by Thompson & Morgan | May 11, 2026 | Gardening Posts
Image courtesy of Gina Mellard
When Gina from @ginas_flower_garden moved to the countryside with newborn twins and a toddler, gardening quickly became more than just a way to fill time at home. It developed into a full-blown love affair with flowers and a desire to create a fairy tale sanctuary for herself and her children. Read on to learn more…
How did you get into gardening?
Images courtesy of Gina Mellard
I started gardening after relocating to the countryside. I had baby twins and a toddler, so I spent a lot of time at home. In the first year, I started off simple, just growing wildflowers and sunflowers. Since then, I’ve completely fallen in love with growing flowers and try to grow as much as I can! I always dreamt of creating my own rose garden – like the ones you see in stately homes – and being able to do so has been a dream come true. My garden has always been my sanctuary and I love it!
What inspires you in the garden?
Images courtesy of Gina Mellard
I want to create the most beautiful garden for my children to grow up in, something you’d find in a fairy tale, where a Disney princess would go. I appreciate every single flower in each season and always have a really special flower or plant that I focus on each month.
Cherry blossom season is my favourite, but I enjoy different seasons for different reasons. June is when I get to enjoy my roses, and then later in the summer is all about my beautiful hydrangeas and dahlias.
I adore being able to walk around my own garden and cut a fresh, eco-friendly bouquet of blooms; there’s something so therapeutic about arranging your own flowers.
What’s your favourite gardening style?
Images courtesy of Gina Mellard
I love cottage gardens, but with a modern twist! My garden is full of cottage garden classics, but I also welcome other beautiful varieties. So while I have many roses, foxgloves, and other traditional cottage garden flowers, I also love growing plants like lilies and fatsias!
Each year I discover new gardening styles and plants, and I’ve recently discovered pond plants. One thing that is never likely to change is that I want as much pink as possible!
What are you most proud of?
Image courtesy of Gina Mellard
My rose collection is my pride and joy; I now have over 60 roses in beautiful shades of pink, white and blue. I planted most of them 3 years ago as bare roots, and watching them develop has been so special.
Each year, I like to add to the perennial planting; my peonies are absolutely thriving, which makes June incredible. I remember walking up and down the garden with my double pram, digging up bits of the border and planting new varieties. The fact that I was able to start and grow my own beautiful rose garden while taking care of my babies is something I’m so proud of. Without them I wouldn’t have started it!
What are your future plans?
Images courtesy of Gina Mellard
A lot of the garden still needs work. Gardens take time, and I’m at the stage where I’m happy to wait for things to mature. The plan is to keep adding more perennials and also some nice shrubs. I also have an allotment, which is a big focus for me now, too. I’ve started adding fruit – raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, grapes and much more!
What’s your top gardening tip for beginners?
Images courtesy of Gina Mellard
My top tip for beginner gardeners is to start with one border at a time and try to enjoy the journey! Think about screening and structure first, too. It’s important not to put too much pressure on yourself, as plants can always be moved. Gardens are always changing and I know that my garden will never be finished. Also, remember that there are no ‘rules’; it’s your garden, so what matters most is making sure you like it. Concentrate on making a garden that brings you joy and makes your heart feel happy.
Grow like Gina
If you’d like to grow the plants and flowers Gina showcases on her Instagram page, here are some of her favourites:
Follow Gina at @ginas_flower_garden to see how she continues to grow, inspire, and make the most of every inch of her garden. For more inspiration, our full series of Featured Gardeners contains a wealth of hugely knowledgeable growers who are also worth a follow.
The Thompson & Morgan horticultural team produces a wealth of content around gardening and food production. 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 | May 6, 2026 | Gardening News, Gardening Posts
We’re thrilled to announce that two of our latest plant introductions have been shortlisted for the prestigious RHS Chelsea Plant of the Year Award 2026. This accolade recognises the very best in breeding, performance, and garden appeal. Read on to learn more about the groundbreaking plants that caught the judges’ eyes…
In the meantime, see all of our award-winning plants and flowers.
