By Libby Reeves The weather seems to have taken a turn for the better as I sit in beautiful sunshine, not wearing a coat for the first time this year, with a smile on my face. The daffodils are popping, the snowdrops are in full bloom, the early flowering trees are budding up ready Read more »
By Ruby Simpson The key to a successful plant palette – one that delivers interest in all seasons but has high impact in the summer, when you will be spending most time in the garden – is planning. If you buy one or two plants each time you pop to the local garden centre Read more »
By Lorraine Spooner It is amazing how our human minds work. Our memories can be sparked by little things that trigger our childhood past, evoke a special moment in our lives and transport us back in time, through sensory perception of sight, smell or touch. Using my Nicholsons’ colleagues as Read more »
By Lorraine Spooner In Part 1 of this blog last week, I looked at pleached screens in various species as an ‘instant impact’ solution. In Part 2, I am focussing on standard ornamental trees for screening different parts of your garden, whether it is a boundary between neighbours to create more Read more »
By Lorraine Spooner This week we are looking at options for screening trees for urban planting, focussing on pleached screens. This is a two-part blog, Part 2 next week, will detail options for screening with standard ornamental trees. Careful research into choice of species is important when selecting plants for this Read more »
By Annie Buckle There are many factors damaging global ecosystems, including climate change, pollution, and habitat loss. One factor that has been occurring for hundreds of years is the threat of invasive species, so with numbers of these threats rising swiftly, this year Nicholsons are taking a new stand. History is riddled with examples Read more »
By Will Beament Looking for some fresh inspiration? Yearning to become a more responsible gardener? Here are 5 inspiring spaces that break the norm and help motivate you to bring life to your own landscape. 1. Chimney Meadows - Wildflower meadow Ecology is undoubtedly the soul of a Read more »
By Freddie Gibbs ‘Natural capital can be defined as the world’s stocks of natural assets which include geology, soil, air, water and all living things.’ When looking on a smaller scale, such as your garden, how specifically does this relate? Most gardens contain at least three of these elements and therefore almost all gardens Read more »
By Lorraine Spooner With the winter season offering the perfect opportunity to re-assess your garden without spring and summer foliage, I discussed last week how fruit trees can be used to create interesting structure in a garden setting. In part 1, which you can read here, archways and the different use of trained forms Read more »
By Liz Nicholson Imagine a world without the inspiration of RHS shows to our gardening nation? 2020 helped us along in these sad imaginings when all RHS events were called off – in the case of the Chelsea Flower Show, for the first time since the Second World War. For those of us in Read more »
By Tina James When I design gardens, no matter the size of the space, I like to create paths and routes around the landscape. There is something magical about walking around the garden and seeing the evolution over different days and seasons. No two days are the same and with good design, there is Read more »
By Lorraine Spooner Winter is the perfect season to re-assess the garden when the bare bones of its structure are revealed, without spring or summer enhancement in the form of foliage and flowers. The tracery of beautiful branches is silhouetted against the winter sun and the still, frosty atmosphere brings an ethereal quality to Read more »
By Ruby Simpson I love my garden. It is my own peaceful little nature-haven where I can relax, unwind and enjoy being outdoors with wildlife – whether that’s lying around, soaking up the sun and listening to the birds, or getting muddy in the borders planting bulbs and churning up worms for the visiting Read more »
By Stephen Melhuish Yew (Taxus baccata) is a plant chosen by many to use as hedging for its dark clipped appearance, creating a formal structural element within any garden space. It's certainly something that we would all love to grow healthily and remain a rich green throughout each season. The truth about its appearance Read more »
By Steve Malsher December is in full swing and, as many of you know, the 1st was the start of metrological winter. Our second ‘Lockdown’ has finished, just in time for shorter, colder days, producing frosty and foggy mornings. The gardens are looking a little bit sad. A friend, whom I advise on gardening Read more »
By Annie Buckle You can forget the wide plains of Africa and you can keep your tropical jungle paradise. By stepping outside your door, you could find yourself in a world full of the most bizarre and extraordinary creatures to have ever roamed the planet, if you just adjust your eyes. Read more »
By Steve Malsher To mulch or not to mulch? That is the question. Us gardeners fight a constant battle against the slings and arrows of outrageous weeds and dried out flower beds. The answer to this natural onslaught lies, quite literally, in the garden itself. Leaves can be a gardener's most useful resource when Read more »
l By Steve Malsher You can never be too prepared, so why not spend some time this autumn thinking about what you want your garden to look like next year? In my last blog, I talked about early to mid-spring bulbs, and this time I would like to share some of my favourites for Read more »
