You don’t need a huge garden to enjoy a gorgeous lawn, beautiful flowers, specimen shrubs, high-yielding fruit trees and a place to grow veg. Popular Instagram gardener @gardenwithjonny demonstrates how he achieves all this and more, by sharing the inspirational outside space in which he hangs out with his family, friends and very chilled pet cat! Find out how this fun-loving, firefighting, fitness-fanatic got interested in gardening…
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.
If you’ve filled your home with festive house plants for the Christmas holidays, you’ll want to know how best to care for them. With just a little special attention, these indoor plants will last long into the new year and beyond. Here are some top tips from our horticultural team.
In the meantime, browse our full range of house plants for inspiration.
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.
Lizzie Schofield of @cuthbertsbrae_garden said she was ‘on cloud nine’ after scooping The Alan Titchmarsh New Talent of the Year Award 2024 at this year’s Garden Media Guild ceremony. Sponsored by T&M, this fiercely contested accolade celebrates the ease with which Lizzie delivers interesting horticultural advice while encouraging everyone to try new things.
Living in the north-east of Scotland, Lizzie is a proud ambassador for Scotland’s Garden Scheme and a television presenter on BBC Two’s Beechgrove Garden. Here’s what she had to say about her love of gardening and winning the GMG award…
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.
Christmas is a time to be thankful and show people you care by exchanging thoughtful gifts. Whether you’re decorating your home for a festive get-together or looking for the perfect present, our seasonal selection of gorgeous houseplants brings the spirit of Christmas to life. Featuring rich reds, glossy greens and elegant whites, these indoor plants add colour, scent and joy throughout winter.
What better way to spread goodwill than with the surprise delivery of a festive houseplant gift? Here are 10 highlights from our Christmas gift range…
Arguably the best Christmas-flowering house plant, this Christmas Cactus boasts elegant trumpets of snow-white flowers and beautifully contrasting bright-pink stamens. This easy-to-grow variety offers a fantastic floral display from late November into January. And if you’re going away over the holidays, it copes well with neglect.
2. Fragrant Jasmine
Artfully trained onto a hoop, this fabulously fragrant Jasmine forms a luscious living wreath. Filling your home with an exotic perfume, watch as its delicate pink buds open into a snow-white halo of star-shaped blooms.
3. Vibrant Daffodils
Daffodils aren’t just for spring! These perfectly prepared Narcissus ‘Tete-a-Tete’ bulbs are carefully forced and delivered just as they’re ready to bloom – the buds will unfurl just days after entering the warmth of the home, guaranteeing a bright and joyful display with which to welcome the new year.
4. Rose ‘Deep Pink’ (RosAroma™)
Rose ‘Deep Pink’ is delivered in bud and ready to display in a smart zinc planter. Vibrant, fuchsia-coloured blooms quickly smother the plant, releasing the nostalgic scent of rose to delight the senses. This beautiful plant makes a wonderful gift or a joyful decoration for the holiday season.
5. Hyacinth In Lit Glass Bowl
A Christmas favourite, this trio of pristine white Hyacinths add festive sparkle to any home. Presented in an elegant glass bowl filled with twinkling fairy lights, this heavily scented display makes a striking table centrepiece or creates a welcoming glow in a window.
A gift that keeps giving, you can plant these bulbs out into the garden after flowering to enjoy for many years to come. Read our hyacinths masterclass for expert tips.
6. Hibiscus ‘Festive Flair’
For weeks of exotic colour, the scarlet blooms of Hibiscus ‘Festive Flair‘ simply can’t be beaten. Delivered in bud, the flowers unfurl into lavish tropical flowers that measure up to 15cm across and last about 6 days each. This show-stopping plant can re-bloom many times each year indoors, and may be moved out onto a sheltered patio during the warm summer months.
7. Anthurium ‘Black Love’
With deliciously dark and glossy heart-shaped foliage, Anthurium ‘Black Love’ also boasts long-lasting burgundy spathes. Not only does this gloriously gothic houseplant make a stylish centrepiece for the Christmas table, its unusual colouring provides sultry glamour, all year round.
8. Amaryllis ‘Jolie’
Fabulously festive, the rich red trumpet-shaped blooms of Amaryllis last for weeks, making a magnificent Christmas decoration or gift! Presented in jewel-coloured honeycomb sleeves, Amaryllis ‘Jolie’ arrives ready sprouted, with each plant bearing two or three striking stems. Read our article on how to grow amaryllis bulbs for tips on what to do when they finish flowering.
