This tasty potato recipe comes from Sharon Rutland and uses fresh nasturtium leaves or flowers for peppery kick.Spanish Hot PotatoesSpanish Hot PotatoesIngredientsOne large potato per person, the size normally used for baked potatoesOlive oilGround dried garlicGround dried paprikaOne small red…
Update 30th July – see photos at the end of this post!Harry Cook, Thompson & Morgan trial panel member, and his wife Pat are members of It’s Your Neighbourhood with Loughborough in Bloom and look after the area called ‘The Green Belt’ around their house. Here Harry…
What a difference two years can make! Back in spring 2012, I planted five Tree Lily ‘Pink Explosion’ bulbs deep into a large, glazed patio pot filled with a 50/50 mix of multi-purpose and loam-based compost. I then stood back expecting big things.Big things I got! Come mid-summer, thick…
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…
Hoorah, my seed potatoes have arrived and are safely set out in egg boxes on the window sill. I have just used the last of last years crop which kept beautifully in the frost free shed. The onions from last season are still going well with no sign of any shooting or rot as are the Shallots and…
If you have grown potatoes before you will know the feeling of disappointment when you harvest your potatoes and what you have in front of you is a poor specimen of potato.Why not switch to planting one tuber per 8 litre potato growing bag, and not only will you be stunned by the yields, you…
Despite the wet start to this year I have still managed to finish my winter digging. Despite the allotment site being clay soil, my plots have had so much organic matter added to it over the years that it makes digging easy. I hardly have to put my foot on the spade to get it into the soil.The last…
Agapanthus Fireworks We're so pleased to announce that its Plant of the Year entry Agapanthus 'Fireworks' has been placed third today at RHS Chelsea Flower Show. It was one of six plants that we heard this morning were on the final shortlist of 20 entrants. Agapanthus 'Fireworks' is a world first…
Love lies Bleeding originates in Jamaica, where it is also eaten. I might throw some leaves into a green risotto and see what happens. What it has done for me though is to bring a jungle effect into my garden. Pink monkey tails and greenery gently waving in the breeze.I sowed my amaranthus seeds…
Next in my ‘Make a change to your plant choices’ theme are some hard-working plants for beds, baskets and borders.Laurentia ‘Indigo Stars’If your bedding and basket plants don’t usually last beyond August, then try this…Laurentia ‘Indigo Stars’This…
Hardy fuchsia 'Hawkshead' produces delicate white blossomsImage: Fuchsia 'Hawkshead' from Thompson & Morgan Hardy fuchsia plants are excellent all-rounders, showcasing a fabulous range of flower forms throughout the season. From delicate four-petalled blooms to blowsy giants, they're a great…
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. May is perfect for making Mint n' Chocolate Biscuits. Hands up who only uses the mint in their garden for savoury dishes? Yet, it is so much more…
Our new garden ready trio consists of our three customer favourites, Sweet William Mixed, Polyanthus Most Scented Mixed and Primrose Husky Mixed. There is no need to wait, our garden ready trio can be planted straight into your garden – it couldn’t be easier! Our garden ready plants…
A Beginners Guide to Growing a Veg GardenWhy grow veg? For me it’s ultimately about cooking, with the added incentive of being in nature in a way that I find enjoyable. It’s also better value, seasonal, greener and gives me a feeling of history, past and legacy. It’s about that…
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…
Some gardens are made to inspire - and here are some inspiring garden blogsImage: shutterstock Some gardens and gardening blogs are just too good to not to share, which is why we've scoured the web to bring you a bunch of superb blogs that showcase some really special gardens and truly dedicated…
It's a very exciting time of year. RHS Chelsea Flower Show preparations are in full swing and the countdown is on. This year, Thompson & Morgan is teaming up with Sparsholt College who are creating a 'Behind the Genes' show garden which is diving into the science behind plant breeding and…
Ian and Stuart Paton have broken the UK record for a giant pumpkin for the 9th time! They reclaim throne with their 1,884 lbs beauty after it was stolen from them last year.The gargantuan gourd measured more than 17ft in circumference and during its peak period of growth piled on a staggering 35lb…
Summer is the prime time for your plants as they will be looking their very best. Beautiful blooms of Buddleja Buzz™, turbo-charged trailing fuchsias and shimmering metallic Begonia ‘Garden Angels’ will be catching everyone’s eyes. Our gardening competitions give you the…
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…
Do you grow your own fruit, veg and flowers and do you know what to do with them?Are you the complete kitchen gardener?Do you grow your own? BBC Two needs you!Producers at BBC Two are creating a brand new show to find the nation’s best kitchen gardener. With food prices on the increase,…
Hibiscus flowers are one of the most beautiful flowers you can find. And guess what? They can be easily grown in your own home or garden. Let's discuss what are the most popular types of Hibiscus and what you can do to properly care for them, whether you opt for a hardy garden variety or a tender…
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,…
Tomato chutneyThe Marmalade Teapot Print Recipe Pin Recipe Ingredients 1 kg tomatoes 2 onions 2 cloves garlic 250 g soft light brown sugar 300 ml cider vinegar tsp ground ginger tsp paprika 2 tsp mustard seeds Notes Tomatoes are delicious, easy to grow, and packed with antioxidants. Gluts of…
Image: ShutterstockTo water or not to water? That is the question asked by many a gardener, their watering can hovering over a stubbornly mute Aspidistra which refuses to reveal whether it's thirsty or not! 'When did I last water it?' you ask yourself. 'Last week? Last month? .... Last year?' At…
‘Save Our Butterflies’ Week 18th – 26th MayBeautiful, scented, dwarf butterfly bushes perfect for small gardensLast summer’s disastrous impact on our butterfly population has been widely reported in recent weeks. So what can we do about dwindling butterfly numbers in…
After all the horrendous rain, gales and floods I think I can at last say I believe spring is on its way. The heavy rains have stopped here in Bournemouth although we are still getting heavy showers, but in between we have had sunshine with reasonable temperatures. We have to repair a couple of…
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…
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…
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…
Satisfaction twice - from growing, and from arranging. Image: shutterstock As spring arrives and temperatures start to rise, my thoughts turn to flowers. And not just flowers to be enjoyed in the garden. I'm talking about those grown specifically for cutting, to allow me to bring a little of that…
Charles Valin at Thompson & Morgan’s plant breeding grounds near IpswichCharles Valin, Thompson & Morgan’s plant breeder has been awarded the 2013 Reginald Cory Memorial Cup by the Royal Horticultural Society.This prestigious award is given to encourage and reward the production…
Plant vegetables, herbs and flowers together for optimum resultsImage source: Irina Fischer Companion planting is the art of growing different plants together to achieve certain benefits, such as helping with pest control, encouraging pollination or increasing crop yields. With a little thought,…
Grow your own – it’s not too late!Sow petunias under glass nowSpring may be late this year, but there is still plenty of time to grow your own. In fact, waiting and sowing later when the soil and weather conditions are better means that your seeds will germinate more successfully than…
Gardening Adventure – Gardening Beginner!My beginner’s garden is still very much that. I still don’t seem to know what I am doing but I think it’s coming together. Though I do know that I am not dedicating enough time to it. Still, I spent a sunny day back in April (that…
Onions are grown by a large number of gardeners and used in multiple culinary dishes. It really is surprising that so many people grow onions but don’t grow and have never tried growing shallots. Both onions and shallots are easy to grow and they make the perfect beginner crop for new…
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