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Petunias and a bit of plant snobbery

Petunias and a bit of plant snobberyWe all have opinions about plants, some we like, some we do not. We may regard some plants as rather garish, maybe too flouncy and blousy, maybe just too yellow for our taste. We make judgements on plants much the same as we make judgements on anything else. We…

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…

Lessons learnt from a beginner gardener – 18 months on

In December 2012 I wrote my first blog for Thompson & Morgan, all about my first year as a grower of vegetables. Time has passed by rapidly and I have learnt so much in the past 18 months as a beginner gardener. I thought it was time to tell you more about what I have been up too.Season two…

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…

How to stop cats using your garden for a toilet

Looking for ways to prevent unwanted cats visiting your garden? Image: lkoimages Fed up with neighbourhood cats fouling your flower beds, digging up seedlings, and damaging your plants? Potential solutions to the problem are many, but no one method is 100% successful, which is why it's best to…

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:…

Oca – the taste test

Oca – the taste testIn January one of our guest bloggers wrote about oca, a vegetable originally from South America that’s grown very much like potatoes. The knobbly tubers need a relatively long growing season before being harvested in the autumn, about 2 weeks after frost has killed…

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…

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…

The Top Ten Pop Songs proven to boost plant growth

As the UK's best-known horticultural company, Thompson & Morgan is always at the cutting edge of plant innovation and welfare. We strive to give all our plants the best possible environments to grow in and we're continually looking for new ways of bringing out the very best in our plants before…

Oh peas behave!

Peas can be sown successionally for a continuous crop throughout the summer If you love the idea of sowing pea and bean seeds and want to try growing them at home or on your allotment, we asked trained horticulturist, Sam Corfield, to talk you through his pea season. A man who likes to keep things…

Ten Wonderful Wildlife Blogs

Feel inspired - and grab your binoculars - for a chance to spot these elusive little creatures this summer Image:Shutterstock If you love nothing better than to 'stand and stare' in the hope of spotting some of the UK's phenomenal, but rather shy, wildlife, have we got a treat for you. Here's our…

What’s new at Thompson & Morgan?

Here at Thompson & Morgan we strive to excel in customer service, to be able to provide you with top quality products, expert advice and a no fuss approach to gardening. That being said, we know that there is always room for improvement and this year we have made a few changes and added new…

Photo competition winners announced!

2012 photo competition winners announcedThe winners of Thompson & Morgan’s 2012 photo competition have been announced! This year we received hundreds of entries for each category – thank you to all who participated. The decisions were made much more difficult by the high quality of…

The seedy side of rose growing

The seedy side of rose growingBy Jane ScorerRose ‘Garden Party’I’m rose-obsessed and I admit it! I love them all, from the teeny, weeny miniatures to the towering giants, and my intention is to cram as many as I can into my garden. So, how happy was I, last year, to see plug…

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,…

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 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…

Therapeutic Gardening – How has it helped Melanie ?

Here Thrive, the UK charity that uses therapeutic gardening to change lives, shows how it has made a difference to Melanie’s life.Two years ago when Melanie came to Thrive just after her father died, she was, in her own words, a different person. Losing both parents (her mother had died some…

Potato recipe competiton – Bubble and Squeak Cakes

This tasty potato recipe is a twist on the traditional bubble and squeak and was sent in by Karen Smith. It’s the perfect accompaniment to many savoury dishes.Bubble and Squeak CakesBubble and Squeak CakesIngredientsPotatoes (no set amount, roughly 60% potato to 40% cabbage)Savoy cabbage,…

SowStrong® – A Natural Way to Growing Success

SowStrong® – A Natural Way to Growing SuccessThe coloured coating allows a precise sowingNew and exclusive to Thompson & Morgan in 2013 is the new SowStrong® range. Featured in the 12th January issue of Amateur Gardening, these vegetable seeds have been coated with 100% natural 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…

From Rake To Bake - Cheats Curry for One

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. June is perfect for making Cheats Curry for One With crops sown in late winter now bursting in the allotment, greenhouse or garden, this month, I…

Clematis – how, when and where?

Clematis is such a versatile plant and can be grown in containers, borders and even trained up walls. You should now be thinking about planting clematis in early autumn, for flowers next winter and late summer.  Autumn is the perfect time for planting clematis as the weather is cooler and the soil…

Begonia trial - new obsession?

Begonia Apricot Shades Improved' F1 Hybrid adds colour & dimension to every part of your gardenImage: Thompson & Morgan As part of a regular series, award-winning gardener Jean Willis explains her latest obsession with begonias and shares an honest account of the recent successes and…

Easy gardening tips from the experts

Make the most of these tried and tested tips from experienced gardeners. Image source: welcomia A great way to get the most from your garden is to follow the advice and guidance of generous gardeners who've already been there and done it. Here we bring you some top growing tips from expert…

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…

Autumn news update from Thompson & Morgan

Left: T&M Flower of the Year Nasturtium 'Orchid Flame' Right: Beetroot Morello Photo credit: Thompson & Morgan New Season We're pleased to announce that we've seen a strong start to sales from our newly-launched 2019 mail order seed range. Flower of the Year, Nasturtium 'Orchid Flame', Beet…

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.…

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…

Top soil care tips from the experts

Look after your soil and reap good quality produce. Image source: LedyX Take care of your soil as though your yield depends on it - because it does. To help you keep your garden hale and hearty, here we bring you some of our favourite gardening bloggers' tips for keeping your soil in top condition.…

Formative Winter Pruning on Mature Apples and Pears

Hi all, If you read my last blog you'll know I was talking about the different types of gardeners we all are. Since then I've been doing some thinking and I've had my performance review at work and I'm now working towards becoming a fruit loop! I'd like to learn more about fruit growing, training…

The sweetest tomato you’ll ever taste – or your money back

The sweetest tomato you’ll ever taste – or your money backTomato Sweet Aperitif‘I’m so confident you won’t be disappointed, that I’ll give you your money back if you don’t think this is the best tomato you’ve ever tasted’.This is the strong…

Small garden? Dont panic!

If the plant bug has bitten you, and you’ve filled your garden already, then you need to think; ‘what do cities do when they run of space..?’ Answer: they build upwards! You can use this same concept in your own garden to great effect. There’s no excuse to have bare fences…

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…

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,…

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