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Sweet Pea tops the Best Seller list

New seed varieties proving popular with T&M customers.Thompson & Morgan is pleased to announce the top 3 best-sellers from its list of newly-launched seed varieties.Bestselling Sweet Pea ‘Erewhon’Sweet Pea ‘Erewhon’ along with Nasturtium ‘Crimson Emperor’…

Defra’s Big Tree Plant is well underway

You too can get involved in Defra’s Big Tree Plant…Big Tree Plant – DefraDefra’s Big Tree Plant started in 2012 with the aim of encouraging people to plant more trees throughout England.So far, over 239,000 have trees been planted and funding is available to community…

The Journey of Floral Fantasia

It's been an amazing experience to watch the garden on its wonderful journey from a blank canvas to the flourishing beauty that it is today. I joined T&M back in April and one of my first projects to get my teeth stuck into was our 'Floral Fantasia' garden at RHS Hyde Hall in Essex near…

How to Grow Calatheas

Calathea is one of the prettiest tropical houseplants from the Marantaceae family that you can have in your home or office. If you want to create a jungle feel in your home, then you simply have to include some leafy Calathea plants. All of them require similar care, which makes your job easier.…

Spring flower fashion

Selecting new plants and flowers isn’t so unlike the fashion world you know..!Our autumn catalogue range has been launched, and the first of the new varieties has begun to strutt its stuff on the catwalk..!First up, let’s talk bulbs. I often think they’re a great place for a…

Pick a bouquet a week – and the flowers still keep coming!

Pick a bouquet a week – and the flowers still keep coming!There’s a great deal of excitement at Thompson & Morgan, one of the UK’s largest mail order seed andplant companies. And it’s all about some very unusual plants!We’ve all seen bunches of alstroemeria (or…

Planting tips from wildlife gardening experts

Cotoneaster berries feed birds through even the bleakest winters. Image source: Artush If you'd love to encourage wildlife to visit your garden but aren't sure what plants to grow, this is the place for you. We asked some of our favourite wildlife gardening bloggers for their planting tips and…

Six Thompson & Morgan Entries Make Shortlist for RHS Chelsea Plant of the Year

We're thrilled to announce that the shortlist announced on Sunday afternoon for RHS Chelsea Flower Show's Plant of the Year, includes six of our entrants. This beats last year's tally of five plants, two of which went on to be placed first and third places in this hugely prestigious horticultural…

How to store home grown vegetables

Make the most of your home grown veg by storing it correctlyImage source: Shutterstock There 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.…

What to do when your plugs arrive

We're so pleased to see so many photos on social media of the plug plants that you're receiving in the post. Some customers - perhaps those of you who are turning to your gardens during this time of social distancing and self isolation - are asking us about what to do with their plug plants when…

Beautiful botanical crafts on Instagram

Check out these crafty creatives inspired by mother natureImage: Marisa Morton / Unsplash Nature 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…

Great British Garden Revival – series starts tonight

About a month ago we posted about the Great British Garden Revival, a new gardening show on BBC2 that aims to reignite the nation’s passion for gardens full of flowers, plants and trees. The 10-part series starts tonight at 7pm, with Monty Don and Joe Swift featuring in the first…

Living Green: Growing Your Own Vegetables

We all know how tasty fresh vegetables are in meals and salads. However, no matter how well you seem to time your visits to the grocery store, finding the freshest of produce is mostly by sheer luck. Growing your own vegetables gives you a break from grocery store trips while ensuring that you…

Growing your own cut flowers

Who doesn’t love a jug of flowers on the kitchen table?When students arrive I pop warm muffins and a pot of fresh Fairtrade coffee on the kitchen table next to a jug of flowers. It makes people feel welcome and there are always comments on how lovely the flowers are.  But when it comes to…

Rainbow vegetables – the latest trend on the veg patch!

There has been a lot of chatter about purple carrots in recent years, as chefs and cooks have wanted to jazz up their dishes, I blame Master Chef! But, Thompson & Morgan have just released the BEST purple carrot- ‘Purple Sun’- which is purple right through to the core!Purple carrots…

Autumn colour is coming

Autumn colour is coming…I am sitting looking out at the garden and there seems to be a funny tinge to the trees. They have a kind of lightness in their colour, but only here and there. Underneath one of the trees there is a scattering of leaves, the trees are shaking off the leaves from the…

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…

Why I like to grow potatoes

Read guest blogger Richard Barrett’s advice on avoiding potato blightWhy I like to grow potatoesThe potato started life as food for the poor but has risen in value to become a favourite vegetable for everybody.  I like to grow my own potatoes because I then know in what conditions they have…

National Gardening Week 14th -20th April

RHS launched National Gardening Week three years ago and has since grown into the country’s largest celebration of gardening. With a variety of events, there will certainly be something for you to dip into and enjoy the spirit of this celebration.2014 sees the 50th anniversary of RHS Britain…

What's new in the garden?

