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Steve Woodward – tales from the allotment

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…

British blackcurrants – the home-grown superfruit

Blackcurrants – easy to grow and extremely good for youLabelled as the ‘mini marvel’, British blackcurrants are possibly one of the healthiest fruits you can eat. They’re packed full of vitamins and minerals and have many health benefits. Modern breeding methods mean that…

Gardening news – acute oak decline, slugs devouring wildflowers

Snippets from this week’s gardening news stories…Big Butterfly CountBig Butterfly CountButterflies’ dwindling numbers have been in the news a lot recently and we also posted a few articles on how to encourage butterflies into your garden. This week sees the start of the Big…

Lockdown at Driftwood!

2020 so far has been a bit of a blur on many levels at Driftwood. Back in February, having not long had a new dog, Chester, he escaped from the house and I had to chase up the road after him pulling the ligaments in my left leg into the bargain!®Geoff Stonebanks - Chester relaxing in the garden!To…

Indoor plants are the perfect Christmas gifts

It is said that as you get older the excitement over Christmas slowly goes. Is it because we know that our purses will be seeing more action than ever? Or because we know we are going to get the same generic Christmas present? I know that each year I will get perfume, pyjamas, chocolates and a…

Vibrant veg growing blogs

Take some tips from these amazing bloggers about growing veg!Image: Shutterstock If growing veg is your thing, you'll love our selection of some of the best vibrant veg growing blogs around. From ingenious folk who garden the smallest of plots, to budding self-sufficiency enthusiasts and…

Customer trials – update from Caroline Broome

Customer trials – update from Caroline BroomeCaroline has been sending us regular updates with photos of her trial products, but as we’re a little late adding them to the blog, please note that references to planting out times may be a bit out of date. We do apologise and will add…

Five entries shortlisted for RHS Chelsea Plant of the Year

FIVE THOMPSON & MORGAN ENTRIES SHORTLISTED FOR RHS CHELSEA PLANT OF THE YEARWe're so proud to announce that FIVE of our seven entries into the prestigious RHS Chelsea Flower Show Plant of the Year competition have today been shortlisted. We were awarded this very distinguished accolade in 2012…

Geoff Stonebanks Driftwood Garden Update

I saw this posted on social media recently! 'Gardening is an art that uses ´¼éowers and plants as paint, and the soil and sky as canvas'. It was credited to Elizabeth Murray. It really tugged at my own perception of how I garden myself. As someone who has no formal background in gardening of any…

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…

The Delights of Dahlias

After languishing for a while outside garden fashion, dahlias are suddenly being recognised again for their very many useful attributes. Long in flower (June to early December in a sheltered spot), easy to grow, invaluable in the summer border, a desirable cut flower ' the list goes on! They offer…

Amaranthus – the jungle plant

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…

Photo competition winners 2014

This is our favourite time of year, when we get to judge all the stunning entries to our competitions. However, this year we decided to do things a little differently and we asked you to help us pick the winning photos.Michael Perry short listed each category down to his six favourites of which we…

What soil type do I have?

It is really important for any gardener to spend time finding out what soil type they have in their garden. There is no point investing in plants and trying to grow specific varieties that simply won’t grow in your soil conditions.  Finding out what soil type you have is actually quite easy,…

Diary one – Sweet pea: the ‘root’ of success

As we gardeners know, there are many correct ways to do almost everything.  However, whether experienced or amateur, we are guilty of carrying on unquestioningly, just because that’s how we’ve always done it. We all get into habits over the years, but it often pays to question why we…

Tops Tips for Styling Your Garden 2020

We are looking for new ways to adapt during COVID-19 Pandemic. Our gardens can be an extension of our indoor space - you may want to enjoy the ambience of sitting in your garden with your family, or to grow your vegetables and herbs for health benefits . You can make the most of your garden during…

Hydrangea

Walk around any neighbourhood during the summer and you’ll see plenty of glorious Hydrangeas. They’re one of the most tough and durable shrubs for a European climate. They’re also available in a huge range of colours… although, you wouldn’t know it, as most of the ones…

Houseplant Lighting Guide

Image: Shutterstock Houseplants function as living décor, making your home look beautiful. They also introduce nature into sterile indoor environments, injecting mood-boosting natural greenery. Finding creative ways to display your plants is the fun part, but before you do that, it is essential to…

TomTato® – harvest potatoes AND tomatoes from the same plant

World exclusive TomTato®Harvest potatoes AND tomatoes from the same plantThompson & Morgan announces another major horticultural breakthrough. Specially hand-grafted plants producing potatoes AND tomatoes are now available to UK home gardeners for the first time.More than 500 sweet and juicy…

