Ox-eye daisies are easy to grow and very popular with pollinatorsImage: Ox-Eye Daisy from Thompson & Morgan Wildflowers are a low-maintenance and long-lasting addition to any garden. Often planted as annual or perennial meadows, they make a wildlife-friendly alternative to lawns or a quick and…
Oh but wasn't I right - as the nights draw in we wistfully reminisce about the long hot summer of 2018. Get over it! Time to move on! And move on we have; half the garden is enjoying the extrovert opulence of autumn and half, well, the other half has been dug up! The prospect of a year out of…
Was buying a house called “Brambles” an omen? (Part three)“Every snow drift has a silver lining?” or “Is it true that gardeners are the world’s greatest optimists?”If you are inclined to classify yourself as British on those forms we all have to complete…
Liven up your patio with container-grown flowers and plantsImage: Sophie McAulay/Shutterstock Adding a vibrant element to your patio area through plants, flowers, shrubs and grasses is a great idea. Not only do plants add colour and texture; they make the space feel alive. But how do you decide…
After a long year tending to our garden, December is the time for us to put our feet up with a spring catalogue and enjoy the winter’s tracery. During colder days we can sit back with a hot chocolate in hand, topped with toasty marshmallows and admire the lingering frost on summers faded…
Behind the scenes at Chelsea Flower Show 2013 (press day)The RHS Chelsea Flower Show celebrates its centenary birthday this week, and I was very lucky to receive a press pass for Monday 21 May for a sneak preview and behind the scenes look at the most prestigious event in the gardening calendar…
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,…
We moved to our house in September 2003 and decided to dig up our front garden to allow parking for three cars. It’s made it very low maintenance because although I love lawns they do tend to look parched in hot weather, and being on a water meter I didn’t want to use excessive amounts…
Hedges – they’re not just for protection and privacy! Read Catharine Howard’s guest blog on the best uses for the humble hedge.Different uses for a hedgeWHY does the word hedge always make me glaze over? Hedge, bush, shrub. There now, the awful trilogy of boredom has been spat…
Begonia Non-stop Mocca' adds a splash of colour to any garden Copyright: Benary After a busy week with barely a peep outside, I went into the garden this morning and felt a none-too-subtle shift from high summer towards early autumn. There I was last Sunday extolling the virtues of planting for…
Another growing season draws to an end, well just about. I have been down the allotment this morning and I am still getting crops from beetroot, leeks, cauliflower, parsnips, chard, and turnip. The beetroot we have decided we like in a slightly different way, instead of cooking and pickling in jars…
Hello Gardening Friends, For the first time in many years Pembrokeshire is experiencing an actual "Flaming June!" With temperatures exceeding 25c most days and sticky 18c nights, it's been mostly impossible to garden. The water butt has been emptied days ago, and for now we are using our "Grey…
Tulip Everlasting MixtureI think it has happened.When leaving the house today; the feeling of autumn seemed to have descended. Although bright and sunny, the temperature was cooler and there were misty windows. Darn, I’ll have to start wearing socks again!So what do we do now summer’s…
A summer heatwave is ideal for chilliesImage source: Nic Wilson It's been a hot year in the greenhouse and the chillies have enjoyed every sweltering second. Sown in early January, they developed into sturdy seedlings by March and were ready to go out in the greenhouse by late May. I chose fewer…
Surveying the damage after the first frost of 2012It’s mid October and the wife wanted me to go to the allotment this morning to get a few veg for a Sunday roast dinner, there are still a good few plants growing down there although the weather is now turning decidedly chilly! A fine row of…
These Instagrammers provide plenty of new serving suggestions for homegrown produceImage: Markus Spiske on Unsplash Food delivered straight from plot to plate is the freshest, healthiest and most delicious food you'll ever eat. With an allotment, veg patch, or even just a couple of window boxes,…
Beating Blue Monday in the gardenBeating Blue MondayToday is Blue Monday, apparently the most depressing day of the year. According to research, people working in horticulture are less likely to be affected (see our recent post ‘Gardening best for job satisfaction for more info). With this in…
A few months ago staff at Thompson & Morgan were invited to take part in the company’s tree lily® competition. Each entrant was given 3 tree lily® bulbs to grow, nurture and photograph throughout the year. The winner was announced earlier today…Rita with her winning tree…