9. Phalaenopsis ‘Circle Blue’
If you’re looking for an unusual Christmas gift that will last far longer than a bunch of cut flowers, this Phalaenopsis ‘Circle Blue’ is a wonderful way to show someone special how much you care. The sensational sapphire-blue blooms are trained onto a hoop that sits neatly on a shelf or mantlepiece. Watch our house plant care video for tips on how to get the most from your orchids and other winter-flowering plants through the colder months.
10. Azalea Standard
With bright, long-lasting blooms and glossy dark-green leaves, this standard azalea looks like a festively decorated tree! Choose between elegant white or bright red-ruffled flowers to decorate your home over Christmas. When spring arrives, plant your hardy evergreen azalea outside where it will continue to flower year after year.
Houseplants are a thoughtful gift that offer years of enjoyment. Read our article on how to care for festive houseplants to get the best from your display. If you’re looking for more inspiring presents, browse our full Christmas section. Delivered with a personalised gift card, and only one P&P charge regardless of how many gifts you send, T&M has you covered.
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.
If you’re looking for gardening inspiration, Instagram is a veritable treasure trove of tips! We recently chatted to the robin-whisperer behind @aoifes_allotment_adventures who has transformed her plot into a vibrant space for wildlife and her local community to enjoy and share. Find out more about Aoife and her fascinating journey here…
Vertical growing allows Aoife to make excellent use of her space. Image: @aoifes_allotment_adventures
After a challenging career in the fast-paced industry of super yachts, I returned to England with a deep desire to reconnect with nature and grow my own food and flowers. Those early memories of helping my father in the garden and living in the English countryside never left me. After waiting over 1,000 days I finally secured an allotment. Having had very little growing experience I discovered this brilliant corner of Instagram full of wonderful gardeners and allotments, and everyone has been so supportive. It was all so inspiring and I was determined to create a haven for people, pollinators, and wildlife.
The Lottie has a stream gently rippling past and a road beside it that brings a steady flow of passers-by, and it’s a true joy to share this with those curious about the unusual plants and flowers grown here. It’s incredibly rewarding to see how an allotment space can spark genuine interest and excitement.
What are your favourite things to grow?
Aoife with her colourful harvest and bustling vegetable patch. Image: @aoifes_allotment_adventures
My sensory allotment is an everchanging mix of vibrant colours and experimental crops, incorporating perennials, biennials and hardy annuals for year round interest with a variety of pollen and nectar sources.
There are scented flowers like lilies and fragrant sweet peas, fascinating textures such as velvety Senecio candidans Angel Wings and strawflowers that are crunchy to the touch. I have a massive dahlia addiction, it’s just fabulous to have such colour even in November. I’ve fallen head over heels for Californian poppies and am growing lots of different foxglove varieties too.
I’ve discovered I love growing from seed. Some of my favourite vegetables are in the curcurbit family. Smallest are the Cucamelons which I adore, and then there’s the tromboncino squash. Not only is it delicious, but it grows to over a metre long and is such a fantastic conversation starter.
What are your proudest achievements?
A variety of climbing squashes, cucumbers, beans, giant sunflowers, poppies and dahlias. Image: @aoifes_allotment_adventures
One of my greatest joys has been developing my vertical growing spaces.
I’ve created a hazel stick and hemp net 5-metre wall of sweet peas that fills the air with their stunning perfume, and I’ve constructed colourful arches with a variety of climbing squashes, cucumbers, beans and giant sunflowers. It’s all about reusing and recycling on this plot.
Harvesting my first ever homegrown veg to give to friends and family was a massive moment for me. I’m also super lucky to have won the trust of my feathered friend RicRobin. He’s such a cheeky chap full of song and has brought up 6 broods with his mate Ruby. Very little gardening gets done when he’s in a chatty mood!
What are your future plans?
Aoife is no stranger to growing show-stopping flowers. Image: @aoifes_allotment_adventures
Next year, I’m using my new greenhouse to bring a Mediterranean flavour to the allotment by growing grapes, passionfruit, and beautiful bougainvillea. There’ll also be a variety of different melons and heirloom tomatoes, inspired by my time abroad. I’ll be expanding my butterfly bed too and growing more edimentals for both people and pollinators alike. It’s going to get even more colourful next year.
Grow like Aoife
Ric Robin and some bright edible harvests. Image: @aoifes_allotment_adventures
If you want to buy some of the products Aoife grows, here’s a quick shopping list:
We hope you’ve enjoyed learning more about Aoife from @aoifes_allotment_adventures. If you want to read about other inspirational growers, check out our series of #tmfeaturedgardens over on Instagram.
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.
