I have known Nicholsons all my life, having grown up in the area in local villages with my parents still down the road. I started at Nicholsons back in the summer of 2016 on a placement year during my degree in Product Design at the University of Bournemouth. Our Managing Director, Liz, was brave [...]

It's nearly a year since we lost my father-in-law, Roderick Nicholson, founder of Nicholsons. He may not be with us any longer but he left a wealth of ‘Roderickisms’; concepts, ideas, snippets of poetry and in the absence of recalling exactly who had created them, he would often adopt them as his own with [...]

As gardeners, we are veterans of the biosecurity threat with more emerging pests and diseases arriving on our shores as each month passes. Last year, Dr Nicola Spence, the Chief Plant Health Officer, delivered a lecture at the Forestry Conference outlining the pests and diseases arriving in Britain to infect our native species. She [...]

Due to their increasing popularity, greenhouse selection has been a frequent topic of conversation amongst the Nicholsons designers recently.  These decorative and practical features enable gardeners to establish productive crops and ornamental plants, regardless of the weather or growing region. Trend-setting glasshouse restaurants have increased the popularity of greenhouses to expand people’s homes, becoming [...]

As well as our collaborations with DEFRA and the RHS, we were recognised as Sustainable Landscape Architects Practice of the Year in the Pro Landscaper awards. We planted 8,000 trees in the Mara region of Kenya and developed 2 forest school gardens back at home working with the Berkeley Reafforestation Trust. By supporting Nicholsons, [...]

During my recent search for a new home, I always found myself frantically scrolling through property descriptions to discover the all-important and often neglected information on the garden. And yet, it is not just me who is more focussed on the garden than the house. A 2020 study from Rightmove revealed that homes advertised [...]

Compost.  It is sold in every garden centre, supermarket, and hardware shop. We are encouraged to create our own with our food waste, garden cuttings and various modern plastic alternatives; but what is it and how can we be using it to maximise our gardens, as well as our sustainability efforts? The purpose of [...]

The cohesion between a home’s exterior and interior design is paramount for creating a harmonious living space. A seamless transition from outside to inside enhances the overall aesthetic appeal and creates a unified and inviting atmosphere. When the exterior aligns with the architecture of the house, it establishes a visual narrative that reflects the [...]

An insight into some of the brilliant seed heads you can be looking out for in your garden this winter.  Just when you think the bright days spent admiring your garden are over and the winter has set in, an overnight frost will cover your outdoor space in a glistening white blanket and reveal [...]

Advice on how to achieve your ideal cottage garden from the Nicholsons Garden Design Studio. A cottage garden encapsulates our most romantic notions of English country gardens of the past: a winding gravel path through a colourful tapestry of flowers; a vegetable garden that promises to keep you busy in the kitchen or a [...]

By Jo Alderton Whilst summer is often the ‘busy’ season for ecologists, with lots of early mornings and late night surveys, the wonder of nature doesn’t stop as we come into the autumn months.  This time of year can be incredibly important for a variety of species as they prepare for the colder [...]

By Sam Halliday Sam decided to pursue his passion for landscape and the natural environment after beginning his career in architecture. Sam now works as a landscape designer for Nicholsons, offering a diverse and detailed skillset to our design team. Typically found in grand country estates, follies were typically built for fun - [...]

By Jared Hutchings First and foremost, before cutting long grass, make sure there is no sign of sheltering wildlife. For example, reptiles, amphibians and mammals may hide out of site, even in small areas.  Should you encounter any wildlife, walk through the area, making lots of noise and allow animals the opportunity to get [...]