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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…

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…

Overwintering Edibles

As I write this first post we're entering Autumn. There is a noticeable shift in the seasons as the mornings are a little nippy now but, thankfully, we still have some bright days to enjoy working outside. Things are still battling on outside including my dwarf beans, variety Ferrari, swede even…

RHS Chelsea Flower Show – 100-year gnome ban lifted

The RHS has announced that its 100-year ban on garden gnomes is to be lifted!Gnomes welcome at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show… but only this yearTo mark the centenary of the Chelsea Flower Show, celebrities have been invited to decorate and paint gnomes, which will feature in the show before…

Grafted veg - The advantages of going that extra step

Freshly grafted plants Last year we at Thompson & Morgan started to sell grafted vegetable plants such as tomatoes and cucumbers; this year we have extended the range to include melons and watermelons too! Too much trouble? So why graft a plant that's only going to be around for a season or two…

Futuristic foxgloves

Futuristic foxglovesFoxglove ‘Illumination Pink’Thompson & Morgan are like magicians when it comes to plants.. we breed our own!So, if we see a plant that is short-changing gardeners, perhaps only flowering for a fleeting moment, then we can step in and make some slight…

Win prizes in our Big Spring Giveaway

Every day in February we’re offering you the chance to win some fabulous prizes in the Big Spring Giveaway!Prizes include a backstage experience at Gardeners’ Question Time, membership to the RHS for a year, a place on a ‘Grow your own cut flowers course’ and many more.For…

From Rake To Bake - Egg-cellent Potato Salad.

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. July is perfect for making Egg-cellent Potato Salad. With second-lates and main-crop potatoes in abundance grown either in sacks or the ground,…

Gardening New Year Resolutions

It’s that time of year where we start to make commitments to join the gym, stop smoking, or to tick something else off our bucket list. But, what we want to know are your gardening New Year resolutions. Is there anything you did wrong last year that you will not repeat this year? Do you want…

Growing vertically

Growing verticallyBoth of us were staring at the same wall mounted moss collage in a corner of the Grand Marquee at the Chelsea Flower Show. We got chatting and I found that my new acquaintance was no less than Sue Fisher, the author of ‘Growing up the Wall’.Moss wallGreen walls have…

2013 photo competition winners

The winners of Thompson & Morgan’s 2013 competition winners have been announced! There were 8 categories to enter this year and the judges had a very tough time deciding on the final winner in each one.Top prizes were £100 or £250 in Thompson & Morgan vouchers and runners-up each won…

Celebrating 21 years of Duchy Originals

In September, Thompson & Morgan received an invitation to Clarence House to celebrate 21 years of Duchy Originals, as a thank you for being involved in the organic business venture started by HRH The Prince of Wales.A keen gardener himself, the Duke of Cornwall spent some time talking to the…

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…

Sweet Hot Chilli and Tomato Chutney Recipe

Tonight on BBC Two, we watch the remaining 7 pairs of allotmenteers make their own chutney. Cooking is the perfect way to make use of any left over produce in your garden or allotment. Belinda Estell brings us her sweet hot chilli and tomato chutney recipe, a fabulous recipe to use up a glut of…

Move over marigolds.. ..new bedding plants fly in the face of tradition

It’s time for those traditional bedding favourites such as marigolds, salvias and petunias to step aside. There are some new kids in town and they’re about to show they mean business.Penstemon ‘Wedding Bells’ MixedAlready a top-seller within weeks of the launch of Thompson…

Beating Blue Monday

Beating Blue Monday in the gardenBeating Blue MondayToday is Blue Monday, apparently the most depressing day of the year. According to research, people working in horticulture are less likely to be affected (see our recent post ‘Gardening best for job satisfaction for more info). With this in…

Happy New Year

Back in January 2017, I had this crazy idea to photograph the back garden from the same point, on the same date, each month! Some might think I'm mad, I probably did myself back then, but it is interesting, even for me, to take a look at the 12 images as a picture diary of what happened in the…

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…

Zany Zinnias!

