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The Big Allotment Challenge – What do you think?

The Big Allotment Challenge – what do you think? Now the series has come to an end we’d like to know what our gardeners thought. We have been watching week in week out and have really enjoyed it, and we have to give a massive congratulations to Alex and Ed who were crowned the best…

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…

The 12 Days of Christmas: A Horticultural Conundrum

As I continue to expand my knowledge of the world and what grows in it, some observations have caught me unawares. I, perhaps foolishly, have started to question basic concepts and precepts that have always been a part of my lived experience through this lens. Take Christmas carols for example. I…

Garden Retail ‘Best New Plant’ 2012 Award goes to

It’s a Hat trick for ‘Illumination Pink’.Thompson & Morgan is thrilled to have won the 2012 Garden Retail ‘Best New Plant’ award for its exclusive and unique foxglove, ‘Illumination Pink’.This highly-regarded award is now the third prestigious accolade…

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…

Top tips for your garden in winter

Top tips for your garden in winterIt might be cold outside, but here are our top tips to keep your garden ticking over in winter. There’s plenty to do and, come spring, you’ll be thankful that you took the time to do these jobs!Insulate outdoor tapsOutdoor taps are prone to freezing…

Garden centres to stop selling neonicotinoid pesticides

Honeybee populations at risk from neonicotinoid pesticidesNeonicotinoid pesticides taken off the shelves…Bee numbers have been in serious decline for some time now and neonicotinoid pesticides are thought to have contributed to the worldwide fall in numbers.According to recent news reports, 5…

Thompson & Morgan’s radio show

Listen to our experts’ gardening advice for April in Thompson & Morgan’s first ever radio show!Each month Colin Randel and Michael Perry will be on air to give you the best seasonal gardening advice.In the first broadcast, Andrew and Colin talk to Ken Crowther about the late growing…

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…

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…

Cauliflower – the comeback

Is the cauliflower, the most under-appreciated member of the brassica family, making a comeback?After a number of sightings in the national press recently, we thought we’d cast a spotlight on this often overlooked – and overcooked – traditional British vegetable.In The Times…

World’s Most Scented Shrub – Daphine ‘Perfume Princess’

‘Locked in the tower’ for a decade, and almost forgotten, ‘Perfume Princess’ is set to knock its wicked step mother, Daphne odora, from the throne to reign as the world’s most scented shrub.Daphne ‘Perfume Princess’ has taken more than 10 years to develop…

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…

Pumpkin Kings smash UK record

Ian and Stuart Paton have broken the UK record for a giant pumpkin for the 9th time! They reclaim throne with their 1,884 lbs beauty after it was stolen from them last year.The gargantuan gourd measured more than 17ft in circumference and during its peak period of growth piled on a staggering 35lb…

National Chip Week – 18th-24th February 2013

It’s National Chip Week and what better time to think about ordering potatoes?Potatoes are easy to grow and extremely satisfying – and you don’t need a massive garden to get a good crop! There a lots of varieties to choose from and it can be a bit daunting, especially if you…

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…

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…

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…

Competition – how many seeds in this pumpkin?

This giant pumpkin recently broke the UK record for the heaviest specimen at the Autumn Pumpkin Festival in Southampton. The ‘monster’ is now outside Thompson & Morgan’s offices in Ipswich, waiting to be smashed open for its seeds to be counted.Enter our competition and win…

Safety Precautions for Kids in Your Garden

Gardening is a useful and relaxing practice that most people enjoy doing. Not only is it fun and creative pastime activity, but it is also very educational for kids, so make sure you include your children and teach them about gardening as well. By joining you in nurturing and growing plants or…

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…

Rainbow vegetables – the latest trend on the veg patch!

There has been a lot of chatter about purple carrots in recent years, as chefs and cooks have wanted to jazz up their dishes, I blame Master Chef! But, Thompson & Morgan have just released the BEST purple carrot- ‘Purple Sun’- which is purple right through to the core!Purple carrots…

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…

Pinching out Fuchsias

Let’s start at the beginning – your fuchsia plugs will be with you in the next few weeks and you will want to grow the best plants that you can whether they are for your patio or to enter in a local show! In my blogs I will be concentrating on how to grow fuchsias to get the maximum…

Foxglove ‘Illumination Pink’ in award-winning Chelsea gardens

Foxglove ‘Illumination Pink’ is featured in two award-winning gardens at the Chelsea Flower Show!We were delighted to hear that two gardens featuring Thompson & Morgan’s Foxglove ‘Illumination Pink’ won awards at the Chelsea Flower Show this week.The BrandAlley…

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…

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,…

Heavenly Hydrangeas!

If there's one genus that I am utterly in love with then it's Hydrangeas! Every year as we head into 'Hydrangea season' I begin muttering eulogies to these beauties... 'What a stunner!' 'Isn't it gorgeous?' 'Wow, look at the flowers on that!!!' I don't really know when my love for Hydrangeas began.…

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…

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…

5 things you need to know about tomatoes

Tomatoes come in all shapes, colours and sizesImage source: Tomato 'Gigantomo' F1 Hybrid from T&M Is there anything more satisfying than a perfectly ripe, homegrown tomato, freshly picked and warm from the sun? Tomato seeds are easy to grow and a couple of tomato plants will produce hundreds of…

Thompson & Morgan donates plants to local schools

Left: Children from Chelmondiston Primary School holding plants donated by Thompson & Morgan. Right: Children from Thomas Wolsey Ormiston Academy with a trolley of donated plants. Photo credits: Thompson & Morgan Last week we donated over 1,500 plants to two local schools. The PTA of…

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…

Strawberry Tarts

Strawberry TartsThompson & MorganEnjoy this simple, fresh fruit treat whislt reaping the rewards of your home grown crop. An excellent addition to any afternoon tea selection. Print Recipe Pin Recipe Prep Time 30 minsCook Time 25 minsTotal Time 55 mins Course Dessert Servings 4 tartsCalories…

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…

Strawberry mojito

Strawberry mojitoThompson & MorganCreate a refreshing strawberry mojito to enjoy in your own garden paradise. This fruity cocktail is perfect for barbecues, parties with friends or as a summer treat for yourself. Print Recipe Pin Recipe Prep Time 5 minsTotal Time 5 mins Course Drinks Servings…

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