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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…

December News Update

New Spring Catalogues are on their way! Thompson & Morgan's new spring catalogues are in and will soon be winging their way to gardeners up and down the UK. The full spring range is now available online at www.thompson-morgan. com and offers the horticultural mail order company's customers a…

Why you need to grow Raspberry ÔÇÿRuby Beauty'

Summer-fruiting raspberry 'Ruby Beauty' can be grown in the ground or containersImage: T&M If you'd love to grow raspberries but lack the space in your garden to accommodate rows of towering canes, Raspberry 'Ruby Beauty' ' is the solution you're looking for. This space-saving raspberry has all…

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…

First Year On the Job

It has been just over a year ago that I was elected to become the Show Secretary of my local horticultural society. At the age of 22, I believe I may be one of the youngest Show Secretary's ever! Overall, I have thoroughly enjoyed my first year in the role. The first job of the year is to compile…

Buying Christmas gifts online? Take a look at our new range

Begonia ‘Grace’Thompson & Morgan’s Christmas Gifts rangeOur new online Christmas gifts range for 2012 includes fabulous indoor and outdoor plants, such as the award-winning Begonia ‘Grace’, a really festive houseplant with holly-like leaves and red and green…

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…

Sweet Chilli Relish

A relish generally consists of fruit or vegetable pieces within a sauce and a superb way to make use of those spare fruit and veg in your garden. There is no fixed recipe on how to make relish however, the most popular condiments are jams, chuntneys and sauces. Tonight on The Big Allotment…

NVS Judging Blog

It was June and I was preparing for my first major show as Show Secretary of my local horticultural society. Our judge for our Summer Show was Peter Cranfield. Over lunch I told Peter that I was in training to be a judge with the Essex Guild of Horticultural Judges. He suggested that I should enter…

Great British Garden Revival – series starts tonight

About a month ago we posted about the Great British Garden Revival, a new gardening show on BBC2 that aims to reignite the nation’s passion for gardens full of flowers, plants and trees. The 10-part series starts tonight at 7pm, with Monty Don and Joe Swift featuring in the first…

Father and son win prestigious Bicester in Bloom 2012 awards

Bicester in Bloom 2011 – Best Kept Back GardenWhen Thompson & Morgan customer Eugene Baston and his son Reuben first entered their back garden into the Bicester in Bloom 2011 awards, they had no idea that they might win a prize… but, to their surprise, they won the Gold Award for…

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…

Christmas advent calendar 2014

There is nothing more exciting than rushing downstairs to open the door of your Christmas advent calendar for your tasty treat, even when you are told to eat your breakfast first. Young or old this tradition is enjoyed by all, but why stop at chocolate?Between 1st and 25th December we’re…

It’s war out there Down on the Allotment!

Guest blogger Sarah Morris laments the sabotage of her broccoli plants…My precious little broccoli seedings are being marmalized by gangs of delinquent hoodie pigeons! They just fly away up into a nearby tree and laugh at me, only returning to have another munch as soon as my back is…

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…

Rock Dust

Rock DustI remember vividly seeing on television the literally earth-shattering images of the Mount St. Helens volcano erupting in the United States in 1980.  This gigantic explosion caused the collapse of a large portion of the mountain together with the ejection of millions of tons of volcanic…

Thompson & Morgan and RHS Garden Hyde Hall team up for a ÔÇÿFloral Fantasia' this summer

We're teaming up with RHS Garden Hyde Hall to create a fabulous garden for an event this summer, aptly named Floral Fantasia. We're transforming an area of the well-known RHS site near Chelmsford in Essex into a magnificent floral exhibition, showcasing many varieties of bedding plants. Over four…

Incredibloom – how does it work?

A product that can boost your flower power by up to 400 per cent! We can understand why you would question this, but this product really does work.  Gardeners using incredibloom™ plant feed are already seeing the amazing results, but with the season now in full swing you can use…

Snowdrops

What is it about snowdrops?I’ve always been in love with snowdrops. For as long as I can remember. It might have something to do with the fact that they are the harbinger of spring. The first signs that the sleeping garden is starting to wake again from its winter slumber. After several…

The Fuchsia Festival

We will be celebrating all things fuchsia in 2015 with a filled fuchsia festival calendar of online activities running right through to autumn. We have top growing advice from our experts, exciting blogs from customers and staff and on top of that we are launching more than 20 new fuchsia varieties…

