Blog
DIY Dahlia Festival
It always intrigues me how different plants come in and out of fashion. Dahlias are one such plant that has ridden the roller coaster of popularity over the last century - but right now, they are definitely on the up! ®Sue Sanderson, Thompson & Morgan - Dahlias at Anglesey Abbey,…
Spring spruce up begins in Church Lane
Customer trial panel member Caroline Broome has had a busy weekend, getting ready for spring.At last we have had a fine weekend and I’ve been making the most of it in spades, literally! Everything is coming into leaf, notably tree peony Hong Xia, and some plants like bog sage never died down.…
Top 5 flower and vegetable seeds recommended by our experts
Sue Sanderson and Colin Randel, two of Thompson & Morgan’s experts give their top 5 flower and vegetable seeds for the new season…FlowersSue Sanderson is Thompson & Morgan’s Horticulturist and has 11 years of gardening experience.Rudbeckia ‘Cherry Brandy’When…
3 simple ways to combine ornamental and edible planting
This ornamental garden consists of flowers and leafy vegetables. Image: Arjuna Kodisinghe Picking 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…
Hedges for Wildlife
Go native and plant the ultimate wildlife hotel! Winter is the perfect time for hedge planting, and if you seriously want to put conservation into action, planting a native hedge is an easy and effective way to help some of our most threatened UK species. For most of us, large trees and woodland…
Thompson & Morgan Announces RHS Chelsea Flower Show Entries
Following our success at RHS Chelsea Flower Show last year, we are proud to present our entries for Plant of the Year 2019. Clematis Kokonoe', Nepeta Neptune' and Ajuga Princess Nadia' Clematis 'Kokonoe' - Uniquely changing flower shape; flowers open as single blooms and develop into flamboyant…
Perfect gardens: tips for growing veg
Growing your own fresh fruit and veg is hugely rewardingImage: Wollertz Decided to try to grow your own? Growing veg in your garden takes less effort than you might think and is a cost-effective way to enjoy delicious herbs, fruit and vegetables. To help you take your first steps, some of our…
The secret life of plants
The root structure of the date palm is a thing of beauty. Image source: The Hidden Half project, University of Nottingham Gardening could be described as bending nature to our will. It's the selection, planting, shaping, pruning, training, pollinating, pinching, grafting, thinning out and…
Tips for growing flowers in your garden
The successful combination of shape, colour, texture and height makes this border singImage: Paul Wishart Flowers bring colour, texture and scent to our gardens and provide a welcome source of food for pollinators. With a little patience you can grow many flowers cost-effectively from seed. Short…
What to do in the garden in August
There are always things to do in the garden whether it is planting, pruning or watering. So we have highlighted some what to do in the garden in august guidance to help you.In the flower gardenDead-head lilies for a better flower display next year.Mow meadows now to help scatter wild flower…
What to plant in 2014
What to plant in 2014 – Thompson & Morgan’s New Year’s Honours ListWith Christmas over and a new year beginning, Thompson & Morgan is looking forward to a bumper year in gardens up and down the country. So what are the hot tips for 2014 in the plant world?TomTato™In…
Beat the slugs
Protect your garden from these troublesome gastropods Image: Dmitri_ESTONIA_TALLINN/shutterstock Slugs are officially the gardener's No 1 enemy. Turn your back for a gardening moment, and these tough-skinned terrestrial molluscs will completely shred new shoots and tender lettuces. Given that they…
The difference between onions and shallots
Shallots are an underappreciated cousin of the onionImage: Shallot 'Griselle' from Thompson & Morgan. If you normally grow onions, have you considered planting shallots alongside them? These oval alliums offer a unique flavour profile, prized in French and Asian cuisine. Here we explain the…
Plants on trial – a sneaky peak
I have always been a fan of over the top, in your face bedding displays and every year I plant out hundreds of plants in beds, pots and baskets. Over the last few years, due to work commitments, I have been finding the up keep a bit difficult.Alstroemeria ‘Planet Mix’Last year I planted…
Perfect for pollinators
Give your garden a pollinator friendly makeoverImage: Dogwooddays Planting for pollinating insects has never been more important. As insect populations decline across the world, we need to find ways to help these essential invertebrates, for our future as well as theirs. Gardeners can play a vital…
Pollinator Plants
Bees, birds and butterflies are reducing in numbers and whilst the cold weather is contributing to their reduction, there are so many things we can do to help increase their numbers.By growing more pollinator friendly plants, you can provide food for our pollinating insects. Simple right? However,…
News update from Thompson & Morgan
Alstromeria Holiday Valley, Alstromeria Spring Valley' and Alstromeria Times Valley' Further 'reveals' from our new Spring RangeWe've just released details and images of a number of new products that will feature in our Spring 2020 range. All three of the striking varieties in the new Summer…
Hydrangea Glam Rock – colour changes in different soils
Hydrangea ‘Glam Rock’ – colour changes in different soilsThe ever-changing colours of hydrangea ‘Glam Rock’One of our fastest selling shrubs ever, hydrangea ‘Glam Rock’ (sometimes also known by the tongue-twister name of ‘Schloss Wackerbarth’)…
Spread The Love
I'm really not a fan of the aforementioned festive season, but I've suddenly realised that I lurve January! The inclement weather gives me the perfect excuse to be bone idle guilt free. Mind you, some things can't wait, especially when you are up against the horticultural prowess of Diane, she of…
