by Holly Taylor | May 18, 2022 | Flowers, Gardening News, Gardening Posts
For Plant Of The Year 2022 at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2022
We are delighted to announce that all four of our new flower plant nominees for the RHS Chelsea Plant of the Year 2022 award have been shortlisted for judging at the event:
– Azalea ‘Starstyle Pink’
– Salvia ‘A Little Bit’
– Weigela ‘Magic Carpet’
– Geranium ‘Intense’
Our new introductions for 2022 include show-stopping, high-performing and breeding breakthrough varieties to inspire you!
This much sought-after award recognises innovation, appeal, excellence and impact in plant breeding, so we are proud to have all of our nominees shortlisted this year. The finalists and winners will be announced on 23rd May and we wish the best of luck to our fellow shortlisted companies.
RHS Chelsea Flower Show Plant of the Year Award 2022
The RHS Chelsea Flower Show Plant of the Year award celebrates the new and exciting plants launched at the show. The prestige of winning is recognised worldwide and the show is the ideal global platform for the launch of new plants, which often go on to be bestsellers.
The judges will be looking for the winning criteria which will need to include all three of the following features:
Innovation
The plant must be genuinely new and offer significant benefits within those features. This will outweigh a new colour on an existing plant for example.
Appeal
Will the plant stand the test of time? It will need to sustain its popularity to secure a place with those of true significance.
Excellence and impact
Judges (and gardeners) will be looking for the “wow” factor.
The judging panel is comprised of industry experts with a wealth of knowledge and passion who come together, volunteering their time, to make the incredibly tough decision on the winning plant.
Our Shortlisted Plant of the Year Varieties
Azalea ‘Starstyle Pink’
Yes, this really is an Azalea!
This distinctive little Azalea is delightfully different, fun and exciting, making it ideal for modern gardens.
The result of 23 years of breeding, Azalea ‘Starstyle Pink’ is a unique new variety with compact growth, profuse unusual flowers twice a year, plus highly decorative lush evergreen foliage. Height and spread: 50cm.
Available as:
1 x 10.5cm potted azalea plant (KC8105)
1 x 3 litre potted azalea plant (KC8109)
Weigela ‘Magic Carpet’
Weigela ‘Magic Carpet’ is the outstanding outcome of a 10-year breeding programme to produce compact plants with vivid foliage, plus an abundance of flowers. It will delight you with its pretty pink flowers and fabulous colour changing foliage. Height: 60cm. Spread: 46cm.
Available as:
1 x 9cm potted weigela plant (KC0879)
2 x 9cm potted weigela plants (KC7820)
Geranium ‘Intense’
New Geranium ‘Intense’ is a neon pink sensation!
Intense by name, intense by nature, its non-fading, vivid pink blooms and extreme flower power will astound you!
This compact hardy perennial has the flower power to stand alongside annual summer bedding, while offering much more versatility and a longer season of interest. Height: 25cm. Spread: 50cm.
Available as:
1 x 9cm potted geranium plant (KC7851)
3 x 9cm potted geranium plants (KC7852)
Salvia ‘A Little Bit’
This new Salvia ‘A Little Bit’ is more than just a little bit special!
A seedling selection from a crossing of Salvia nemorosa and Salvia pratensis, the ravishing result is a compact and extremely hardy perennial with big, bold blooms.
These compact, tidy plants boast a long flowering season, a wide range of garden uses and true winter hardiness making Salvia ‘A Little Bit’ the obvious option for gardeners looking to add impact to their planting schemes. Height: 25cm. Spread: 30cm.
Available as:
1 x 9cm potted salvia plant (KC8104)
All varieties featured above are available to buy online at https://www.thompson-morgan.com/chelsea-2022
by Thompson & Morgan | May 13, 2022 | Flowers, Gardening News, Gardening Posts
Announcing our Plant of the Year nominees for The RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2022
World-renowned, inspirational and quintessentially British, the RHS Chelsea Flower Show is an unforgettable experience for gardening enthusiasts and the jewel in the crown for growers hoping to win the prestigious Plant of the Year 2022 award with their new introductions.