Nic grows soft fruit in a cageImage: Nic Wilson of dogwooddays Never grown fruit plants before? Not sure what to do with your rapidly growing berry bush? We asked experienced gardener Nic Wilson how she grows such bumper crops. Her generously shared tips make growing some of the most expensive…
My new strawberry runners (Flamenco, chosen by my 7-year old daughter) arrived at the end of last week and I had hoped to get out into the garden to plant them. Ha! No such luck – a few inches of snow put paid to that idea. We got off quite lightly snow-wise compared to other parts of the…
Watering in the freshly sown seedOn Monday, our New Product Development Manager, Michael Perry helped to sow Thompson & Morgan’s €200.00 giant pumpkin seed.This seed comes from a new world record pumpkin, which was weighed in last autumn (2012) at 2009lbs. The pumpkin was a hybrid…
Don’t get caught out with empty pots and desolate borders this winter. Just a few minutes ordering some winter plants now will ensure your garden is a riot of colour this winter, just as it has been all summer!Pansies are a staple of the winter garden. They thrive in cold, icy weather, and if…
The day has come.After more than a year of planning, the most prestigious gardening event of the year has finally opened its doors. The show isn’t yet open to the public, but I’ve been lucky enough to get a sneak preview!Preparing for the day aheadPutting the finishing touches to the…
It’s the beginning of Thompson & Morgan’s Fuchsia Festival; and we think you’re heading for a long, colourful and care-free summer!In the UK, we know fuchsias quite well. Even if you’re a non-gardener, I bet you’ll have had a grandma or uncle who grew fuchsias of…
Since writing my last blog for Thompson & Morgan about the plants on trial at driftwood earlier in the year, the garden has moved on at a pace and a half! We have already had 2 public open days, one for the National Gardens Scheme and one for a local trail which I organise for the local Mayor.…
With excitement and well drawn plans of the new year, I began 2012 with aspirations of extending my vegetable growing knowledge and growing some good crops at home in my small garden. Still a beginner and only in my second year of anything garden related… ever, I wanted to have another go at…
There can be much more to a beautiful garden than masses of flowers. Although a 'sea of colour' border is spectacular it may be fleeting in beauty, and can lack definition through the seasons if it has no underlying form or structure. Putting together the shape and outline of different types of…
2013 was a very successful year for gardener Geoff Stonebanks and his garden, Driftwood!The back gardenIt saw his garden related charity fundraising top the £32,000 mark in just 4 years, for which he became a finalist in the BBC Sussex Community Heroes Awards last December. Even in the depths of…
Unexpected late frosts or snow or can undermine the best laid plansImage: Shutterstock When bad weather stops you from immediately planting out your order, don't despair. With a little bit of care, your plants will survive intact until conditions improve. Here's how to look after your freshly…
Guest blogger Stephanie Donaldson’s post on tender plants.It’s time to go undercover…The weather forecasters have been issuing dire warnings all week about the arrival of winter temperatures, so yesterday I decided I could delay no longer - it was time to bring the tender plants…
Due to the wet winter and mild spell in April my garden is thriving! The perennials and shrubs are looking so advanced in my borders and the lupins are trying to flower already. What is most unusual for this time of year; I have delphiniums in bud. Not that I am complaining!Due to the amount of…
Get your kids digging in the dirtImage: Oksana Kuzmina Kids have a natural love of nature, but they're easily lured back indoors by screen time. If you'd like to get your children out in the garden for fresh air, learning and fun, we've compiled some great tips courtesy of our favourite family and…
If the plant bug has bitten you, and you’ve filled your garden already, then you need to think; ‘what do cities do when they run of space..?’ Answer: they build upwards! You can use this same concept in your own garden to great effect. There’s no excuse to have bare fences…
The giant pumpkin, which in October broke the UK record for the heaviest pumpkin, has today been cut open so that the seeds inside can be counted. The pumpkin was transported to Thompson & Morgan’s Suffolk headquarters after it tipped the scales at an impressive 1,520lbs at the annual…
Read our selection of the week’s gardening news here.Time to start gardening!Time to start gardeningIt’s time to get your gardening gloves on and brave the cold! Spring is late this year, but the RHS has advised gardeners to get on with vital gardening jobs, otherwise they risk getting…
Here is customer trial panel member Stephen Hackett’s profile – we’ll feature updates from his garden in the coming months.Stephen HackettInspirationsMy earliest gardening memories are of helping my dad in his big gumboots, of running wild in my great aunt’s huge (or so it…
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