Blog

The Habitat Aid blog is set in Somerset. The blog tries to introduce some of the issues surrounding our natural environment as understood by a non ecologist. You’ll also find some practical “how to” guides. It’s written by Nick Mann, who runs Habitat Aid. Nick is an increasingly curmudgeonly bald middle-aged bloke of familiar type.

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What a Long Strange Trip It's Been
January 6, 2021
Changing Times This New Year more than most I've found myself reflecting on the way the world is turning. Like everyone, I suppose. We're through t...
- Bare root plants
- biodiversity
- COVID-19
- Habitat Aid Ltd.
- hedges
- lockdown
- meadows
- seeds
- wildflowers
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Interesting Times
November 15, 2020
Supply chain disruption and rising prices will pose challenges for garden centres and online plant and seed retailers.
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COVID-19 and Selling Plants
May 9, 2020
For many in the horticulture business the last few weeks have been a waking nightmare. Don't get me wrong - it has been fantastic to see so many pe...
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Understanding The Cost Of Plants
May 6, 2019
We had a lovely trip up to Yorkshire via East Anglia last week visiting some of our suppliers. And the odd pub, needless to say. Hot Pipe Callu...
- Habitat Aid Ltd.
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Wot! No Hedge Plants?
January 9, 2019
The commercial world of native hedge plants is a funny one. There are a few hardy folk out there selling British hedge species which they themselv...
- Habitat Aid Ltd.
- hedges
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We Are 10!
October 6, 2018
Amazingly, Habitat Aid is 10 years old. It started off as what now looks like a lunatic plunge into the unknown. I'd had 30+years in the City and n...
- Digressions
- Habitat Aid Ltd.
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The Green Economy in the UK... What's Missing
June 29, 2018
According to Wikipedia, the green economy is one which "aims at reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities, and... aims for sustainable...
- biodiversity
- Habitat Aid Ltd.
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Farmland - Does It Really Matter and What Should We Do With It?
January 4, 2018
Much interest in Michael Gove's prognostications on farmland subsidies today. This is a really important issue for environmentalists - perhaps more...
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A Little Reason
September 7, 2016
We should all help the under-funded and unheralded science based projects and NGOs who continue to work quietly away at improving our understanding of the natural world around us.
- bees
- Habitat Aid Ltd.
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Hedge Planting In The Wet
February 5, 2016
Hedge and copse scheme, Cambridgeshire. By my reckoning, this bare root planting season the Habitat Aid hedge elves will have planted something ...
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A Christmas Tale
December 14, 2014
I went Christmas tree shopping this afternoon and, as you can see, bought a beautiful tree. I'm always a bit nervous about buying the family Chr...
- Digressions
- Habitat Aid Ltd.
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British Nurseries
September 24, 2014
We are – finally – planting our small formal garden. I wanted to source the plants for it directly from the nursery – the British nursery – which g...
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