We have submitted four fabulous flower plants as our nominees for the RHS Chelsea 2022 Plant of the Year award – the best varieties for a floriferous display of long-lasting colour, with outstanding performance in the garden.
Four fabulous flowers for a glorious garden!
Azalea ‘Starstyle Pink’
Yes, this really is an Azalea!
This distinctive little Azalea is delightfully different, fun and exciting, making it ideal for modern gardens.
The result of 23 years of breeding, Azalea ‘Starstyle Pink’ is a unique new variety with compact growth, profuse unusual flowers twice a year, plus highly decorative lush evergreen foliage. Height and spread: 50cm.
Fabulous flower power
Enjoy masses of distinctive hot pink, star-shaped flowers blooming profusely in spring and again in autumn, set against long, narrow, pointed evergreen leaves.
Great looks & behaviour
This compact and versatile evergreen is perfect for patio pots, borders, conservatories or even inside the house thanks to its good heat and cold tolerance.
A low maintenance marvel
‘Starstyle Pink’ is low maintenance, fully hardy and perfect for adding a pop of colour wherever it is needed in the garden.
Available as:
1 x 10.5cm potted azalea plant (KC8105)
1 x 3 litre potted azalea plant (KC8109)
Weigela ‘Magic Carpet’
Weigela ‘Magic Carpet’ is the outstanding outcome of a 10-year breeding programme to produce compact plants with vivid foliage, plus an abundance of flowers. It will delight you with its pretty pink flowers and fabulous colour changing foliage. Height: 60cm. Spread: 46cm.
A Weigela with the wow factor
Compact ‘Magic Carpet’ will whisk you away with a profusion of pink, funnel-shaped flowers on arching stems in May and June, bridging the gap between spring and summer and offering early support for pollinators.
First of a kind foliage
The fabulous colour changing foliage of this pretty plant transitions from apricot orange to golden yellow as the seasons change, giving months of interest even as the blooms fade.
A versatile variety for the garden or patio
‘Magic Carpet’ is the perfect choice for containers and will also look amazing as mass landscape planting, brightening beds and borders with a carpet of colour.
Available as:
1 x 9cm potted weigela plant (KC0879)
2 x 9cm potted weigela plants (KC7820)
Geranium ‘Intense’
New Geranium ‘Intense’ is a neon pink sensation!
Intense by name, intense by nature, its non-fading, vivid pink blooms and extreme flower power will astound you!
This compact hardy perennial has the flower power to stand alongside annual summer bedding, while offering much more versatility and a longer season of interest. Height: 25cm. Spread: 50cm.
Glowing ground cover with neon pink blooms
More vivid than other pink varieties, masses of stunning, neon bright, single blooms sit perched on short stems, attracting butterflies and bees from June to September.
Hardy and versatile
Versatile, vigorous and with a trouble-free growth habit, this hardy geranium is ideal for mass planting as ground cover, borders and all types of containers, so you can enjoy these beautiful blooms wherever you wish in the garden.
Colour changing foliage for added autumnal interest
The fragrant semi-evergreen foliage turns red in autumn as an added bonus.
Available as:
1 x 9cm potted geranium plant (KC7851)
3 x 9cm potted geranium plants (KC7852)
Salvia ‘A Little Bit’
This new Salvia ‘A Little Bit’ is more than just a little bit special!
A seedling selection from a crossing of Salvia nemorosa and Salvia pratensis, the ravishing result is a compact and extremely hardy perennial with big, bold blooms.
These compact, tidy plants boast a long flowering season, a wide range of garden uses and true winter hardiness making Salvia ‘A Little Bit’ the obvious option for gardeners looking to add impact to their planting schemes. Height: 25cm. Spread: 30cm.
Giant deep purple flowers
Salvia ‘A Little Bit’ is a hardy cultivar of Salvia nemorosa but with much larger, showy, deep violet-blue flower spikes of Salvia pratensis.
Colourful and compact
The beautiful blooms are held on a tidy, low and compact plant reaching just 25cm high – perfectly proportioned for smaller borders and a fabulous focal point in a patio planter.
