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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…

Primrose – the queen of spring!

Primrose ‘Husky’ MixedHello,Just a few minutes planning now can make your outdoor space the envy of all once spring arrives! And this is all thanks to the queen of spring, the primrose!When you think the garden has given up the ghost and you’re cranking up the central heating…

Garden past its best, time for composting

Some things in the garden are now past their best and will need composting or cutting back if I don’t need the seed heads.I normally have the greenhouses empty by now, but this year the tomatoes are still going strong, so leaving them a little longer.The patioThe other greenhouse is full of…

Raspberry tartlets

Raspberry tartletsThompson & MorganAn impressive summer dessert that utilises your allotment fruit. Great for entertaining or as an additon to an afternoon tea selection Print Recipe Pin Recipe Prep Time 1 hr 30 minsCook Time 30 minsTotal Time 2 hrs Course Dessert Servings 8 Ingredients…

Fuchsia Festival at Driftwood

It’s like a fuchsia festival every summer in my garden! I have been collecting them since inheriting 2 standard specimens from family members, one from my Aunt, Margaret Grindrod, in 2004 (plant pictured in 2005 on left) and one from my father, Ron Stonebanks, in 2007, (plant pictured in …

Is it ripe yet?

Growing your own crops is so satisfying, not forgetting about all the health benefits of eating fresh vegetables too. We spend a lot of time caring for our crops, protecting them from frosts, fighting off pests and disease and generally nurturing them until they are ready to harvest. However,…

T&M raises over £1000 for EACH charity

During November and December 2013 and January 2014, staff at Thompson & Morgan took part in the EACH £50 challenge – and raised over £1000!Julie Rush receives a £50 note from Vanessa Bell, Suffolk Fundraiser for EACHThe challenge itself was to turn £50 into as much money for the EACH…

Moving house in the middle of the growing season

Moving house in the middle of the growing season isn’t ideal timing for a keen gardener! Knowing back in March that I’d be relocating in June, I reluctantly held back on my usual flurry of spring seed sowing, concentrating only on small batches of those plants that I just couldn’t…

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…

Begonias masterclass: best expert content

Try Funky Pink' begonias for masses of large, unusually-shaped, double flowersImage: Begonia 'Funky Pink' from Thompson & MorganHere you'll find the best begonia-related articles, videos, and Instagram stories from across the web - in fact, everything you need to know to help you grow your own…

Gardening gifts for christmas

Our Christmas gifts for gardeners range is new for 2014 to bring you some added inspiration to find that perfect Christmas gift. Christmas is the perfect time to buy your loved one something they need, would like or don’t know they need! As a gardener there is always something that can come…

T&M wins Grow Your Own magazine awards

We’re thrilled to have been voted the winner in FOUR categories of the Grow Your Own magazine awards for 2013. We’re particularly proud to have won Best Online Retailer. Knowing that we’re up against some pretty serious competition in the horticultural online marketplace, it…

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…

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’…

Gardening news – time to start gardening

Read our selection of the week’s gardening news here.Time to start gardening!Time to start gardeningIt’s time to get your gardening gloves on and brave the cold! Spring is late this year, but the RHS has advised gardeners to get on with vital gardening jobs, otherwise they risk getting…

Alison Levey

Guest blogger Alison Levey writes about her vegetable eating and growing experiences and the satisfaction of growing sweetcorn from seed…The joy of sweetcornI have to begin this post with a confession, there are far more vegetables I do not like than I actually do.  In terms of vegetables it…

Thompson & Morgan scoops top award

Thompson & Morgan scoops top award – another win at RHS ChelseaPaul Hansord and Michael Perry with the winning plantThompson & Morgan is thrilled to announce that its ‘Plant of the Year’ entry has yet again been placed in the top three at this year’s RHS Chelsea…

THOMPSON & MORGAN TAKES FIRST AND THIRD PLACES FOR RHS CHELSEA PLANT OF THE YEAR

Hydrangea hybrid Runaway Bride 'Snow White' SunBelievable™ 'Brown Eyed Girl' We're thrilled to announce that our entry 'Hydrangea hybrid 'Runaway Bride 'Snow White' has today been awarded the prestigious accolade of RHS Chelsea Flower Show Plant of the Year. When we announced yesterday that…