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The Thompson & Morgan horticultural team produces a wealth of content around gardening and food production. 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 | Apr 27, 2026 | Competitions, Flowers, Gardening News, Gardening Posts
We’re looking for the tallest sunflower in the country! If you’ve got a green thumb and a sunny spot, you could win a £250 Thompson & Morgan voucher. Sow your seeds as soon as they arrive and support them as they grow. You have until noon on the 5th October 2026 to reach for the sky!
Sorry, the free seeds have all gone, but you can buy them here if you want to take part: ‘High Hopes’ Sunflower Seeds.
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The Thompson & Morgan horticultural team produces a wealth of content around gardening and food production. 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 | Apr 13, 2026 | Featured Gardener, Gardening Posts
Image courtesy of Chloe Plumstead
When @chloeplumstead was little, she loved pottering in the garden with her nan and watching her mum turn a plain council estate plot into a buzzing mix of flowers, fruit, and vegetables. Now in her thirties, she co-runs a gardening brand for women and tends her own garden and allotment that are overflowing with colour and abundance. Read on to find out how she turned a childhood love of gardening into a life full of blooms, experiments, and joyful chaos…
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The Thompson & Morgan horticultural team produces a wealth of content around gardening and food production. 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 | Mar 10, 2026 | Gardening Posts
Is there anything more satisfying than a perfectly ripe, homegrown tomato, freshly picked and warm from the sun? Tomato seeds are easy to grow and a couple of tomato plants will produce hundreds of fruits to keep you supplied from mid-summer right through to autumn.
If you grow tomatoes, you’ll know they soon become a passion. But how much do you know about them? You probably won’t be surprised to learn that a tomato is a fruit. But here are five interesting tomato facts that you may not have come across.
1. Tomatoes originated in the Andes
Tomatoes growing in the Andes mountains
Image source: Shutterstock
Tomatoes were first cultivated by the Aztecs and Incas, dating back as early as 700 AD. The Aztec name for them translates to ‘plump thing with a navel’ – and they were grown for decoration rather than food. They were first brought to Europe in the mid 1500s.
2. You can call it a ‘wolf peach’
The scientific name for tomatoes is Lycopersicon lycopersicum, which means wolf peach! At least it sounds better than ‘plump thing with a navel’.
3. People used to believe that tomatoes were poisonous
Don’t serve tomatoes on a pewter plate!
Image source: Shutterstock
In the 1700s, some Europeans became wary of tomatoes because aristocrats were getting sick after eating them – even dying. The problem wasn’t the tomatoes however, but the pewter plates on which they were served. Highly acidic foods such as tomatoes may leach when touching certain metals, like pewter. Thus the problem was lead poisoning, falsely attributed to tomatoes – or ‘poisonous apples’, as they became nicknamed.
4. Tomatoes were originally yellow
The first tomatoes weren’t red, but small and yellow – which explains the Italian word given to them when they were brought to Europe: pomi d’oro, which translates to ‘yellow apples’. Tomatoes are now available in a variety of colours: red, orange, yellow, pink, black, purple and green.
5. There are 10,000 varieties of tomato worldwide
Which tomato variety will you choose next?
Image source: Shutterstock
What are your favourite tomato varieties? You might know the ever-popular ‘Gardener’s Delight’, ‘Moneymaker’ and ‘Tumbling Tom Red’ – but did you know there are 10,000 varieties of tomato across the globe? Some of the less familiar names include ‘Orange Beauty’, ‘Oh Happy Day’ and ‘Black Russian’, but you could eat a different variety every day and still not get through them after 27 years!
If you want to learn more about growing and caring for tomatoes, visit our tomato hub page, which links to all kinds of growing and care help and advice. And tell us what unusual tomato facts you’ve come across! Drop us a line at our social media channels.
The Thompson & Morgan horticultural team produces a wealth of content around gardening and food production. 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.