Long flowering and low maintenance
Successive flower spikes are produced below the first main spike, making ‘A Little Bit’ an especially long-flowering perennial. These pretty plants are easy to grow, winter hardy and an important food source for pollinators.
Available as:
1 x 9cm potted salvia plant (KC8104)
All varieties featured above are available to buy online at https://www.thompson-morgan.com/chelsea-2022
Since the first seed catalogue was published in 1855, Thompson & Morgan has grown to become one of the UK’s largest Mail Order Seed and Plant companies. Through the publication of our catalogues and the operation of our award-winning website, Thompson & Morgan is able to provide home gardeners with the very best quality products money can buy.
by Thompson & Morgan | Sep 14, 2021 | Allotments with Michelle, Gardening Posts
T&M Nominees Shortlisted For RHS Chelsea Flower Show ‘Plant of the Year’ Award 2021!
T&M is delighted to announce that four of their flower introductions have been shortlisted for the illustrious RHS Chelsea Flower Show ‘Plant of the Year’ Award 2021.
This much sought-after award recognises innovation, appeal, excellence and impact in plant breeding, so we are proud to have so many plants shortlist this year. The finalists and winners will be announced on 20th September and we wish the best of luck to our fellow shortlisted companies.
A world exclusive, summer-flowering Camellia!
World exclusive Camellia ‘1001 Summer Nights’ Jasmine opens the door to the never seen before, putting on a spectacular summer show to provide a midsummer day’s dream garden! Its ruffled, rosette blooms are borne continually from May to October.
A breath-taking breakthrough in Camellia breeding!
This introduction is a ground-breaking new summer flowering variety from T&M that leaves traditional spring-flowering Camellias far behind!
This handsome evergreen was bred in China by Mr. Gao Jiyin, who has worked with camellia for over 50 years, with his colleagues Mr. Zhao Qiangmin and Mr. Liu Xinkai.
An interspecific cross between Camellia azalea and Camellia reticulata, ‘1001 Summer Nights’ Jasmine takes the very best from both parents – a long flowering period, glossy dark leaves from C. Azalea and the large showy blooms of C. reticulata
Meets the demands of modern gardeners
Camellia ‘1001 Summer Nights’ Jasmine is neat and compact, making it ideal for planting in patio containers. Thriving in sun or part-shade, it makes a useful shrub for providing year-round interest and colour in the garden.
Peter Freeman, Thompson & Morgan’s Product Development Manager, said:
‘I was really taken aback by this breakthrough; plants were covered in flower right through the summer!’
Available as:
1 x 10.5cm potted camellia plant (KB6245)
2 x 10.5cm potted camellia plants (KB6246)
1 x 1.6 litre potted camellia plant (KB6247)
2 x 1.6 litre potted camellia plants (KB6248)
The hardy Fig for gardens of every size!
This compact, hardy introduction allows anyone to grow their own figs in the smallest of spaces. Little skill or experience is needed to produce a bumper crop from ‘Little Miss Figgy’ every autumn – in warmer years, gardeners will benefit from a second crop in the spring too.
What’s in a name? Everything!
Ficus ‘Little Miss Figgy’ is a very compact, dwarf Fig that grows to a maximum height and spread of about 90cm – perfect for gardens or a patio pot. It boasts deeply lobed, dark green foliage and short internodes, and produces lots of large, sweet, burgundy-coloured fruits along the branches. ‘Little Miss Figgy’ is drought tolerant and likes a place in full sun but also tolerates semi-shade.
Available as:
1 x 9cm potted fig plant (KB2925)
2 x 9cm potted fig plants (KB5859)
A dream come true!
Sedum ‘Sunsparkler® Dream Dazzler’ is a beautiful and easy plant to grow, which is disease resistant. Its colours will dazzle you and are different depending on their spot: in the sun the foliage is dark purple with bright pink edges, in the semi-shade the foliage is light purple with bright pink edges and in the shade the foliage is blue-green with white and pink edges. ‘Dream Dazzler’ also forms pretty bright-pink blooms in summer, attracting a lot of bees.
