This windowsill herb-growing kit is great for gin-loving mums Image: Thompson & Morgan
Ditch the daffodils this Mothering Sunday and give a growing gift that will provide many years of enjoyment!
Our range includes the perfect plants for mum’s home or garden, with many delivered ready to display.
From pretty pinks to perky pineapples, fragrant flowers or fresh herbs to garnish their G&Ts, browse our special collection of Mother’s Day Gifts for ideas that every mum will love.
Pretty, pink & delivered ready to display!
This hydroponic Anthurium makes an eye-catching Mother’s Day gift Image: Thompson & Morgan
With long-lasting pink flower bracts and glossy heart-shaped foliage, this amazing Anthurium makes a fabulous focal point!
Supplied with a clear glass vase to display its network of roots, these fascinating flamingo flowers capture the latest trend for hydroponic house plants.
Fabulous fragrant flowers!
Enjoy this delicately scented orchid throughout the winter months Image: Thompson & Morgan
This gorgeous Dendrobium orchid is arranged as a beautiful arch, showcasing its gleaming white blooms in a dazzling display.
The long-lasting scented flowers will transform any room with their simple yet luxurious style.
Perfectly petite pineapple!
This striking mini pineapple plant removes toxins from the air Image: Thompson & Morgan
Grow your own exotic fruits with this amazingly architectural Pineapple plant! Ideal for a bright windowsill or conservatory and with air-purifying properties, it’s sure to create a tropical talking point in the home. In summer, plants produce cones of purple flowers with bright red bracts, followed by slowly-developing fruits.
Grow Your Own Gin Garden
Grow your own cocktail ingredients with this beautifully boxed kit Image: Thompson & Morgan
Supplied with everything you need to grow herbs to perfectly complement your favourite gin and tonics!
A great gift for gin lovers, this beautiful gin garden gift set fits perfectly on a windowsill, so mum can pick fresh herbs to flavour her drinks. Kit contains a wooden crate with chalk board and chalk, zinc pots, seeds, soil and snips for harvesting herbs.
Grow a blaze of spring colour!
This striking Rhododendron flowers prolifically each spring Image: Thompson & Morgan
Perfect for growing in patio containers, evergreen Azalea ‘Mother’s Day’ will burst into bloom each May with a blaze of spring colour!
Its pillar box-red, semi double flowers are complemented by the glossy green leaves of this neat little shrub, offering an unforgettable display for years to come.
Shop the full range
Lasting longer than a bunch of cut flowers, living gifts give joy for many years, creating memories mum will love.
Branded Garden Products (BGP) is excited to announce that it has become a Planet Mark Certified organisation – a reward for its commitment and efforts towards combatting climate change.
By reporting its carbon footprint for the period 1st September 2022–31st August 2023 and engaging its stakeholders, BGP is committed to significantly reducing its carbon emissions annually as part of the global movement towards a net-zero future.
Through Planet Mark Business Certification, BGP is committed to reducing its carbon footprint by 2.5% annually, targeting a 5% reduction. On average, certified businesses make a 28% carbon saving per employee through reductions in energy, waste, water, travel, and procurement.
Commenting on the Certification, Chris Wright, BGP Managing Director, said:
“Driving sustainable processes and reducing carbon emissions is an increasing focus for us as leaders in the gardening sector. We are looking to create green processes around all our operations to help build a sustainable future for ourselves, our families, our colleagues and our customers.
Planet Mark accreditation will help steer our course through that process with a focussed approach, while allowing us to continue our wider discussion across our supply chain to ensure best practice.”
What is Planet Mark Certification?
The Planet Mark Certification is an international sustainability accreditation that recognises continuous progress, encourages action and builds an empowered community of like-minded individuals.
This is an incredible accomplishment for BGP, made possible with the support of the entire business. Achieving the Planet Mark Certification highlights BGP’s commitment to improving its impact on the planet and society by reducing its carbon emissions year on year.
What this means for BGP customers
In signing up to Planet Mark, BGP is also contributing to UN Sustainable Development Goals and the UK Government’s Net Zero Strategy: Build Back Greener, which sets out policies and proposals for decarbonising all sectors of the UK economy to meet a net zero target by 2050, to help create a sustainable future.
BGP customers can be assured that they are purchasing goods from a Group committed to reducing its carbon emissions and having a positive impact on both society and the planet.
BGP’s Journey to Planet Mark Certification
Achieving Planet Mark Certification involved undertaking a three-step process:
1. Measurement: BGP is committed to reducing its carbon emissions yearly so that together we can all halt climate change and measurement is key to monitoring the Group’s progress.