Zinnia varieties come in deliciously fruity shades Image: Canva I'm an unabashed lover of zinnias. There is something about the luminosity of their colours and their unique shape - a ruff of stiff petals surrounding a central cone which is crowned with star-shaped golden florets - which I find…

News update from Thompson & Morgan

Begonia MacaRouge', Busy Lizzie Wild Romance White' and Busy Lizzie Wild Romance Red' New Spring Range Preview Plant selection for our 2020 spring range is well under way. As always, full details are kept secret until the launch, but we can give you a sneak preview of a couple of plants that…

Suffolk Show 2013 – setting up the T&M stand

T&M’s Sonia Mermagen has been helping long-time vegetable exhibitor Arthur Davies set up Thompson & Morgan’s stand at this year’s Suffolk Show.Breaking news: Arthur and Mary’s display won the Notcutt Trophy for Best Exhibit in the flower tent and a gold…

Rewilding the lawn

This white tailed bumble bee is enjoying selfheal flowers which have spontaneously popped up in an unmown lawn Image: Plantlife Which would you choose? A barren desert wasteland? Or a tapestry of wild flowers teaming with insects, mammals and birds? Lawns are great for leisure and as a foil to…

Share your story on our blog

Write for Thompson & Morgan’s blogWe’d like to invite you to be part of our social community – the Thompson & Morgan gardening blog. We’re looking for bloggers to write posts about gardening-related topics.We will consider publishing well-written, informative…

Richard Mulcahy

Guest blogger Richard Mulcahy has a shady plot in Co. Antrim and writes here about his allotment and growing early rhubarb.Shady plotsIn the winter months, I get a chance to think and reflect upon my plot. Leaning on the allotment fence today, I thought back two years to when I first got the…

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.…

Hanging basket habits revealed

A vibrant display of hanging baskets can make your garden in summer pop!Image: Nurserymans Choice Hanging Basket Mixed Collection from T&M A recent Thompson & Morgan survey has revealed some surprising habits, when it comes to summer hanging baskets. Love them or loathe them, nothing sets…

We Love Chillies!

Dearest reader, Harrison (left), William (right). How do you do? Indeed, well. . . ! We are William and Harrison Scowsill, (28, 27). Perhaps like us, you also ogle and dream of acquiring interesting and rare varieties of plants and seeds from all corners of the globe whilst enjoying the catharsis…

Top 10 Houseplants : The Best of the Bunch and How to Grow Them

Image: Shutterstock From Monkey Leaves to Mother-in-Law's Tongue, houseplants offer a dazzling variety of leaf shapes, forms, and colours. And from bright, warm window sills, to cool humid bathrooms, they each have their own preferences for where and how they like to live. In case you are feeling…

Plants for Pets: A Guide to Pet-Friendly Houseplants

Pets and plants don't always go together. My 'Border Terrorists', Ogmore and Dylan, are notorious for chomping foliage. Whilst they mainly graze on Dog Mercury and other outdoor weeds, they have also unleashed their rasping tongues on my once elegant Bamboo Palm ( Dypsis lutescens),leaving it…

One allotment, two children and a caravan

Hello. I’m Urvashi and I have an allotment in Enfield. I waited a while for it and had almost given up hope when the phone rang and the ever so lovely membership chap said I had three plots to choose from.I went for the one with the tree and the caravan. I knew my girls would love both.…

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…

Win up to £250 in our photo competitions

Win up to £250 in our photo competitionsIf you are proud of your plants and would like to show us what you have accomplished, Thompson & Morgan runs photo competitions throughout the year.We’ve added some new categories this year and competitions are open to everyone, so whether you have…

Introducing Thompson & Morgan x Anya Hindmarch

The new Pont Street Garden Centre by Anya Hindmarch is a feast for the eyes, inside and out! Image: Anya Hindmarch In the wake of Chelsea Flower Show 2022, we are excited to share our collaboration with sustainability-focused luxury designer Anya Hindmarch and her new Pont Street Garden Centre in…

Growing your own cut flowers

Who doesn’t love a jug of flowers on the kitchen table?When students arrive I pop warm muffins and a pot of fresh Fairtrade coffee on the kitchen table next to a jug of flowers. It makes people feel welcome and there are always comments on how lovely the flowers are.  But when it comes to…

What to grow on the allotment this season

With all the crocus and daffodils popping their little heads through the soil, it gets me thinking about my plan on what to grow in the coming season on the allotment. Even though this plan changes and develops beyond recognition, as the year goes on I still use it as my rough guide.When I first…

Drought-proofing my garden

The recent dry spell has really made me think about the plants I am growing. The drought has taken its toll on a favourite tree in my garden. In truth, it has been many years since it performed at its best. This year, I'll be lucky if there are any leaves left come autumn! I'm blaming my thin,…

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