By Katie Stevens Welcome to a new Forestry Wisdom blog series called 'Forest Tree'. Each blog will focus on a productive tree species that is commercially managed and grown in the UK. This simply means that the main objective for the woodland is to grow and manage trees to a good enough size and Read more »
By Charlotte Harris Growing in popularity and recognition, English wines have been going from strength to strength, often beating champagne in tastings and competitions. Due to long growing seasons, high rainfall and mild climates, vines thrive on our chalky, sandy soils in locations such as Sussex and Hampshire. The Yurt team are proud to Read more »
The Oxfordshire Treescape Project is a small, collaborative project set up in 2019 in response to concerns about how to balance the UK government’s ambitious tree planting targets with both sustainable food production and the need to protect and restore the natural environment. We are run by the charity GrowGreenCarbon in collaboration with University Read more »
By Charlotte Harris Eating in tandem with the seasons and utilising produce in its prime has long been encouraged as a means of reducing food miles and unnecessary plastic when storing fresh produce. Not to mention, ingredients which are enjoyed closer to their harvest will be higher in nutrients and fuller in flavour. The Read more »
How forestry research and practices are developing and adapting in the face of future climatic pressures Article prepared by Harry Poole, Graduate Woodland Manager With the list of challenges and threats to effective woodland management growing seemingly larger every year, driven by anthropogenic climate change, it is becoming apparent that Read more »
By Ruby Simpson We all share the idealistic notion of sitting in the garden, gazing at the delightfully perfect planting and taking a moment away from the madness of daily life to relax and appreciate the beautiful outdoors. In reality, I find that if I ever have a spare moment to sit down in Read more »
By Libby Reeves It's a fresh, September morning and I find myself enjoying a bike ride to exploit some of the fine weather before the cold and the dark set in. This blog is an account of what horticultural pleasures I come across along the way, hoping that you might find something useful for Read more »
By Mark Nathanson “The tree we want to plant today, for tomorrow, should have been planted yesterday.” In the winter planting season of 2021/2022, Nicholsons Forestry department and its contractors planted approximately 382,000 bare root trees across 88 sites. This how-to guide offers some of the best practice employed by Nicholson’s Forestry Operatives. When to Read more »
By Libby Reeves Here in Oxfordshire, we are surrounded by areas of historic limestone. The Cotswolds are on oolitic limestone; the Chilterns and North Wessex Downs (including White Horse Hill) are on chalk. This has wide implications for the native flora that grows in these areas and, ultimately, the plants in our gardens. Limestone Read more »
Whether you have a windowsill, courtyard garden, vegetable plot or regularly glean a glut of produce from an established kitchen garden of your own, National Allotment Week is the perfect opportunity to raise awareness of the benefits of homegrown produce. Kitchen Gardens have become increasingly popular over recent years and on reflection, there are a Read more »
Our lovely team celebrate entry into the Michelin Guide for Great Britain & Ireland. The Yurt at Nicholsons are delighted to announce that we have been selected for the Michelin Guide for Great Britain & Ireland. A huge amount of effort goes into providing delicious food and innovative menus, whilst operating as sustainably as possible. Read more »
By Nadia Cheddi (Lighting Designer) In recent years, garden lighting has become a very popular trend. Whether it is uplighting huge feature trees to give structure and height, or downlighting the façade of house, more and more people are wanting to venture into the world of garden lighting. However, we need to make sure Read more »
By Wil Heeney Often when people talk about wildlife gardening, they conjure up images of gardens left to grow into backyard jungles. However, improving our back gardens for wildlife doesn’t have to mean carrying out your own re-wildling experiment. Even the slightest changes in the smallest spaces can promote native biodiversity. Below are two 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 Victoria Sherbourne Synonymous with freshly cut grass, blooming flowers and blossoming trees is the Chelsea Flower Show. This year, we are thrilled to be returning to the Show to build a considered and captivating garden named, “Connected by EXANTE,” for Finnish designer, Taina Suonio. Our passion is to lead on sustainability, not only 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 »
