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Top 10 winter bedding plants
Top 10 winter bedding plantsAs summer draws to an end it’s an ideal time to be thinking about winter bedding plants for cheerful colour during the coldest months of the year! Winter bedding plants are biennial or perennial plants which are planted in the autumn, some flowering throughout the winter…
Richard Mulcahy
Guest blogger Richard Mulcahy has a shady plot in Co. Antrim and writes here about his allotment and growing early rhubarb.Shady plotsIn the winter months, I get a chance to think and reflect upon my plot. Leaning on the allotment fence today, I thought back two years to when I first got the…
Growing berries in pots and containers
Cranberry PilgrimImage source: London PlantologyThere are many ways to grow berries in small spaces – wild strawberries in window boxes, a vertical wall of cranberries, dwarf raspberries in hanging baskets or blueberries in pots on the patio. Plant your containers now and you’ll get heavenly…
September in Pembrokshire
Welcome Everyone,As you know from previous September blogs I love this month. I love the last of the warm sunny days, before the transformation of of Autumn, with its crisp mornings, wood-smoke, and crunchy colourful leaves.Though this September has not been the gloriously warm and sunny days it…
New flower and vegetable seed range available online
Our new 2013 seed range is now available and we’ve added more than 140 new seed varieties!Sweet Pea ‘Promise’With its unique red and white bicolour blooms, this fragrant beauty is perfect not only in exhibitions, but also as a cut flower. It was bred by Roger Parsons, custodian of…
Plug plants – which size is best for you?
Plug plants – which size is best for you?It’s all-go in the garden now that the sun has finally decided to make an appearance, but knowing which plug plants to buy can be a bit confusing. They all need different levels of care and, if you’re not sure what you’re buying, you…
12 fabulous flower-growing bloggers
The most colourful bloomsImage: shutterstockIf you’re into flowers, we’ve got a treat in store for you. We’ve scoured the web for brilliant blogs by writers who love to grow them, and brought them all into one place for you. You’ll find bloggers who create stunning cut flower arrangements from…
Plants for shade
Brighten up dark corners with shade-loving plantsImage: Elena ElisseevaDoes your garden have a Cinderella spot? A part that doesn’t get the same love and attention as the rest? Chances are, says Mandy Bradshaw of The Chatty Gardener,Sunny borders might seem more interesting and easy to fill, but…
So many plants, so little space!
The greenhouse is packed to the gunnels with plugs-in-waiting and half hardysThe salviasThe sunroom is crammed with the cucamelons, courgettes De Nice A Fruit RondI did treat myself to some T & M perennials as well this summer. Brunnera Alexander’s Great are said to grow far bigger than Jack…
Top 10 evergreen shrubs
Top 10 Evergreen ShrubsEvergreen shrubs provide permanent structure in the garden and all-year-round interest. Some have beautiful flower displays or are highly scented in winter when little else is growing, and some have variegated or colourful foliage which is a perfect foil for summer perennials…
Clematis – how, when and where?
ClematisHow to plant clematis Clematis thrives in a well drained and fertile soil in full sun or partial shade. It is beneficial to place a mulch around the base of your plant with pebbles. Incorporating some well rotted manure or compost into the soil before planting will help aid fertility and…
My Top 5 from T&M at Driftwood in 2018
2018 has been our most successful season of all at Driftwood! We celebrated our 10th year of opening the garden and our 7th year of trialling products from Thompson & Morgan. There were a couple of trips to Buckingham Palace too, in recognition for the charity fundraising we have achieved, our…
Climbing fuchsias
Pop along to any garden centre and you’ll probably see the same few climbers; there’ll be some straggly honeysuckle, quite a few large-flowered, dull clematis, thugs like Virginia Creeper, and so on… Surely it’s about time there was a plant that’s a bit classier, a plant that’s easier to…
Top 10 Fuchsia Plants
Fuchsias are extremely versatile with a variety on the market suitable for most situations. Few other plants perform so well in the garden with so little upkeep, even the tender types can make it through winter with minimal protection. Fuchsia plants are easy to grow, long-lasting and make the…
Amanda’s April inspirations
Hello Everyone,I hope you are all well.These last few weeks have been really busy, April is an inspiring month. Before I set out to write this I had a quick read of my April 2015 diary and last years blog, as I was convinced that I was lagging behind in the greenhouse. However, according to my…
Amanda’s January Gardening Update
Hello Gardeners,January, supposedly named after the god Janus, a two headed figure who could look to both the future and the past, the reason why we make resolutions at this time of year, to change things in our life. So it’s no surprise then, that we gardeners are very probably this month…
Getting more from your garden!
