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How to Grow Hibiscus

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)

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 chutney recipe

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…

Houseplant Watering Guide

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…

Boost butterfly numbers with ‘Buzz’™

‘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…

Spring is on its way

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…

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…

How to improve clay or sandy soils with leafmould

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…

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…

T&M’s plant breeder scoops RHS award in recognition of his creative work

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…

Grow your own – it’s not too late

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!

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 not shallot

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…

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…

It's a Jungle Out There

We all love creatures great and small, right. I would far rather employ the birds and bees than use chemical bug control and so we go to great lengths to entice them into our garden. But then there is the small matter of our six cats to consider. And so we constructed the Catio: By encasing the…

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…

Blackcurrant bushes

Blackcurrants add an exceptional flavour to many culinary dishes and are common ingredients in jams, yoghurt’s, sorbets, summer puddings and many more. If you have any blackcurrant recipes we would love to see them!TOP TIP: Net your bushes during the summer to protect the fruits from…

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…

Potatoes masterclass: best expert content

Homegrown potatoes have a flavour unlike anything you can buy in a store Image source: Potato 'Picasso' from T&MIn this masterclass you'll find some of the very best advice on growing potatoes. It comes courtesy of gardeners who not only produce bumper crops at home or at their allotments, but…

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…

Water, water, water keeps the garden rosy

I love to see the sun as much as anybody and it certainly makes the plants grow, but they could also do with a shower of rain from time to time.Unfortunately we have not had a drop of rain for weeks, so my main job every evening is watering. In the garden its best to use the water accumulated in…

Garden redesign - Geoff Stonebanks at Driftwood

Geoff Stonebanks shares his exciting garden redesign Image: Geoff Stonebanks Catch up with one of our favourite bloggers, Geoff Stonebanks, creator and keeper of the award-winning Driftwood garden. Here he gives us an exclusive insight to the creation of his brand new Mediterranean themed area, and…

Thompson & Morgan donates flower seeds to local charities

We've just donated 100s of packets of flower seeds to local charities, ActivLives and St Elizabeth Hospice. The seeds were left over from a promotion that we ran in conjunction with Garden Answers and Garden News, two magazines published by Bauer Media, who were more than happy for the surplus…

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…

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’…

Behind the scenes at QVC

If you’re a fan of the shopping channel QVC, you may have already spotted some Thompson & Morgan products on the show. Working with QVC, we always make sure the most unique plants are on offer, often at some unbeatable deals.And now you get to see a bit more behind the scenes!Here’s…

It’s your neighbourhood – community gardening

My wife Pat and I are involved in ‘It’s Your Neighbourhood’ along with 37 other groups, we are known as Forest Road Greenbelt Garden’s. This competition was set up to encourage the improvement of our community gardening through innovative use of trees, plants and shrubs.Our…

Guide to pet-friendly house plants

Plants and pets are two things that we adore in life. Unfortunately, many common plants are toxic to cats and dogs. Since some plants are poisonous, once eaten, they cause convulsions, tremors, and even death. Even the most well-behaved pets are sure to nibble a houseplant at a particular moment.…

Hyacinths masterclass: best expert content

Hyacinths create fabulous colour displays with powerful scentImage: Hyacinth 'T&M Mix' from Thompson & MorganIf you want to force hyacinth bulbs indoors to enjoy their flower, scent and colour over the winter, here's a selection of expert advice from our favourite bloggers, YouTubers and…

Customer trial panel member profile – Bijal Mistry

Customer trial panel member Bijal has been testing plants for Thompson & Morgan for a few years. He has just joined the blogging team and will be giving updates on his garden throughout the year.Bijal MistryI started gardening as a child helping my mum planting baskets and tubs. I clearly…

Spring 2015 – what’s new?

If you haven’t requested your spring 2015 catalogue yet then you need to! This is one of our most exciting catalogues yet, bursting at the seams with new varieties, fragrant collections, competitions, offers and so much more.So, what is new?Our Incredi-range®  is blooming marvellous! Our…

Greek Salad Omelette

Greek Salad Omelette Print Recipe Pin Recipe Prep Time 5 minsCook Time 20 minsTotal Time 25 mins Servings 4 peopleCalories 371 kcal Ingredients 1x2x3x100 g feta cheese12-18 medium eggs 3 per person1 handful parsley leaves finely chopped1 large red onions sliced into wedges1 handful freshly chopped…

A dream come true with Floral Fantasia

So, I heard we (Thompson & Morgan) were having a floral fantasia trial garden this year at RHS Hyde Hall in Chelmsford and I was very pleased, and couldn't wait to visit. Then I got an email asking me to help plant it up, I was over the moon!!! Since starting my new career in Horticulture many…

Blogs to inspire you to grow your own

Beginner or experienced veg grower? Sharing tips helps produce bumper cropsImage: Shutterstock Food you grow yourself is fresh, healthy, and nutritious, but if you're new to gardening, it's not always easy to know where to start. If you're wondering whether you have the space or the knowhow to grow…

Preparing for 2014 – potato blight

We are in an area which suffers yearly with potato blight (Phytophthora infestans) and once you have had this terrible potato disease in your allotment or garden then it seems like it is with you permanently! There are still some copper based products that haven’t been taken off the market…

Decorating with Houseplants

Image: Shutterstock This guide to decorating with houseplants shows you how to get creative with plant shape, texture, colour and size. Plants breathe life into sterile spaces and which houseplants you select and how you arrange them will affect the dynamics of your space and create different…

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