Are you stepping out of your comfort zone this year to try something new?Image source: Tom Gowanlock Are you looking for fresh inspiration? It's easy to get stuck in the trap of repeating successful plants, flowers and crops year after year, rather than trying new things. We caught up with a few…

How green is your pond?

Ponds are great way to attract wildlife to your garden. Image source: Svetlana Foote A pond will attract a variety of wildlife into the garden such as frogs, damselflies, dragonflies, water boatman and pond skaters. Many different types of birds will visit for a bath and a dip; I even had a…

Top tips for your garden in winter

Top tips for your garden in winterIt might be cold outside, but here are our top tips to keep your garden ticking over in winter. There’s plenty to do and, come spring, you’ll be thankful that you took the time to do these jobs!Insulate outdoor tapsOutdoor taps are prone to freezing…

Chillies on the go

The trick to success with chilli sowing is to keep it simple. I’ve tried all sorts of sowing methods, from expanding coir pellets and thermostatic controlled propagators to expensive home hydroponic systems – but what method has given me quick high-yielding results this season?Answer:…

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…

Yacón – makes sugar-free sweetener!

Yacón (Smallanthus sonchifolius) aka Peruvian ground apple, Bolivian sunrootYacon – makes sugar-free sweetener!Sweet-tasting tuber makes ‘no-sugar’ syrup suitable for diabeticsHere’s an interesting tuber with the texture of water chestnuts and a sweet taste of pear with a…

Gardening news – British Tomato Week, wildlife survey, ash dieback

Gardening news – read our round-up of the latest news in the gardening world.British Tomato Week 20th – 26th MayBritish Tomato Week – 20th – 26th MayThere’s nothing quite like the taste of a perfectly ripe, juicy tomato. British Tomato Week aims to encourage people to…

Was Buying a House Called ‘Brambles’ an Omen? (part four)

Was Buying a House Called “Brambles” an Omen? (part four)It is early January 2014 and it feels like it has been raining nonstop since Christmas Eve.  The ground outside is splendidly squelchy; far from the horticulturist’s ideal and workable “crumbly tilth”. The cars,…

Gardening news – National Allotments Week, butterflies and nitrogen

In this week’s gardening news we’ll be talking about National Allotments Week, the effect of weather on butterflies and a new technique to enable plants to source nitrogen from the air.National Allotments Week 5th-11th AugustThe National Allotment Society’s yearly celebration of…

Plants for Wildlife

Plants for wildlifeThere are so many benefits to attracting wildlife into your garden. Apart from saving the decline of our native species, garden wildlife also acts as a natural pest control, preventing the need to spray harmful chemicals all over your garden. If you grow fruit and vegetables,…

Hardy Fuchsia

There are few plant groups that are as diverse as the fuchsia. There is a lovely range of hardy fuchsias in the market, many with different colour foliage and form.Fuchsia Genii is a more unusual fuchsia variety, with distinctive yellow foliage. The flowers have inky blue petals backed by magenta…

The vegetable revolution

There’s a vegetable revolution going on, one which is set to change the face of allotments, and engage a whole new audience. It’s rainbow veg!Get on board with the rainbow veg movement and you’ll find that carrots are not only orange, but also purple, yellow, even white. You can…

The Chelsea Roundup

After all the buzz of setting up, last minute polishing and- for some- the clinking of champagne glasses, Chelsea Flower Show exhibitors can now sit back and rest… well almost! Let’s hope the plants can last another day; the unprecedented hot weather this week has given many exhibitors…

How to Grow Tomatoes

You can’t deny the flavour of fresh home-grown tomato straight from the vine. Their taste is far superior to the bland tomatoes offered in the supermarkets making them perfect for tomato soup and they’re really easy to grow.Growing tomatoes from seedGrowing tomato plants from seed is a…

Thompson & Morgan shortlisted for Grower of the Year 2013 awards

Thompson & Morgan is delighted to be shortlisted for the Grower of the Year 2013 awardsPoppy ‘Plum Pudding’This prestigious event is run by Horticulture Week and highlights the achievements of businesses over the last 18 months. Thompson & Morgan has been shortlisted in the…

Top tips to attract wildlife to your garden

A few changes to your garden can make it a paradise for wildlifeImage: Coatesy The best way to attract more wildlife to your garden is to provide a habitat complete with food and forage sources, shelter for a wide variety of creatures, and an accessible water source. We asked some of our favourite…

2013 photo competition winners

The winners of Thompson & Morgan’s 2013 competition winners have been announced! There were 8 categories to enter this year and the judges had a very tough time deciding on the final winner in each one.Top prizes were £100 or £250 in Thompson & Morgan vouchers and runners-up each won…

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