By Liz NicholsonChildhood memories of dens, treehouses and shepherd’s huts set the scene for often chasing the “home beyond the house walls”.In my case, the shepherd’s hut was the real deal, abandoned in a leafy beech woodland on a bucolic Cotswold estate. The shepherd’s hut of my childhood was scarce in its furnishings, bare in Read more »
On the 27th July 2023 DEFRA announced the indicative prices for statutory biodiversity credits: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/statutory-biodiversity-credit-prices#area-habitats Where biodiversity net gain credits are not able to be balanced on site, or off-set within land held by the developer, credits may be purchased from DEFRA’s “credit sales service” at a ratio of 2 credits per 1 biodiversity unit Read more »
“We are delighted to announce that John Lockhart has been granted approved assessor status for Building with Nature (BwN). Building with Nature is the UK’s first accreditation scheme that provides a robust benchmark for green infrastructure. The scheme is now becoming widely recognised and valued. It involves an independent evaluation against 12 identified standards, Read more »
Transport remains the largest emitting sector in the UK, responsible for 34% of carbon emissions in 2022 (Department for Energy Security & Net Zero, 2022). The rise in electric vehicles is a positive step towards a cleaner transport sector; Nicholsons has so far purchased 7 electric vehicles and has ambitions to expand this further. Read more »
By Oliver Ong The arrival of August means that we are firmly in school summer holiday season, which brings with it an excellent opportunity for families to come together and enjoy the outdoors. This week’s blog presents a selection of fun activities to entertain you and your family throughout the holidays. From outdoor pursuits Read more »
For the last year Nicholsons has been dedicated to achieving the prestigious Investors in People Gold Accreditation, demonstrating our commitment to excellence. We are proud to announce that our hard work has paid off, and we have been awarded the esteemed Gold Accreditation. Being a Read more »
Article prepared by Sam Hargreaves, Arboricultural Services Manager The hottest June weather on record will not have been so welcome to our teams on the tools, in particular the guys and gals suiting up in chainsaw trousers, boots and helmets to undertake the strenuous work arboriculture requires of them. But Read more »
Article prepared by: Rachel Crapper Scientific name: Meles meles The European Badger, is an unmistakable species, with a black and white striped head, white tipped ears, a stocky grey body and a short, fluffy tail. Night Walkers Badgers are nocturnal mammals, emerging from their burrows called “setts” at Read more »
Background On the back of commitments set out in their 25-year Environment Plan 'A Green Future: Our 25 Year Plan to Improve the Environment' and its consultation on net gain, the government is now taking forward a legal framework for the delivery of mandatory biodiversity net gain through the Environment Act 2021. It Read more »
By Ruby Simpson June is here! And because we have all been busy celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, I thought why not go for a red(ish), white and blue(ish) theme? I have included some Roses in the mix, as June is the month of the Rose. Not only that, but it’s the 60th Anniversary Read more »
By Steve Malsher I consider myself extremely lucky in the work that I do. Working in not only beautiful gardens, but in a beautiful part of the world, The North Cotswolds, Oxford and South Northamptonshire. Simply driving from once place to another can open up vistas that could grace the cover of any landscape Read more »
By Liz Nicholson The nettle we’re used to in the UK is Urtica dioica, a perennial plant full of iron, calcium, magnesium and nitrogen, which makes it incredibly nutritious for humans. I think the term “grows like a weed” refers to nettles which start as innocent little clumps of green in late April and gallop Read more »
By Katie Stevens Spring is blooming, butterflies are fluttering by, and trees are waking up after their long slumber. So why am I talking about woodland planting in winter already? Last May, the Forestry Commission rolled out their new and improved tree planting scheme: England Woodland Creation Offer, or EWCO for short. Open to Read more »
Perhaps one of the most prestigious events in British society, the world-famous Flower Show will be returning in September 2021 following an 18-month hiatus due to the global COVID-19 crisis. Our stand can be found on Main Avenue, the garden designed by Nicholsons working with Savills, the revered luxury real estate provider. The concept Read more »
By Iona Milne Home A sculpture in the garden can add an extra layer of interest in many different ways. It can serve as a focal point, as a destination, or as a visual surprise to be discovered amongst greenery. It can be traditional in style, or contemporary, light or dark, complementary or contrasting. Read more »
By Iona Milne Home Benedict Pollard is a supplier of ‘oaklings’ grown from ancient, veteran or characterful oaks, and for the last 2 years, some 250 of his oak saplings have been growing here at Nicholsons nursery. There are two native oak species in the UK - Quercus robur (Common/Pedunculate/’English’ Oak) and Quercus petraea (Sessile Read more »
Dated: 30th June 2021 At Nicholsons we are very fortunate in that we have been able to continue our core business throughout the pandemic but, like everyone, we have also had time to reflect and reconsider our purpose. Our company ambition is clear – to plant trees at scale to mitigate Climate Change Read more »
At Nicholsons, we have been aspiring to reach peat-free production for more than a decade and have been in awe of institutions like the National Trust who have insisted on peat-free supply for many years. Research by DEFRA in 2018/19 showed that across the UK on average, plant nurseries have only reduced peat usage Read more »
