Eight ways to save money with a gardening group

gardeners in a community garden group

Community gardening groups have many benefits
Image: Shutterstock

Gardening groups are a wonderful way to connect people in a meaningful, shared endeavour. Nurturing plants as part of a team can offer physical, mental, and social benefits as well as helping you to learn new skills.
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Featured Gardener: @gardenwithjonny

Jonny Hincks of @gardenwithjonny in front of garden shed.

Image courtesy of @gardenwithjonny

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…

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How to care for Christmas house plants

White Christmas cactus from T&M

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.

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How Lizzie Schofield wants to inspire the next generation of gardeners

Lizzie Schofield potting shed

Image courtesy of Lizzie Schofield

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…

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Best plants for Christmas gifts and decorations

hibiscus festive flair

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…

  1. Long-Flowering Christmas Cactus
  2. Fragrant Jasmine
  3. Vibrant Daffodils
  4. Rose ‘Deep Pink’ (RosAroma™)
  5. Hyacinth In Lit Glass Bowl
  6. Hibiscus ‘Festive Flair’
  7. Anthurium ‘Aqua Salmon in Sierglass’
  8. Amaryllis ‘Porcelain Snowman’
  9. Dendrobium ‘Apollon’
  10. Azalea ‘Pyramid Tree’

1. Christmas Cactus

christmas cactus

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

fragrant jasmine on hoop

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

narcissus tete a tete

 

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™)

rosaroma rose deep pink

 

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

hyacinth lit in 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’

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 ‘Aqua Salmon in Sierglass

Anthurium Aqua Salmon in Sierglass from T&M

 

With deliciously glossy heart-shaped foliage, this Anthurium Aqua Salmon in Sierglass also boasts long-lasting pink spathes. Not only does this eye-catching hydroponic display make a fascinating focal point for the Christmas table, its festive colouring provides welcome glamour, all year round.

 

8. Amaryllis Touch Of Wax ‘Porcelain Snowman’

Amaryllis Touch Of Wax 'Porcelain Snowman' from T&M

 

Fabulously festive, the rich red trumpet-shaped blooms of Amaryllis last for weeks, making a magnificent Christmas decoration or gift! Presented in a decorative wax ball, Amaryllis ‘Porcelain Snowman’ arrives ready sprouted and requires very little in the way of care and attention to thrive. You don’t even have to water it! Read our article on how to grow amaryllis bulbs for more tips.

 

9. Dendrobium ‘Apollon’

Orchid 'Apollon' from T&M

 

If you’re looking for an unusual Christmas gift that will last far longer than a bunch of cut flowers, then Dendrobium ‘Apollon’ is a wonderful way to show someone special how much you care. One of the rarest and most elegant of orchids, the sensational white blooms last for months on end and produce a lovely, delicate scent. 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 ‘Pyramid Tree’

Azalea 'Pyramid Tree' Red from T&M

With bright, long-lasting double blooms and glossy dark-green leaves, this Azalea ‘Pyramid Tree’ has been artfully shaped for the season! Choose between elegant white or bright red-ruffled flowers to decorate your home over Christmas. When spring arrives, simply plant it 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.

Lead image: Hibiscus ‘Festive Flair‘ from T&M

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