Gardening news – autumn planting, bees and butterflies

Autumn planting is the big topic in this week’s gardening news!Autumn is the best time to plant many bulbs including tulipsPlan it, plant it this autumnThe ‘Plan it, plant it this autumn’ campaign run by the Horticultural Trade Association is now in its second year. The campaign…

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…

Watering, watering, watering

So, with the recent heat wave (when I say 'heat wave' it felt more like someone was blow-torching the back of my neck - through the factor 50) and with all the watering I had to do. Not only my own garden by the way, but also for friend who is away in the south of France for a month - for some…

Gardening news – Fraxinus game, bees, travelling plants

It’s been quite a week for gardening news, read our update here…New Facebook game aims to get to the bottom of ash diebackNew Facebook game aims to protect ash trees from ash diebackA new Facebook game  has just been launched, in which players have to match coloured leaves that…

Japanese garden adventure

We have all seen Japanese gardens in the UK, haven’t we? They were all the rage back in the early 90′s!But, have you seen the other way around, an English garden in Japan? Well, Barakura was the brainchild of fashion designer, Kay Yamada, and after 20 years, represents the most…

How to grow Hyacinth bulbs in water

Hyacinths such as Berries and Cream Mixture can be grown in water to enjoy throughout the depths of winterCopyright: Dutch Gardens Growing hyacinths in water gives you the chance to enjoy vibrant and beautifully scented spring bulbs in the depths of winter. In fact, with a little bit of planning,…

6 Lawn Care Jobs To Do This Spring

Spring is an important time in the lawn care calendar. In order to help your lawn recover from the stresses of winter you'll need to give it a bit of TLC. If you get your lawn care jobs done in spring, it'll look fantastic heading into the summer. When to Start Spring Lawn Care For most of us in…

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…

How to get the most out of your vegetable plot

You don’t need a huge garden to grow your own food, as you can grow vegetables in containers and flower borders. There are so many health benefits to growing your own fruit and vegetables, not forgetting that gardening alone can burn hundreds of calories!The national guideline is 5 portions…

Fuchsias – The Big Bloomers

At Thompson & Morgan, we have been selling plants for over 20 years now, including thousands, if not millions, of fuchsias! Our customers love a good fuchsia; from the small-flowered, table top style to the glorious trailing varieties. But, for now, we’re talking about the ‘big…

RHS Chelsea Flower Show

The RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2014 runs from 20 – 24 May. You cannot deny that the RHS Chelsea Flower Show is the pinnacle of any horticultural calendar. Although it can divide public opinion with some of the garden designs, the event is a fantastic showcase for new plants, undiscovered plants…

Essential Tips for Growing Indoor Bonsai Trees

The ancient art of bonsai has long been revered for its ability to draw inner peace, centre the mind, and cultivate a deep connection with the natural world. What's more, if you're keeping an indoor bonsai tree, science tells us they also help to purify the air we breathe in addition to serving as…

Make a change to your plant choices – 3

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…

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…

My Fuchsia Experience so far – by Lucas Hatch

Last year I bought the Thompson & Morgan Fuchsia ‘Giant Collection’. It included some of the biggest fuchsia flowers I had ever seen, Bella Rosella, Bicentennial, Quasar, Seventh Heaven and voodoo. It amazed me how quickly they grew and how well they flowered.Why I love fuchsias I…

T&M's highly-regarded horticulturalist celebrates 50 years in horticulture

Left: The Sun's Peter Seabrook (L) presents Colin Randel (R) with engraved garden fork and spade Right: Colin Randel, Thompson & Morgan's vegetable product manager and potato expert Photo credits: Thompson & Morgan Colin Randel, our product manager and vegetable expert here at Thompson…

Horticultural Etiquette

Is there a code of horticultural etiquette? Since the recent RHS poll which revealed that one-fifth of gardeners discard of their snails by putting them over their neighbours fence, we have been thinking of other rules and regulations in the gardening world. 78% of those polled by the RHS said they…

High value, low cost plants Cerinthe major ‘Purpurascens’

Of all the garden plants which give high value for a small financial outlay, one of my favourites has to be Cerinthe major ‘Purpurascens’. For the price of a packet of seeds, you are unlikely ever to be without this plant as it readily self-sows, although not so much that it seems if…

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