2. Engagement: Employees and wider stakeholders are engaged throughout the process, to unlock their talent and knowledge, driving year-on-year progress in sustainability.
3. Communication: Transparent communication is essential for transformational change.
Holders of Planet Mark Certification deliver results that go beyond compliance, reaching new levels of sustainability and engaging their people in the process.
With their lush, exotic-looking leathery foliage and succulent fruits, fig trees create a striking feature in the garden! Thriving in sunny, sheltered positions, figs will grow successfully in large containers or garden borders, with varieties bred to achieve heady heights or petite patio pot perfection.
Where is the best place to plant a fig tree?
Although figs thrive in the Mediterranean climate, they can happily grow in UK gardens as long as you pick a sheltered and sunny spot.
Growing a fan-trained fig tree against a wall will help produce the most fruits, as your plant will benefit from the heat of the wall during the night. Plus, you won’t need to stake your tree against winds.
How to plant a fig tree in the ground
Fig trees can be planted at any time of year when the ground isn’t frozen. Bearing in mind the mature height and spread of your fig tree, pick a sunny, sheltered spot in the garden and dig a planting hole about twice the size and depth of your plant’s nursery pot. Fig trees with restricted roots put more effort into fruit production, so line the planting hole with old paving slabs or rubble. Next, carefully remove your plant from its pot, place hold it in the planting hole and gently spread out the roots whilst refilling the hole and gently firming the soil around it. Make sure your tree is planted to the same depth it was in its nursery pot.
How to plant a fig tree in a container
Fill a 30cm wide pot with free-draining potting compost such as John Innes no. 3, place you fig tree in the centre and gently firm down the compost around it. Make sure your tree is planted at the same depth it was in its nursery pot. Leave a few centimetres at the top clear of compost to help with watering. Water well and place in a sunny and sheltered area.
How to care for fig trees
Spring – Remove any horticultural fleece and move any indoor plants back outside, Add a mulch of well-rotted compost or manure around your plants every year to keep the soil fertile and to suppress weeds. Pot-on container-grown plants every two or three years and top-dress any plants that are too large to move with fresh compost.
Summer – If grown in a container, your fig tree needs to be kept moist and will benefit from a weekly feed with tomato food as soon as the fruits start to form. You may also feed trees grown in the ground and remember to water them well during dry periods.
Autumn – Monitor container-grown plants for waterlogging and raise them up on feet if necessary. The fig fruits are ready to harvest during August and September each year. Ripe fruits begin to hand downwards and will feel soft.
Winter – Fig trees are hardy in most of the UK but their developing fruits are not. As the budding fruits are held on the plants throughout the coldest months, your plant will appreciate some protection in order to provide a bountiful harvest next summer:
If your fig tree has been grown in a container that can be moved, it is advisable to move it to a shed or greenhouse before the first frosts, moving it outdoors again once all risk of frost has passed
Larger plants and those grown in the ground should be wrapped in horticultural fleece or draped with a floating film crop cover.
When to prune a fig tree
Fig trees don’t have to be pruned but doing so each year will keep vigorous plants to a more manageable size and improve fruit production. Warning: the sap of figs is an irritant, so wear protective gloves! Prune your plant by removing dead branches in late winter, plus any undesirable and crossing branches. If you plant is becoming too large you can prune it back hard but this will lead to a loss of fruit the following summer.
What are the best fig trees to grow in the UK?
Best fig tree for a patio pot
Fig ‘Little Miss Figgy‘ is a naturally dwarf variety and a perfect patio fruit tree. Shortlisted for RHS Chelsea Flower Show Plant of the Year 2021, this petite plant produces two crops per year on plants reaching 180cm tall and 120cm wide.
Best fig tree for a large container
‘Brown Turkey‘ is self-fertile and has been bred to perform in UK gardens. Available as bush or standard trees, this variety is excellent for growing in large containers where it’s mature growth (potentially 3 meters tall and 4 meters wide if unpruned) can be contained.
Best fig tree for a smaller garden
Fig ‘Dalmatie’ is one of the hardiest cultivars that’s highly productive and self fertile, offering some of the largest fruits with rich amber-coloured flesh and a fabulous flavour. With a neat and compact habit, plants reach 250cm tall and 200cm wide, making them the ideal choice for smaller gardens where space is at a premium.
