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Customer Trial Member Profile – Steve Woodward

You may already be familiar with Steve Woodward’s previous posts on our blog. He is also a member of our customer trial panel, here is his profile…Collecting some produce for a warming stewHi, I am Steve and I live in the East Midlands Derbyshire town of Ilkeston, roughly equal in…

Garlic masterclass: best expert content

Carcassonne Wight is one of the most successful garlic varieties for overwinteringImage: Garlic 'Carcassonne Wight' from Thompson & MorganIf you love the taste of garlic and want to try growing your own garlic sets from scratch, here's where you'll find some of the best advice. These YouTubers…

Gardening with grasses

Hakonechloa macra and Ophiopogon combine to create this stunning borderImage: dogwooddays Do your borders lack colour, height and movement throughout the year? Professional garden designer Nic Wilson of dogwooddays recently redesigned the beds in her own back garden to striking effect. Her secret…

Behind the scenes at Chelsea Flower Show 2013 (press day)

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…

Small border planting ideas with high impact

Use height, structure and colour to create stunning borders in small gardensImage: photographee. eu The average length of a UK garden is just 15 metres long, but limited space doesn't prevent you from having gorgeous borders filled with show-stopping plants and shrubs. We asked Lee Burkhill, the…

All’s growing well in the garden

By the end of May, all the bedding plants were put in the borders and watered in for a few nights. Last weekend after some heavy rain I went around them all with a small 2 pronged claw and loosened the soil. This will let air in around the roots and create dry soil mulch, trapping some of the…

End of season in the allotment

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…

Wild flowers – all you need to know

Wildflower (or Wild Flower) simply means that the plant was not intentially planted or seeded.Wild flowers are important in supporting our native insects and animals. Not only do they encourage high biodiversity, they also make a pretty and colourful addition to the garden. A quintessential part of…

The Ice Age ends at Henly's Corner

So during the barren winter months one has to find other distractions to amuse oneself, such as eating and talking. At a recent lunch party (ooh, get her!) I found myself sitting with a retired geography teacher discussing the advantages and disadvantages of London clay in horticulture. (Cor,…

Pruning and planting soft fruit

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…

Low-maintenance outdoor plants for busy gardeners

Plants are beautiful decorations for your garden, and luckily there are many of those which are easy to care for if you have a busy lifestyle. There are plenty of varieties that don't need staking, frequent deadheading and dividing, complicated pruning, or excessive watering. Below we've listed the…

Deborah Catchpole

Guest blogger Deborah Catchpole writes about her early and formative gardening experiences…I’m a gardener. There; I’ve said it. It’s not always the first thing that a 28 year old is willing to admit, but for me, it’s something that has come to define who I am –…

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…

13 superb soup recipes

Try out these delicious plot-to-bowl recipesImage: Chainupong Hiporn Homemade soup isn't just good for the soul - it's a healthy, wholesome and cost-effective meal that makes excellent use of homegrown veg. If you're taking part in this week's Big Soup Share, or you're looking for new ideas to fill…

Peas and beans masterclass: best expert content

Neat & compact, Broad Bean The Sutton' is perfect for growing in containers or small gardensImage: Broad Bean 'The Sutton' from Thompson & Morgan In our search for expert advice on growing peas and beans, we turned to some of the best grow-your-own bloggers, Instagrammers and YouTubers.…

The quickest way to plant up a new garden

Are you planting up a new garden and don’t know where to start? I would recommend garden shrubs as a starting point. By selecting more compact varieties, and those which are easier to prune and tame, you can make life easier for yourself! A garden which only includes bedding plants is a blaze…

Plants with a split personality

Plants with a split personalityDid you know that there are a few plants out there with some surprising properties, many of which you’d have no idea about at first glance!Name:French MarigoldsDescription:Want to know the secret of growing bumper crops of tomatoes? Well, by growing African or…

Plants for winter colour

Let’s not be shy about this, ensuring winter colour in your garden will take a little bit of planning. In the harshest winter months, it’s only the odd turbo-charged pansy that has enough energy to push through a blanket of snow and ice. You need to guarantee yourself some winter colour…

A seed sown - setting out on a horticultural journey.