From Rake To Bake - Leek Muffins
Welcome to February's Baking Blog. Each month will feature an in-season fruit or vegetable dish to make with a little bit of grow-your-own information on the side. February is perfect for making Leek Muffins. Have you ever wondered why Welsh fans carry inflatable leeks to Rugby or Football matches?…
How to improve clay or sandy soils with leafmould
How to improve clay or sandy soils with leafmouldLeafmould is the black gold of gardening. Ten or more years back, I worked in nursery on a rare hill on the Suffolk Essex border. We are talking small scale, husband and wife team, working all hours of day and days of year. The only time off was to…
Fantastic foliage: 18 plants to green your garden
Foliage adds structure, depth and interest to any garden planting schemeImage: Shutterstock Foliage gives your garden all year-round interest. Not only does it fill the gaps between flowers, it's a good way to add vibrancy to shady areas. We've chosen 18 of our favourite plants includingconifers,…
Easy crops to grow for beginners
Being a beginner gardener is exciting and refreshing, and there will always be something for you to do and learn about your garden. But where do you start? Which soil do you use? How to prune? When to Sow? How do you grow plants? The questions are endless! We have collated 10 easy crops to grow for…
Inspiring kids to love the garden
Discovering the wonder of nature is a lifelong journey. Image source: Oksana Kuzmina My own childhood memories of high summer are filled with light, scent and taste: my dad's mesembryanthemums with their candy-coloured faces following the sun, honeysuckle perfume saturating the evening air and…
Our Summer Display – by Pam Gray
I am really looking forward to writing some blogs for Thompson & Morgan and as this is my first piece, I will tell you a little bit about our garden and myself. Our garden isn’t huge, 40′ x 27′ at the front and approx 80′ x 30′ at the back, with a very small garden…
Overwintering, indoors mainly
I've been off for a bit, from the garden that is. Don't suppose I'm the only one either. I mean - ugh - just look at it out there. The cold, grey months of Winter are here, still hanging around like overstaying party guests who can't take the hint. I've tried tapping my watch, breezily declaring…
Shrubs masterclass: best expert content
Award-winning Hydrangea 'Runaway Bride' is the perfect flowering shrub for a containerImage: Hydrangea 'Runaway Bride' from Thompson & Morgan If you're looking for ways to add low-maintenance interest to your garden, shrubs are ideal. Brimming with expert advice, we've brought together this…
Top 10 best-selling plants of 2018
This pretty hydrangea won the nation's hearts and Chelsea's Plant of the Year 2018Image: Hydrangea Runaway Bride' by Thompson & Morgan Are you looking for some garden inspiration? Or just curious about which plants were gardeners' favourites last year? Here are our ten best-selling plants of…
A great way to grow herbs – the windowsill gardener
Now I’m not a drinking person. But the people I live with do like the occasional bottle of wine, so when I went outside the other day and found the glass recycling box was rather full, I decided to do some recycling of my own.I wanted something that would look neat and tidy but at the same…
New Forest April Holiday and Pembrokeshire Greenhouses
Dear Gardeners, I'm afraid I have been an April Fool. We went on a much needed holiday to the New Forest the day after the Easter Bank holiday. My first holiday since the cancer and heart failure, the weather down in Hampshire wasn't the best, but the break was. I'd planned the timings of all the…
Veg growing tips from the experts
Keep your veg plot brimming over with delicious produce with these handy tips!Image: Steffi Pereira From one man who likes his veg Tudor style to another who loves to grow Tomatillos, and on to other green fingered folk with handy hints to share, here we bring you awesome veg growing tips from…
Courgetti with tomatoes, grilled corn and herb dressing
Courgetti with tomatoes, grilled corn and herb dressingThompson & MorganA fresh take on a summer salad which makes the most of your allotment crops. Beautiful, Piccolo tomatoes, paired with sweetcorn and an innovative way to use up your masses of courgette by making 'courgetti'. Print Recipe…
Are you feeling the Love yet?
I'm just not feeling the love! Apart from sloping off to the greenhouse every few days to check on the cuttings (progress not great. ) I've done nothing NOTHING, I TELL YOU! Oh the guilt! I've come up with every excuse: it's too wet, too cold, too early, too late. Apart from one manic flurry of…
Hedges masterclass: best expert content
Hedges provide shelter and privacy in the garden Image: Hornbeam (hedging) from Thompson & Morgan Here's everything you need to create a spectacular living boundary from hedging plants in your garden. We've pulled together wisdom from a whole host of independent gardeners and designers and…
From Rake To Bake - Egg-cellent Potato Salad.
Welcome to Baking Blog. Each month will feature an in-season fruit or vegetable dish to make with a little bit of grow-your-own information on the side. July is perfect for making Egg-cellent Potato Salad. With second-lates and main-crop potatoes in abundance grown either in sacks or the ground,…
Raspberry masterclass: best expert content
Grow raspberries in beds or containersImage: Raspberry 'Polka' from Thompson & Morgan If you want to grow your own raspberry plants, take a look through this selection of the best independent articles and videos from the internet. These garden bloggers, YouTubers and Instagrammers show you how…
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