‘Sunsparkler® Dream Dazzler’ prefers a sunny spot in your plot, where this compact plant will delight you with its fabulous foliage that does not fall open. Ideal grown as groundcover, as mass planting, in the rock garden or in a perennial border.
Available as:
1 jumbo plug plant (KB8623)
3 jumbo plug plants (KB8624)
1 x 2 litre potted sedum plant (KC4548)
3 x 2 litre potted sedum plants (KC4551)
A modern edge to a timeless garden favourite
Straight from T&M’s own breeding by Charles Valin, Sweet Pea ‘Three Times As Sweet’ is the first cultivated, Modern Grandiflora tri-colour Stripe variety available.
Bred from Lathyrus odoratus x Lathyrus belinensis cross and thus Lathyrus x hammettii hybrid, the unique marbled blooms blend lavender-blue, burgundy and white, further enhanced by a strong picotee edge. This creates a truly eye-catching display in a vibrant colour combination and strong fragrance not seen in the genus before.
Deliciously fragrant
Offering plenty of the distinctive fragrance that only Sweet Peas can deliver, ‘Three Times as Sweet’ is perfect for cutting for sweetly scented posies. Grow this climbing annual against a trellis or over an obelisk for a sensational summer display. With regular cutting, gardeners can expect 3 months of easy summer colour.
Available as:
3 sweet pea premium multisown plugs (15 plants) (KB7701)
6 sweet pea premium multisown plugs (30 plants) (KB7702)
All varieties featured above are available to buy online at https://www.thompson-morgan.com/virtual-chelsea-2021
Since the first seed catalogue was published in 1855, Thompson & Morgan has grown to become one of the UK’s largest Mail Order Seed and Plant companies. Through the publication of our catalogues and the operation of our award-winning website, Thompson & Morgan is able to provide home gardeners with the very best quality products money can buy.
by Sonia Mermagen | May 20, 2019 | Flowers, Gardening News, Gardening Posts
We’re thrilled to announce that the shortlist announced on Sunday afternoon for RHS Chelsea Flower Show’s Plant of the Year, includes six of our entrants. This beats last year’s tally of five plants, two of which went on to be placed first and third places in this hugely prestigious horticultural competition.
The shortlist of 20 plants will now be considered by a panel of Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) judges and the top three winning plants will be announced later today.
The six plants on the shortlist of twenty are:
Osteospermum ‘Purple Sun’ – Previously unseen colour combination of orange and pink. The pink-purple centre spreads outwards on the fade-resistant petals as the season progresses.
Nepeta ‘Neptune’ – Abundant flowers ‘rebloom’ on a compact, bushy habit; firm foliage is perfect for making tea.
Clematis ‘Kokonoe’ – Uniquely changing flower shape; flowers open as single blooms and develop into flamboyant doubles.
Osteospermum ‘Purple Sun’, Nepeta ‘Neptune’ and Clematis ‘Kokonoe’
Ajuga ‘Princess Nadia’ – Brings together the best evergreen, variegated foliage and flower spikes of the genus. Year-round interest.
Chlorophytum ‘Starlight’ – Hardy Spider Plant with the architectural appeal of an ornamental grass and the flowering performance of a bedding plant. Attractive variegated foliage and pretty white flowers.
Agapanthus ‘Fireworks’ – The best bicolour agapanthus, offering bigger blooms, better colour and more stems per plant than previous bicolour cultivars.
Ajuga ‘Princess Nadia’, Chlorophytum ‘Starlight’ and Agapanthus ‘Fireworks’
Our new product development manager, Peter Freeman said:
“We couldn’t be more pleased to hear the news that six of our plants are on the shortlist. To have placed six out of the twenty on the list is an amazing feat. We thought we’d done well last year to have five on the list, so to improve on that is incredible! Everyone at Thompson & Morgan is keeping everything crossed while we await the judges’ decision later on today.”
For updates and images from the Great Pavilion on the first day of the Chelsea Flower Show, please follow Thompson & Morgan on Twitter and Instagram.