Chelsea Flower Show, the floral sweet shop

I’m like a kid in a sweet shop when it comes to plants.. Well, there’s no better sweet shop than the RHS Chelsea Flower Show! Even if you don’t know your tulip from your tropaeolum, it’s hard not to be enthralled by this prestigious show, which will be in its centenary year…

Top 5 favourite hedges

Hedges are a great way to partition different areas of your gardenImage: Stephanie Braconnier/Shutterstock A hedge is an integral part of any garden, providing privacy and security while supplying wildlife with food and shelter too. A practical way to partition your outside space without the need…

Gardening on a budget

In his first blog post for Thompson & Morgan, gardener Richard Laker writes about the challenges of gardening on a budget…My name is Richard Laker, I am (just) the better side of 30. I live on the North Essex coastline and this is the start of my second full year gardening at this house.I…

Thompson & Morgan names exclusive tomato mix its ‘Veg of the Year’

Tomato Rainbow Blend – Vegetable of the Year 2013Tomato Rainbow Blend – a stunning blend of ‘baby plum’ tomatoes in yellow, orange and red – plus a rare and unusual pink.Tomatoes are Thompson & Morgan’s No. 1 selling vegetable and the company offers an…

Thompson & Morgan supplies flower bulbs for ‘Spruce up Sproughton’

Thompson & Morgan was recently contacted to provide a number of flower bulbs for ‘Spruce up Sproughton’, a local community project.The 6-month project to improve the safety and overall appearance of a Suffolk village underpass was completed this week, with help from the local police…

The Fuchsia Festival

We will be celebrating all things fuchsia in 2015 with a filled fuchsia festival calendar of online activities running right through to autumn. We have top growing advice from our experts, exciting blogs from customers and staff and on top of that we are launching more than 20 new fuchsia varieties…

7 wonderful ways to sow wildflowers

Wildflowers deliver colour, scent, texture and interest to gardens large and smallImage: shutterstock Wildflowers are a colourful, low-maintenance and cost-effective way to make your garden buzz with life. Particularly attractive to pollinators, they provide important food and shelter for a wide…

Moving abroad with plants - how to make it work

Every plant lover would agree that plants make a house feels like home. Therefore, it's only natural to want to bring them with you when you're moving abroad. You've put so much effort into growing them, and you have them for months, maybe even years, so it doesn't seem right to leave them behind.…

Top ten wildflowers

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…

Oca

Guest blogger Phillippa Lambert writes about growing Oca – a versatile and tasty vegetable.OcaA new vegetable crop for me this year is Oca (Oxalis tuberosa), along with Yacon, (a treat for next growing season), Oca is one of the ‘lost crops’ of the Incas, and a staple crop in…

Best interiors Instagrammers to follow

Follow these accounts and get interior design inspirationImage: @poppyrobin_myhome Do you want to give your home a stylish new makeover and change things up a bit? Here are some of the best Instagram accounts to provide inspiration. Not only do these clever creatives offer a peek at their truly…

Petunias – customer trial panel update

I love petunias but with last year’s awful weather I was reluctant to grow them this year – I did not want to have another year of soggy flowers.As usual when the T&M plants catalogue came in spring there were so many new and unusual petunias I just could not resist giving them…

Black Friday 2014

Black Friday UK is becoming more popular every year, and since its origination in America it has become highly recognised worldwide. Black Friday occurs the day after thanksgiving and unofficially marks the start of the Christmas shopping season. With deals dominating both online and in-store, you…

Make a change to your plant choices – 2

In my second ‘make a change to your plant choices’ article I’ll be showing you some superb varieties that have the edge of other plants and vegetables in our range.Runner Bean Moonlight – self-fertile beansGrow Runner Bean Moonlight, not Lady DiWhy?Bad weather and…

Taking inspiration from The Chelsea Flower Show

I have been to Chelsea before – I have always loved it and I’m sure I always will. Never before have I felt so excited about going as I did this year. The last time I went to Chelsea, it was the second day and I went with one of my best friends, a florist who runs a fantastic florist…

8 great gardening podcasts

Get inspiration in the garden with these eight horticultural podcastsImage: PavelKant Gardening podcasts are a fabulous source of horticultural entertainment and inspiration. They make perfect rainy-day listening and can also get you through the most mundane of gardening tasks. So pop in your…

Growing raspberries with children

Raspberry Ruby Beauty' is a thornless variety, ideal for growing with kidsImage: Raspberry Ruby Beauty (Summer Fruiting) from Thompson & MorganChildren love growing things they can pick and eat straight from the plant, and soft fruits are particular favourites. Raspberry 'Ruby Beauty' is a…

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