Getting more from your garden!By ‘getting more’ I mean multiplying up your favourite plants the cheap and easy way — by taking cuttings. Although September is thought to be late for taking cuttings, it is in fact my chosen moment. The busy spring and summer seasons of the gardening year…
Beautiful botanical crafts on Instagram
Check out these crafty creatives inspired by mother natureImage: Marisa MortonNature has always provided inspiration to artists – whether writers or musicians, poets or makers. If an afternoon in your garden or a walk in the woods leaves you energised and buzzing with creativity, why not take up a…
How to grow hyacinths
Hyacinths are a popular spring bulb grown for their showy, colourful and highly fragrant flowers. Hyacinth bulbsPlanting hyacinth bulbsHyacinths are best planted in the autumn, and as with most bulbs, need a well-drained, fertile soil in full sun. Make sure the area you are planting has been…
Top 10 new varieties in our autumn catalogue
Here is a selection of our favourite new varieties in the autumn catalogue. We have picked our top 10 just for you.Clematis ‘Picotee Kiss’Clematis ‘Picotee Kiss’Stenocarpus sinuata Trachelospermum asiaticum ‘Variegatum’Cornus ‘Royal Red’Viola ‘Bunny Ears’ Clematis ‘Taiga’The name will…
Evergreen shrubs
Evergreen shrubs provide permanent structure in the garden and all-year-round interest. Some have beautiful flower displays or are highly scented in winter when little else is growing, and some have variegated or colourful foliage which is a perfect foil for summer perennials and a feature in…
Move over marigolds.. ..new bedding plants fly in the face of tradition
It’s time for those traditional bedding favourites such as marigolds, salvias and petunias to step aside. There are some new kids in town and they’re about to show they mean business.Already a top-seller within weeks of the launch of Thompson & Morgan’s Spring Catalogue, Penstemon ‘Wedding…
Spring? Blink and You’ve Missed It!
So on Thursday 19th April we went away for The Long Weekend (more of that later). 27?c. Evidence of new shoots emerging in garden at last. Daffodils coming into bloom. Last minute seed sowing completed.Fast forward to Sunday 22nd, 24?c, daffs gone over, tulips out already! Fern coils, emerging from…
Hydrangea
Walk around any neighbourhood during the summer and you’ll see plenty of glorious HydrangeasHydrangea ‘Glam Rock’So, whilst Germany is going dayglo, Japan is focussing on the fullness of the bloom; new variety ‘Love’A type of Hydrangea that isn’t as common in the UK is the Hydrangea paniculata;…
Drought-proofing my garden
The recent dry spell has really made me think about the plants I am growing. The drought has taken its toll on a favourite tree in my garden. In truth, it has been many years since it performed at its best. This year, I’ll be lucky if there are any leaves left come autumn! I’m blaming my thin,…
Raspberry ‘Ruby Beauty’® – knocking out traditional varieties
Raspberry ‘Ruby Beauty’®The short height of Ruby Beauty® also makes it easy to protect the fruit from birds with netting, and the thornless stems make for easy picking! Little, if any support is needed, but you may choose to add a few canes around the pot to hold up the fruit. How to…
Windowsill Gardening
I have been gardening since I was knee high to my Grandad, he taught me as much about gardening when I was a nipper as I learnt at school about reading and writing! My father is also a keen gardener and so I have had a very well rounded gardening education. I have been working as a self employed…
Fruits of my harvest
Hello Gardeners,I hope you have had a wonderful summer and are enjoying the fruits of your harvest. I have had the most successful year ever thanks to the reliable and strong seeds from Thompson & MorganUnfortunately, I can’t take the credit for looking after the watering and feeding of…
3 simple ways to combine ornamental and edible planting
This ornamental garden consists of flowers and leafy vegetables.Image: Arjuna KodisinghePicking your own fruit, vegetables and herbs is one of the highlights of the gardening year, but you don’t have to turn your garden into an allotment in order to grow and harvest your own food. There are many…
Amanda’s April 2017 Blog…
Hello Everyone,What a completely manic month April has been! The clocks have gone forward, Easter has been and gone and I’m back to my normal self – My cancer is in remission and I can walk around the garden, go up the steps and lift little watering cans or pots of seedlings now.…
How to store home grown vegetables
Make the most of your home grown veg by storing it correctlyImage source: ShutterstockThere is plenty to harvest from the vegetable plot, and if you have a glut it might not be possible to eat them all at once. To enjoy vegetables throughout autumn and winter it’s vital to store them correctly.…
Favourite scented plants, voted by RHS members
The RHS conducted a survey in spring 2013, in which it asked its members for their favourite scented plants.Traditional flowers such as sweet peas, hyacinths and honeysuckle topped the list, which consisted mainly of spring-flowering plants. We’ve selected one of our own best-selling plants…
Autumn Plants Teaser
Our autumn plants range boasts spectacular spring bedding plants, shrubs and perennial plants and with such a huge variety available you will be spoilt for choice. We asked our gardening guru Michael Perry for his top 10 plants from our autumn range, so that we can bring you our autumn plants…
Customer trial panel member profile – Joy Gough
Joy Gough has just joined our blogging team of customer trial members and talks about her gardening experiences.Joy GoughMy name is Joy, I am totally new to this blogging, so please bear with me, just like gardening it is a process of learning as you go.Our garden started with 2 bought tomato…
My visit to Chelsea Flower Show
It’s the day after my visit to Chelsea Flower Show! My feet are still aching, and my mind is still spinning with new plants and fresh garden designs. The whole of the gardening world tends to be at Chelsea too, so it can be difficult to walk a few feet without seeing someone you know! I think…
Thompson & Morgan Triallist’s Blog – May 2017
FIVE SWEETPEAS AND A CUCUMBERLike a fine wine I don’t travel well so I have only ventured abroad twice in 20 years (that’s if you don’t count Jersey). However a promise is a promise: We have just returned from a visit to Cyprus, home of my oldest friend Naomi, to celebrate her 60th birthday. (I bet…
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