All of Thompson & Morgan’s plant entries are featured on the Behind the Genes garden which has been devised and built in partnership with Sparsholt College in Hampshire. The garden, in the Discovery area of the Great Pavilion (Stand GPA154), offers a visually inspiring insight into the processes of plant breeding and explains techniques used to bring about improvements in plant species. To read more about our journey to Chelsea, click here.
Sonia works at Thompson & Morgan in the role of press and communications officer. She is a self-proclaimed ‘reluctant’ gardener and is generally amazed if anything flourishes in her garden. Sonia has a ‘hands off’ approach to gardening and believes that this helps to encourage bees, butterflies and other wildlife. (That’s her excuse anyway!)
by Sonia Mermagen | May 2, 2019 | Flowers, Gardening Posts
Following our success at RHS Chelsea Flower Show last year, we are proud to present our entries for Plant of the Year 2019.
Clematis ‘Kokonoe’, Nepeta ‘Neptune’ and Ajuga ‘Princess Nadia’
Clematis ‘Kokonoe’ – Uniquely changing flower shape; flowers open as single blooms and develop into flamboyant doubles.
Nepeta ‘Neptune’ – Abundant flowers ‘re-bloom’ on a compact, bushy habit; the firm foliage is perfect for making tea.
Ajuga ‘Princess Nadia’ – Brings together the best evergreen, variegated foliage and flower spikes of the genus. Year-round interest.
Agapanthus ‘Fireworks’, Buddleja ‘Butterfly Towers’ and Osteospermum ‘Purple Sun’
Agapanthus ‘Fireworks’ – The best bicolour agapanthus, offering bigger blooms, better colour and more stems per plant than previous bicolour cultivars.
Buddleja ‘Butterfly Towers’ – Grows up, rather than out, so it suits even the smallest garden without taking over. Thrives in containers; long-lasting; makes a great flowering hedge.
Osteospermum ‘Purple Sun’ – Previously unseen colour combination of orange and pink. The pink-purple centre spreads outwards as the season progresses.
Chlorophytum ‘Starlight’ and Clematis ‘Little Lemons’
Chlorophytum ‘Starlight’ – Hardy Spider Plant with the architectural appeal of an ornamental grass and the flowering performance of a bedding plant. Attractive variegated foliage and pretty white flowers. Fabulous in patio pots.
Clematis ‘Little Lemons’ – Very unusual long-flowering, dwarf clematis. Excellent in pots and hanging baskets.
We’re also pleased to formally announce our partnership with Sparsholt College Hampshire on their Behind the Genes garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show next month.
The garden, which is in the Discovery area of the Great Pavilion (Stand GPA154), offers a visually inspiring insight into the processes of plant breeding and explains techniques used to bring about improvements in plant species. Students at Sparsholt College have been involved in the design of the garden and have nurtured the plants that will be featured on the garden to illustrate various key milestones in plant breeding over the years.
T&M has long been at the forefront of plant breeding and can put its name to a number of key breeding breakthroughs over the years, such as Foxglove or Digitalis ‘Illumination Pink’ which won RHS Chelsea Plant of the Year in 2012 and which will feature on the Behind the Genes garden. Also appearing at RHS Chelsea 2019 is last year’s Plant of the Year winner, Hydrangea hybrid Runaway Bride® ‘Snow White’, and the amazing sunflower, Helianthus SunBelievable™ ‘Brown Eyed Girl’ which was placed third.
Part of the focus this year is also on our trainee manager, Lance Russell, who as an alumni of Sparsholt College, and now working at the forefront of the gardening industry, is the epitome of the new generation of inspiring and social media-savvy young gardeners. Lance is fronting our recent increase in film content on our website and YouTube channel and is set for a stellar career in horticulture. Lance can be seen in Thompson & Morgan’s video ‘Journey to Chelsea’.
Sonia works at Thompson & Morgan in the role of press and communications officer. She is a self-proclaimed ‘reluctant’ gardener and is generally amazed if anything flourishes in her garden. Sonia has a ‘hands off’ approach to gardening and believes that this helps to encourage bees, butterflies and other wildlife. (That’s her excuse anyway!)
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