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Making a start on your plot

So you’re now the proud tenant of your new plot. You look, you scratch your head, you stand and survey. The fact of the matter is, there is only one way to get a plot up and running and that’s hard work. I started with cutting through the bramble jungle, once cut down to ground level…

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…

Expert gardening tips for beginners

Gardening is a lifelong learning curve based on shared knowledge, trial and error. Image source: Rawpixel. com If you're just getting into gardening and could do with some help and advice to set you on your way, we've got just what you need: handy tips from gardeners from across the blogosphere.…

Home-grown fruit & veg is back on the menu

More and more people are keen to get their hands into trying home-grown fruit & veg in order to cut down the cost of their weekly shop. Combined with healthy eating campaigns such as Jamie Oliver in schools, the appetite to become more self-sufficient is higher than ever.Growing your own fruit…

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…

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…

The history of the petunia

Surfinia petunias are a popular choice for hanging basketsImage: Petunia 'Surfinia Star Burgundy' from Thompson & Morgan There's always a plant that, like Marmite, you love or loathe, and through the ages the petunia has often divided opinion. In fact, during the 1500s people believed that…

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…

Ferns masterclass: best expert content

Awarded an RHS Award of Garden Merit, Ostrich Ferns are ideal for shady bordersCopyright: The Garden CollectionIf you love ferns and want to fill your garden with their calming, green and delicate fronds, we've sourced some of the best independent content from the internet to help you succeed. With…

A day’s filming with Richard Jackson

A day’s filming with Richard JacksonI live in Bournemouth which is quite a mild gardening climate, although of course we have had some really bad winters over the last three years with well below temperatures and snow – not usually associated with the south of England. I am just…

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…

Bumper crops and fabulous flowers

What a fabulous year I’ve had with T&M plants, as you might be aware we open for the National Garden Scheme and by appointment anytime between May and September, which keeps us on our toes, meeting likewise gardeners and having time for tea and cake.A lot of the visitors have commented on…

Thompson & Morgan trials team member wins gold!

Jean Willis’ Container GardenJean Willis, a dedicated and valued member of Thompson & Morgan’s trials team, recently won Gold Award First in the Best Container Garden category of Bournemouth in Bloom 2012.It all started in 2006, when the Bournemouth in Bloom committee was judging…

Gardening news – wild gardens, slugs and circadian rhythms

Read our snippets of gardening news here…Let your garden grow wild!Hoe(s) downI look over the fence at the neighbour’s garden and sigh at how nice it looks. Not pristine, just nice. Mine, on the other hand, is just plain messy. Or so I thought. Now, it seems, an untidy garden is exactly…

How To Grow Potatoes

Potatoes are one of the most popular vegetables to grow in your garden. You can grow potatoes either in the ground or you can grow them in potato bags or containers and it really couldn’t be easier with our expert advice on how to grow potatoes.How to Plant Potatoes in the Ground?Potato…

Gardening Competitions

Summer is the prime time for your plants as they will be looking their very best. Beautiful blooms of Buddleja Buzz™, turbo-charged trailing fuchsias and shimmering metallic Begonia ‘Garden Angels’ will be catching everyone’s eyes. Our gardening competitions give you the…

ÔÇÿBehind the Genes'

It's a very exciting time of year. RHS Chelsea Flower Show preparations are in full swing and the countdown is on. This year, Thompson & Morgan is teaming up with Sparsholt College who are creating a 'Behind the Genes' show garden which is diving into the science behind plant breeding and…

Win plants in our new prize draw

Win Petunia ‘Purple Tower’ plants and a climbing frame worth £20.98 in our new prize draw!Win Petunia ‘Purple Tower’ plants in our new prize drawThis competition is now closed. Please visit our main competitions page for more chances to win prizes.This week we’re…

Potatoes – does size matter?

If you have grown potatoes before you will know the feeling of disappointment when you harvest your potatoes and what you have in front of you is a poor specimen of potato.Why not switch to planting one tuber per 8 litre potato growing bag, and not only will you be stunned by the yields, you…

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…

Chilli Pepper Weekend – 27th/28th September

There is no question that there has been a steep rise in numbers of those growing chilli peppers. As cooking programmes dominate our TV screens, chilli competitions are on the rise as growers compete to grow the hottest chilli pepper, the demand for chilli peppers is red-hot and in some cases the…

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…

Body, Hive and Soul.

I was never really sure when "spring" is meant to start, having just some lumpen idea of it being to do with daffodils generally being around and not needing to put on your big coat as much. Turns out the cats, yes the cats, are well ahead of us. Come spring, and I'm being quite serious you…

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…

Customer trial panel member profile – Lucas Hatch

We’d like to introduce you to some members of our customer trial panel – our trusty team of gardeners who test Thompson & Morgan’s plants in real gardens. They’ll be writing blog posts for us in the next few months to give you updates on what’s happening in their…

Send in your potato recipes to win up to£25 in T&M vouchers!

Potato SaladAt the beginning of October we asked you to send in your favourite potato recipes for the chance to win some Thompson & Morgan vouchers. We’ve decided to extend the deadline to 11:59pm on Sunday 21st October, so you’ve got another week to send in your recipe. Please read…

Thompson & Morgan gives RHS Young School Gardener the gardening bug

Lucas Hatch with his runner bean crops11-year old Lucas Hatch from Woodbridge in Suffolk first got into gardening 4 years ago after writing to Thompson & Morgan asking for a donation of seeds for his primary school.This year he won the RHS Young School Gardener of the Year 2012 after wowing the…

Grilled lemon and garlic courgette

Grilled lemon and garlic courgetteThompson & MorganA superb side dish that can be paired with almost any meal! Grilling courgettes gives them a great depth of flavour. Grill with fresh lemon and garlic for a delicious, flavourful dish. Print Recipe Pin Recipe Prep Time 10 minsCook Time 10…

We've teamed up with SmartPlantÔäó to provide customers with online expert advice

Have you ever been left puzzled for days on end, trying to remember the name of that plant in your border? We've all been there - racking our memory for an elusive plant name! What if you could catalogue your plants online so that their names were all there at your fingertips? Even better, if you…

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…

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…

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…

Suffolk Show 2014 Best Overall Garden

Suffolk Show 2014 Best Overall Garden - Massive congratulations to Lucas hatch who has won best overall garden and a silver gilt medal for design!!Lucas was crowned RHS Young School Gardener of the Year in 2012, and built his very first show garden for the Show. Lucas is the Suffolk Show’s…

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…

Do you grow your own? BBC Two needs you!

Do you grow your own fruit, veg and flowers and do you know what to do with them?Are you the complete kitchen gardener?Do you grow your own? BBC Two needs you!Producers at BBC Two are creating a brand new show to find the nation’s best kitchen gardener. With food prices on the increase,…

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…

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