothered with … read more

You probably envisage a bucolic scene of rolling pasture, with rows of huge Bramley apple trees dripping with fruit. Or perhaps part of a country estate, ancient trees pruned by generations of Head … read more

Packaging:We pride ourselves on the quality of our packing. Our dedicating packing team have many years of experience, to ensure that your order arrives in good condition. We normally pack with straw … read more

Rose pruning can cause confusion - the pruning varies according to the time of year and the type of rose. There are some general guidelines which are quite easy to follow and will make sure your roses … read more

‘Replant disease’ refers to the problem of re-establishing plants in soil where the same species has previously grown. Roses are perhaps the most commonly known example, but there are many species … read more

Background: Our summer crop of potted roses has been grown by us for the past 2 years by our skilled nurserymen here in Pickering. The roses have then been lifted from our fields during the winter a … read more

Let’s start with some background. Did you know that strawberries aren’t actually berries? From a strictly botanical point of view, they are actually classed as ‘aggregate accessory fruit’ – which do … read more