Best fig tree for a large garden
Despite its modern look, fig ‘Panachee‘ is a traditional variety dating back to 1668 with very unusual striped green and yellow fruit. Reaching a mature height of 3 meters with a spread of 4 meters, this ‘Tiger Fig’ makes a dramatic feature in the garden – especially when fan trained against a wall.
Now you know how to grow fig trees!
We hope you find our guide to growing your own fig trees helpful. For more information, head over to our fruit tree hub page to find top tips on preventing disease, growing exotic fruit and much more. Share your images with us on Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #YourTMGarden.
Vivacious new varieties to fill your garden with colour in 2024
T&M is proud to launch its fantastic new flower seed range for 2024, including sensational sunflowers and snapdragons, fiery zinnias, exquisite nasturtiums and giant-flowered rudbeckia.
New range highlights 2024
Salt-resistant sunflowers!
Sunflower ‘Beaches Mix’
Helianthus deblis Hardy Annual
Sunflower ‘Beaches Mix’ is ideal for growing in coastal gardens and other challenging locations. Unlike other sunflowers, these bushy plants are fast-growing, spreading by runners to anchor themselves in the ground, with flexible stems help prevent snapping.
This hardy annual helianthus boasts great drought-tolerance, coupled with resistance to salt spray, sea winds and poor, dry soils.
Impressively long flowering season
Tough but graceful, ‘Beaches Mix’ will produce an abundance of showy yellow flowers with dark centres from July to October, with each sunny bloom measuring approximately 7cm in diameter.
Great for wildlife or cutting gardens
A magnet for beneficial pollinators and with elegant, elongated stems, ‘Beaches Mix’ is a wonderful choice for wildlife gardens and makes a superb cut flower for indoor displays.
Sow: March to June Flowers: July to October Height: 1.5m (5ft) Spread: 60cm (24in)
Zinnias were a favourite flower of the Aztecs and ‘Macarenia’ is a variety that simply sizzles with bold Mexican colour and make fabulously long-lasting cut flowers for the home.
Big, bold blooms!
This Fleuroselect award winner boasts big, fully double blooms measuring up to 7cm across. Its scarlet petals appear dipped in gold, offering a dazzling display from July to October.
Sow: April to June Plant: May to June Flowers: July to October Height: 50-75cm (20-29in) Spread: 50cm (20in)
Antirrhinum ‘Sweet Duet’ boasts improved double blooms and flower size compared to other varieties, coupled with a delicate fragrance to delight the senses.
A pretty palette & petite plants
Blooming in a pretty palette of colours, you’ll love the fruity peach, salmon, deep-red and apple blossom-pink flowers borne on vigorous, strongly-branched plants.
Suitable for autumn and spring sowing, grow in borders or patio containers where you can fully appreciate their fragrance and cut some stems for a scented display indoors.
Sow: January to March Flowers: May to August Height: 40cm (15in) Spread: To 35cm (14in)
Nasturtium ‘Alaska Salmon‘ produces soft salmon-coloured flowers on compact plants, with attractive marbled foliage that offers an eye-catching display even before the flowers emerge.
Dwarf variety perfect for borders or containers
Awarded an RHS Award of Garden Merit for its garden performance, this pretty plant will grow happily in beds, borders and even containers with a non-trailing habit.
Sow: March to May Flowers: June to September Height and spread: 40cm (16in)
Rudbeckia hirta Coneflower, Black-eyed Susan Half-hardy Annual
Ravishing Rudbeckia ‘Kokardas‘ forms short plants reaching just 40cm high, each producing over 20 huge flowers measuring up to 14cm across.
Big, bicolour blooms!
Highly praised in recent RHS garden trials, ‘Kokardas’ produces beautiful bicolour blooms of golden yellow with a brown halo surrounding each dark eye.
Brilliant for beds, borders and containers, this rudbeckia flowers right up until the first frosts and shows excellent weather-tolerance.
Sow: February to May Flowers: June to October Height and spread: 40cm (16in)
Growing your own fruit trees at home in the garden or on the patio is easy to do! Read on to learn how to raise some of the most popular home-grown fruit – from crisp apples to mouth-watering mulberries, plump plums to fabulous figs! We’ll show you how to grow 10 popular fruits trees bred to be hardy in the UK.
Where to grow fruit trees
Lots of fruit trees can be grown outdoors in the UK and will offer harvests for many years to come. Pick a variety you enjoy eating and research where it will thrive.
It’s important to consider the mature size of your chosen tree – for grafted trees, research the fruit rootstock to learn about its expected height and spread.
