When it is OK to bury plastic!

Faced with a structural problem of adding top soils behind a dry stone retaining wall – we were advised by our structural engineers ( Brenda Marsh at Hannah Reid ) to build up the levels in polystyrene blocks, designed for the purpose. The hole has been dug and blocks of polystyrene 610mm x 1200mm x 2400mm ( the size of a baby elephant! ) have been laid in. These blocks will be buried and a Spanish terrace built on top.
My only question remains as to what our successors will think in later archaeological digs when they strike polystyrene?

Posted by Liz Nicholson

Down in the depths of Nicholsons a new generation of plants is being prepared for the big outdoors on our nursery. Our potting crew come seasonally and through their attentioin to detail, hard quality control and loving potting they produce the quality raw material - plants in pots. For the rest of the year our nurseymen, cane, prune, spray, water, feed and move and generally pamper these plants mercilessly.

Some of the plants they pot come to us in a pot and are then potted on, the majority are bare rooted transplants that started life in a field and are potted up for the first time in their lives - luxury! The root system that they devolop gives them a huge advantage when planted whether it is a hedging plant or a tree - in one year the roots will have made it to the edge of the pots without having become root bound. We will also pot on our own crops and see them from a litte 20cm plug right through to a 35lt pot, over the course of 4-5 years. Only then are they let loose on the world - with their manners, we hope, intact.

Icing on the polytunnel....

Happy New Year to one and all! Nicholsons has had a slow start due to the weather but we are open for business despite the snow so get those enquiries or orders e-mailed in. However, planting has been delayed because of the foot of snow so once it has disappeared we shall go plants mad! I look forward to seeing you at the nursery soon.

Well dressed trees

Nicholsons landscape section has been busy at home as well as in the office choosing and dressing their christmas trees. Myrtle, Amber and Floyd (trees all have a name at Nicholsons) are now all installed, dressed and sparkling at homes throughout Oxfordshire.

If you have a photo of one of our trees with its finery on please e-mail it to me karen@nicholsons.gb.com and we will upload as many as possible to show just how lovely our trees are. If you still don't have a christmas tree we have a few left so come in soon and pick up Wallace or Jasper or Rupert or Mungo or Sophia or Germaine and friends.........All looking for loving homes.

Chester went to Deddington......

Holly got dressed in Adderbury....

The Beech!

After nearly two weeks of cutting this beech tree in the heart of Oxford is now down! The tree was in a state of terminal decline because of root compaction which had happened by the builders.

We tried the previous year to rectify this by teraventing the area around the tree and fertilising the tree.

We reluctantly took the decision to remove the tree when it did not show any signs of improvement and a root rooting fungus Meripilus giganteus appeared in Autumn 2009.

Each piece had to be lowered in a controlled manner to the ground avoiding the expensive up lighters. The tree was estimated to weigh in the region of 50 tonnes. The timber was taken away for Firewood and the chip brought back to our yard and sent off to a combined heat and power plant to be turned into green electricity!

Christmas Party 2009!

Ho, ho, ho or hic as the Christmas party season came around once again. A big thank you to Directors Niel, Liz and Tim for a lovely party of superb food and excellent company! Personally I love working for Nicholsons and it was great to catch up with all the Nicholsons team from each of the three departments of Plants, Forestry and Landscapes. The best secret Santa present went to Mike Tustin - the fellow giver obviously knows him very well!

Christmas Market success

On Saturday 5th December the Christmas market opened! So come and visit the Christmas experience at Nicholsons which includes a greeting of festive aroma of mulled wine and warm mince pies. Then follow the arrows to Narnia for good looking "named" Nordmann trees which could even win you a bottle of champagne in the prize draw. There are prizes for the children on completion of the Narnia quiz and many tempting gifts for the adults to buy for their friends and relatives. The wreath making workshops have been a great success so ring us to book a space. Shrubs, trees and vouchers also make perfect gifts....

Winter at Nicholsons

Christmas Market Open
The long awaited Christmas Market is open and ready for business - Winter at Nicholsons. There is not only a lovely array of plants and sundries, there are fresh Christmas Trees, Seasoned Logs and Wreaths. Also range of other stalls: Hampers from Eagles Fine Foods, Flowers and Wreaths from Daisies Florists, Whichford Pots, Ornaments for the garden from various suippliers and much more. Open every weekday from 7.30am -4.00pm and on Saturdays from 9.00am - 4.00pm and on Saturdays come and enjoy a glass of Mulled Wine and a Mince pies and watch the wreath demonstrations.

What a load of old Logs

Yes it is really true. Nicholsons have started selling logs, and yes they really are "old". The best logs to burn on the fire are hardwood seasoned logs and these are all that is available. The logs have been seasoned for most of a year and come in 3 bag sizes and can be delivered. There is even a separate website for information: http://www.logs.gb.com/ -come and visit and see for yourself.

Nicholsons at the Globe

On Thursday 8 October The Woodland Trust hosted an evening function at the Globe Theatre, London. The event was a charity fundraiser with a host of celebs. Not least amongst the notaries were a group of well turned out natives from Nicholsons.

The trust had requested that we supply them with a selection of native trees and shrubs all looking their best. So, several oaks, beech, hornbeam, spindle, guelder rose, wayfaring and laurels all found themselves in the bright lights – and were even dressed in hessian for the occasion by the Trust volunteers. They helped add ambiance to a very successful evening for the trust whose auction raised substantial funds for their great work.

Could anybody in the know give some more history surrounding the oak tree that apparently – and obviously in the photo – is growing within the Globe Theatre?