I was wondering if I could recycle the ashes from my fireplace, in the garden, perhaps.

If they are just wood ashes, no problem. I believe the history books report cutting and burning trees just for the ashes as fertilizer.

If you are burning other materials or adding chemicals for color, I would give the labels a good look.

I have always dumped our fire place ashes in the garden.

Below is an article from the following link which you might also find to be helpful. http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortn...5/woodash.html

Wood Ashes on the Garden

After a few cold winter months of snuggling up in front a warm fire, your fireplace or wood burning stove may be full of wood ashes. An average cord of wood, depending on the type of wood, may yield nearly 20 pounds of ashes or the equivalent of one five-gallon pail. If you burn wood frequently throughout the winter, a lot of ashes will accumulate. Spreading the ashes over your lawn and garden may or may not be the best means of disposal. Wood ash is somewhat beneficial to the soil because it contains essential plant nutrients. Depending on the type of wood, the ash may contain five to eight percent potash, one percent phosphate and trace amounts of micro-nutrients such as iron, manganese, boron, copper and zinc.

On the other hand, wood ash may be detrimental to some soils because of its effect on the soil chemistry. When applied to the soil, it acts much like limestone by raising the pH or alkalinity of the soil. Unlike limestone, however, wood ash has high water solubility and works more quickly to change the soil pH. This may cause a problem in many Iowa gardens that tend to have a naturally high soil pH. Wood ashes should not be applied around acid-loving plants, such as azaleas, rhododendrons, and blueberries. Although a soil test is the best way to determine whether it is advisable to apply wood ashes to garden soil, an annual application of no more than 20 pounds sprinkled over 1,000 square feet of the lawn or garden in the winter or early spring should be safe to turf and garden plants. Avoid applying wood ashes if a soil test reveals a pH above 7.0. Soil testing information and a soil sample information sheet for horticulture crops (PDF) can be downloaded.

Most soils are too acid, hence the common addition of lime.

Yes it can be beneficial.

To add to the question:
My friend said he buried his ashes and 5 years later, when he happened to dig in that spot, they still had not broken down. Isn't the idea of compost the exact opposite? Isn't compost organic waste broken down into a rich soil? So, if this doesn't break down, how would this be helpful? What if I just poured it on top of the areas where I don't want anything to grow? Or maybe that should be some other material?
What about the soil of Southern California? Is the pH generally higher or lower? I know there is a lot of clay in our soil so weeds seem to grow best here. ;-)
Sorry for getting more complicated but I want to get it right.

To add to the question:
My friend said he buried his ashes and 5 years later, when he happened to dig in that spot, they still had not broken down. Isn't the idea of compost the exact opposite? Isn't compost organic waste broken down into a rich soil? So, if this doesn't break down, how would this be helpful? What if I just poured it on top of the areas where I don't want anything to grow? Or maybe that should be some other material?
What about the soil of Southern California? Is the pH generally higher or lower? I know there is a lot of clay in our soil so weeds seem to grow best here. ;-)
Sorry for getting more complicated but I want to get it right.