Gertrude Jekyll, the influential garden designer, plants woman and artist, once said that 'The love of gardening is a seed once sown that never dies. ' For myself, like many gardeners, this is profoundly true. Over the years, that love has almost become an obsession that shows no sign of abating.…

Happy New Year

Back in January 2017, I had this crazy idea to photograph the back garden from the same point, on the same date, each month! Some might think I'm mad, I probably did myself back then, but it is interesting, even for me, to take a look at the 12 images as a picture diary of what happened in the…

Gardening Tips – Tower Pots

Our decorative pot and support frame is specially designed to train plants into pillars of colour. It can be used as a half frame, for supporting plants to use as cut flowers, or as full frame for showy climbers such as Clematis. The Tower Pot is so versatile! Here are our gardening tips to get you…

2015 seed preview

We share a gardeners pride and joy in growing flowers and vegetables from seed. There is something slightly satisfying in watching the growth of something you planted and seeing the result after months, even years, of nurturing. Certain flowers and vegetables are only available to grow from seed so…

Evergreen Shrubs

Evergreen shrubs form the backbone of the garden. They provide structure and colour even in the depths of winter when other plants are dormant and bare.Evergreens offer more than just foliage. Many have attractive flowers such as Rhododendron and Camellia. In fact some even flower during the…

Summer’s over, what next? Michael Perry asks

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…

Introducing Thompson & Morgan x Anya Hindmarch

The new Pont Street Garden Centre by Anya Hindmarch is a feast for the eyes, inside and out! Image: Anya Hindmarch In the wake of Chelsea Flower Show 2022, we are excited to share our collaboration with sustainability-focused luxury designer Anya Hindmarch and her new Pont Street Garden Centre in…

Grow your own summer drinks recipes

Enjoy sharing homegrown food and drinks this summer Image: Jack Frog There's nothing more satisfying than sharing fresh, homegrown produce with friends and family on a warm summer evening. Except, perhaps, relaxing with a cool sundowner to properly enjoy the garden you've spent all year working on!…

Late summer sophistication with rudbeckia?á

Nic has planted Rudbeckia 'Savannah Mixed' alongside grasses in her own gardenImage: Nic Wilson of dogwooddays Midsummer is a time of plenty in the garden with roses blooming, sweet peas in their prime and borders a riot of colour. But as summer progresses and cottage garden stalwarts begin to…

Bedding plants – a revival

Michael Perry and Christine WalkdenIf you watched the Great British Garden Revival last night then you will have seen Christine Walkden’s passion for ornamental bedding plants and her campaign for their revival. The magnificent displays of Waddesdon Manor and much-loved seaside displays at…

Strawberries masterclass: best expert content

Homegrown strawberries taste better than anything you can buy in a supermarket Image: Strawberry Vibrant' from Thompson & MorganIf you like growing delicious strawberries we're delighted to bring you a collection of the best advice from the internet. These bloggers, YouTubers and Instagrammers…

12 more gardening YouTubers

Get your gardening questions answered by some of the best green-fingered YouTubersImage: Elnur Are you always on the lookout for inspiring and informative gardening YouTube channels? Last time we featured some of the best gardeners of the vlogosphere, we were overwhelmed by your response. Here…

A new season at my allotment

A new season in a new growing year. Spring, my favourite time of year.This will be my sixth season at my allotment in Southampton. It is eleven rods long, quite a big plot. I decided to section everything up with raised beds; it has no grass but wood chip paths. After the storms and wet weather the…

Gardening with children

Gardening with childrenFrom a small seed a mighty trunk may grow. Aeschylus.Working in horticulture brings with it a certain responsibility – that of everyone else’s gardens! Friends, family, passing acquaintances and even complete strangers will freely ask your horticultural advice at…

Weaving the Garden Tapestry

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…

7 Plants that will Brighten up your Balcony this Winter

As the winter solstice falls upon us and Jack Frost starts nipping at our noses, the temperature drop, shorter days, and the holiday hustle and bustle invariably get people's minds off their gardens. But just because the season is hibernal doesn't mean your green thumb should fall into a deep…

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…

New autumn plant, bulb and shrub range now online

Thompson & Morgan’s new autumn plant range is now online!Now that summer is well and truly on its way and plants are putting on some decent growth at last, it’s a good time to start thinking about next season.Our autumn plant, bulb and shrub range is now online and is the perfect…

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