John Massey is a nurseryman, plant breeder, plant collector and, above all, a passionate gardener. He acquired Ashwood Nurseries as a teenager in 1967, straight from school and with no formal training in horticulture. He has a love of plants that began as a child growing up in the Black Country and he was encouraged by his grandfather who taught him the principles of gardening.

Percy Picton of Old Court Nurseries, Malvern, was a good friend and mentor, and it was thanks to his influence that John started to collect lewisias and cyclamen.

Realising the potential of hellebores as another speciality crop, John was fortunate to have two talented growers at Ashwood: Kevin Belcher and his assistant Jill Pearce who became responsible for carrying out an intensive breeding programme. Their Helleborus x hybridus Ashwood Garden Hybrids are now widely regarded as the best strain of hellebores ever produced, winning international acclaim and collected and grown by gardeners worldwide.

John is also one of the UK’s leading experts on hepaticas: he has his own private plant collection and has travelled to Kyrgyzistan, China, Japan, Korea, U.S.A. and Europe to see them in the wild. Since then more speciality crops have been developed, notably salvias and hydrangeas.

It was perhaps inevitable that, with his wide-ranging zeal for plants, John would one day find time to create his own private garden at his home, tucked behind the nursery. Again he found inspiration from two great friends, the charismatic Christopher Lloyd of Great Dixter and Princess Sturdza, the formidable creator of a brilliant French garden, Le Vasterival and their influences are evident throughout the garden.

John’s garden has now become his sanctuary, as well as a trial ground for his many plant passions. He firmly believes that a garden should be “somewhere you want to go every day of the year,” and he doesn’t subscribe to the idea of putting the garden to bed for winter. John’s Garden is open on selected dates throughout the year with all proceeds going to charity.

In 2003 John was presented with the Veitch Medal for his contribution to the advancement and practice of the science of horticulture. In 2008, he was honoured with the MBE for his services to charity and in 2010 The Royal Horticultural Society presented him with the Victoria Medal of Honour, the highest honour they can bestow, in recognition of his outstanding services to horticulture. In 2014 he was thrilled to receive the Kath Dryden Award from the Alpine Garden Society for his work with hepaticas.  John is also a long -serving member of The RHS Woody Plant Committee.

https://ashwoodnurseries.com