For smaller spaces, grated family trees offer more than one variety of fruit per tree, plus there are dwarf patio fruit trees designed for container growing. Trees can also be trained against a wall to save space.
When to plant fruit trees
The ideal time of year to plant bare root fruit trees in the ground is in the autumn but if you plan to plant a larger pot-grown plant, these can be bought and planted at any time. Just make sure the soil is not frozen, too wet or very dry.
How to grow fruit trees
Whatever you decide to grow, a sunny and sheltered spot is needed and most, well-drained, fertile garden soil. If you aren’t lucky enough to have great soil, improve the garden soil with compost or grow your fruit tree in a container.
Stake taller trees and secure with a tree tie, before mulching around your plant to help it retain moisture. Water you tree often for the first couple of years, until it has established.
How to pollinate fruit trees
Some fruit trees are self-fertile but others will need another tree nearby (a pollination partner) in order to produce crops. If you only have space for one tree, opt for a self-fertile variety or check what fruit trees your neighbours are growing!
Tree fruit shapes
Fruits trees can be trained into a variety of shapes to suit your garden with common shapes including bush, standard, espalier and fan.
Bush: a common shape with an open head and a clear stem.
Standard and half-standard: a long clear stem topped with a bush
Espalier: a central stem with horizontal arms
Fan: branches radiate outwards from either side of a low stem
Besides the shape, the grated rootstock will play a big part in the size and vigour of your tree, so choose the best variety for you and your garden.
Best fruit trees for small gardens
For smaller spaces, grated family trees offer more than one variety of fruit per tree, plus there are dwarf patio fruit trees bred for container growing. Trees can also be trained to grow flat against a wall to save space.
Top 10 fruit trees for UK gardens
1. Apples
Apples are easy to grow, with a choice of cooking or eating (dessert) varieties to choose from. One of the most popular with customers is ‘Gala’, which offers a surprising sweet taste when eaten fruit from the tree.
2. Pears
‘Conference’ is the most popular pear variety due to its versatility – eat the fruits raw or cook them in delicious desserts! Available as full-size or dwarf trees perfect for patio pots.
3. Plums
Look no further than ‘Victoria’ for perfect plums every year! These sensational summertime sweet treats are part of the stone fruit family, which also includes fruits such as gages and damsons.
4. Nectarines
With their shiny skins and soft, sweet flesh, nectarines like ‘Fantasia’ are a real treat and a great size for sharing.
5. Peaches
Pretty as a peach and just as sweet! One of the best English varieties, ‘Peregrine’ holds an RHS Award of Garden Merit and produces heavy crops of white-fleshed fruit.
6. Apricots
Fabulous Apricot ‘Flavorcot’ is specially bred for the cooler UK climate and produces large crops of delicious egg-sized, orange-red fruits.
7. Cherries
Cherry trees come in all shapes and sizes but petite ‘Sylvia’ is a self-fertile variety that’s ideal for container growing for excellent crops of sweet red eating cherries.
8. Citrus
Citrus trees offer a super selection of sweet to sour and tangy fruits, including lemons, limes, oranges, kumquats, grapefruit, and more unusual yuzu fruits. These fragrant plants add a Mediterranean feeling to sunny summer patios but will enjoy the warmth of a conservatory in winter.
9. Mulberries
Mulberry bushes and trees are notoriously large, but ‘Charlotte Russe’ offers back garden growers the chance to grow these delicious mojo berries on a smaller scale. Winner of RHS Chelsea Flower Show Plant of the Year award in 2017, this petite plant produces juicy Mulberries on both old and new wood.
10. Figs
Fig trees make a striking fruiting feature for the garden and can reach heady heights if not grown in containers. Lovely ‘Little Miss Figgy’ offers a naturally dwarf variety that’s ideal for a container on the patio.
Exotic fruit trees you can grow in UK gardens
Yes, some exotic fruits can grow successfully in UK gardens! Why not try growing some totally tropical Sharon fruits (persimmon), pomegranates, kiwis or Chilean guavas? Take a look at these exotic fruit trees and grow something delightfully different!
Now you know which fruit trees to grow in your garden!
These are just ten ideas to get you confidently growing fruit in your garden or outside space. Find your perfect plants on our fruit trees page, which features customer favourite, plus more exotic varieties to inspire you!
Find all the information you need to produce successful and great tasting fruit crops at our fruit growing hub page. Need more information on growing fruit trees? Check out our dedicated fruit tree hub pages, which includes pruning advice and much more.
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