Creamy courgette & bacon pasta

Creamy courgette & bacon pastaThompson & MorganA quick and creamy carbonara-style tagliatelle recipe that showcases your delicious home grown courgettes, contrasted with créme fra?«che and smokey pancetta. Print Recipe Pin Recipe Prep Time 10 minsCook Time 20 minsTotal Time 30 mins Course Main…

My jungle trek for the Alzheimer’s Society

On November 16th I leave the UK to trek 100km across the Costa Rican jungle for the Alzheimer’s Society.My NanaMy Nana, who gave me my crazy thirst for plants, gardening and being outdoors, sadly died a few years ago. Without her getting me hooked on plants, I wouldn’t be where I am…

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…

UK giant pumpkin record beaten

1,520lb whopper wins £1,000 for Dorset farmerMark receiving his £1,000 cheque from T&M’s Sarah CurtisThompson & Morgan handed over a cheque for £1,000 to Dorset dairy farmer, Mark Baggs, at the annual Autumn Pumpkin Festival in Southampton last Saturday for his 1,520lb winning giant…

How to get an Allotment – with Michelle Stacey

Hi, my name is Michelle and I was a contestant on BBC2 big allotment challenge 2014, and also BBC1 allotment wars. I have my own allotment and have done for 5 years now, the lovelies at Thompson & Morgan have asked if I would like to write an allotment blog, so I thought we would start right…

Hydrangea Glam Rock – colour changes in different soils

Hydrangea ‘Glam Rock’ – colour changes in different soilsThe ever-changing colours of hydrangea ‘Glam Rock’One of our fastest selling shrubs ever, hydrangea ‘Glam Rock’ (sometimes also known by the tongue-twister name of ‘Schloss Wackerbarth’)…

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…

Exciting career opportunities within Thompson & Morgan

Exciting career opportunities within Thompson & MorganThompson & Morgan, which has been based in Ipswich since 1855, has grown to become one of the UK’s most successful horticultural seed and plant companies. Through the publication of its catalogues, the operation of its…

Weekend project – making a bird bath

Inspired by a photo of a homemade bird bath I’d seen on Pinterest a while ago, I decided to put the pile of bricks at the side of my house to good use and make one myself!We’re trying to be much more mindful of wildlife in our garden (I often refer to it as a wildlife garden, when in…

Behind the scenes at QVC

If you’re a fan of the shopping channel QVC, you may have already spotted some Thompson & Morgan products on the show. Working with QVC, we always make sure the most unique plants are on offer, often at some unbeatable deals.And now you get to see a bit more behind the scenes!Here’s…

The war against weeds – Part 1

There is one thing that unites us as gardeners – our dislike of weeds! Competing with our carefully tended plants for light, space, water and nutrients, and often more vigorous in growth than our cultivated varieties.If like me, you are busy with work and family, it’s all too easy to…

Gardening news – bees, fruit & veg and heavy metal

Read the latest gardening news here.EC fight to help bees goes onNeonicotinoid debate goes onNeonicotinoids have been in the news a lot lately, with the EC calling for a 2-year ban on the use of any pesticides containing the chemicals, claiming that they are harmful to bees. Several studies have…

Raspberry surprise!

I’m very pleased with this pair of Raspberry ‘Ruby Beauty’™ plants that found their way to my desk today.  I wasn’t expecting them so it was a lovely surprise! This compact little variety is the latest thing in Raspberries. It’s a dwarf variety that’s…

Potato Setanta is voted ‘Best Roastie’

Potato Setanta – voted best roastieTasty red-skinned potato comes out on topWhen certain employees at Thompson & Morgan received an internal email from Paul Hansord, managing director, asking them to meet him in the staff canteen, they were unsure of what to expect.Surprised to be greeted…

Vegan raspberry mousse

Vegan Raspberry MousseThompson & MorganFruity, light and really perfect as a summer dessert. Bursting with fresh raspberrys and coconut. Print Recipe Pin Recipe Prep Time 15 minsTotal Time 15 mins Course Dessert Servings 4 Ingredients 1x2x3x80 ml aquafaba150 g coconut cream1 tsp lemon juice50 g…

Your local allotment needs you!

What can we do to ensure that our allotments are getting the love that they deserve? Locally to me in Hertfordshire, there are some sites which have been threatened with closure, due to planned developments – the people who grow on the sites are understandably battling hard to try to keep…

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