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Strawberries masterclass: best expert content

by Sophie Essex | Feb 10, 2026 | Blogs we love, Gardening Masterclasses, Gardening Posts | 3 Comments

Homegrown strawberries taste better than anything you can buy in a supermarket
Image: Strawberry ‘Vibrant’ from Thompson & Morgan

If you like growing delicious strawberries we’re delighted to bring you a collection of the best advice from the internet. These bloggers, YouTubers and Instagrammers are people who practise what they preach, growing high yields of strawberries season after season, and sharing their knowhow so that you can enjoy a bumper crop too. Read on for some great strawberry-growing tips…

In the meantime, browse our full range of strawberry plants for more inspiration.

Sophie Essex

Sophie Essex is a freelance garden writer with a passion for horticulture and environmental conservation. With a BSc in Botany/Plant Biology from the University of Plymouth, she further honed her expertise through a Masters of Science in Biodiversity and Taxonomy of Plants from The University of Edinburgh.

Sophie has also worked as a professional gardener and landscaper, showcasing her practical skills by transforming outdoor spaces. Her commitment to fieldwork is further evident in her acquisition of a Certificate in Field Botany from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, and over the years, she has interned at the Eden Project, Cornwall, the National Trust for Scotland and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Find more information about Sophie over at LinkedIn.

Pond plants masterclass: best expert content

by Sophie Essex | Jan 22, 2025 | Blogs we love, Gardening Masterclasses, Gardening Posts | 0 Comments

Water lilies are quintessential deep water pond plants
Image: Water Lily (White) from Thompson & Morgan

Whether you want to attract wildlife to your garden or create a unique focal point, a pond is a great way to introduce a whole new range of plants to your outdoor space. Here are some of the best independent videos, articles and posts to help you plan a new water feature or spruce up an existing one.

Browse our excellent range of native and exotic pond plants for inspiration.

Sophie Essex

Sophie Essex is a freelance garden writer with a passion for horticulture and environmental conservation. With a BSc in Botany/Plant Biology from the University of Plymouth, she further honed her expertise through a Masters of Science in Biodiversity and Taxonomy of Plants from The University of Edinburgh.

Sophie has also worked as a professional gardener and landscaper, showcasing her practical skills by transforming outdoor spaces. Her commitment to fieldwork is further evident in her acquisition of a Certificate in Field Botany from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, and over the years, she has interned at the Eden Project, Cornwall, the National Trust for Scotland and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Find more information about Sophie over at LinkedIn.

Hyacinths masterclass: best expert content

by Sophie Essex | Dec 1, 2024 | Blogs we love, Flowers, Gardening Masterclasses, Gardening Posts | 0 Comments

Hyacinths create fabulous colour displays with powerful scent
Image: Hyacinth ‘Berries and Cream Mixture’ from Thompson & Morgan

If you want to force hyacinth bulbs indoors to enjoy their flower, scent and colour over the winter, here’s a selection of expert advice from our favourite bloggers, YouTubers and Instagrammers. These independent posts and videos give you step-by-step advice on how to make these spring-flowering bulbs bloom early. You’ll also find information on growing them in water, and getting your hyacinths to flower again, year after year.

Sophie Essex

Sophie Essex is a freelance garden writer with a passion for horticulture and environmental conservation. With a BSc in Botany/Plant Biology from the University of Plymouth, she further honed her expertise through a Masters of Science in Biodiversity and Taxonomy of Plants from The University of Edinburgh.

Sophie has also worked as a professional gardener and landscaper, showcasing her practical skills by transforming outdoor spaces. Her commitment to fieldwork is further evident in her acquisition of a Certificate in Field Botany from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, and over the years, she has interned at the Eden Project, Cornwall, the National Trust for Scotland and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Find more information about Sophie over at LinkedIn.

The ultimate guide to preserving fresh produce

by Thompson & Morgan | Sep 16, 2024 | Blogs we love, Gardening Posts | 0 Comments

Collection of preserved vegetables and fruits

Everything you need to know to preserve fresh produce for your freezer and pantry
Image: Shutterstock

What better way to deal with a glut, eat healthy food, and be more self-sufficient than by preserving your seasonal harvests? Here we take a look at five different ways to make the most of your fruit and vegetable plants by preserving the surplus for future use.

From freezing to pickling, and drying to bottling, we give you the basics of each method. We’ve also asked some of our favourite bloggers to share their handy hints – preserving is easy, fun and guaranteed to make winter meals way more tasty.

Thompson & Morgan

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.

Winter shrubs masterclass: best expert content

by Sophie Essex | Jul 30, 2024 | Blogs we love, Gardening Masterclasses, Gardening Posts | 0 Comments

Winter shrubs like Hamamelis flower happily in cold temperatures
Image: Hamamelis × intermedia ‘Böhlje’s Feuerzauber’ from Thompson & Morgan

Is your garden short of winter colour? Take inspiration from these expert independent gardeners and find out how to enjoy heady floral scent, garlands of berries, colourful stems and interesting foliage throughout the coldest and darkest months of the year.

If you’re planning a new scheme with wildlife in mind, browse our online collection of shrubs with winter berries. Our winter flowering shrubs brighten the gloomiest of days, and for a powerful, structural statement, take a look at our fiery range of cornus shrubs.

Sophie Essex

Sophie Essex is a freelance garden writer with a passion for horticulture and environmental conservation. With a BSc in Botany/Plant Biology from the University of Plymouth, she further honed her expertise through a Masters of Science in Biodiversity and Taxonomy of Plants from The University of Edinburgh.

Sophie has also worked as a professional gardener and landscaper, showcasing her practical skills by transforming outdoor spaces. Her commitment to fieldwork is further evident in her acquisition of a Certificate in Field Botany from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, and over the years, she has interned at the Eden Project, Cornwall, the National Trust for Scotland and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Find more information about Sophie over at LinkedIn.

Shrubs masterclass: best expert content

by Sophie Essex | Jul 25, 2024 | Blogs we love, Gardening Masterclasses, Gardening Posts | 2 Comments

Award-winning Hydrangea ‘Runaway Bride’ is the perfect flowering shrub for a container
Image: Hydrangea RUNAWAY BRIDE® SNOW WHITE (‘USHYD0405’) (PBR) from Thompson & Morgan

If you’re looking for ways to add low-maintenance interest to your garden, shrubs are ideal. And if you need help to choose the perfect varieties, this collection of expert articles, Instagram posts and videos is the perfect place to start. Whether you want evergreen structure, winter colour or container shrubs to liven up your patio, here’s everything you need to help you choose, plant, prune and care for your shrubs.

For more inspiration, browse our wide range of online shrub plants including winter-flowering, climbing, scented, evergreen shrubs, and many more…

Sophie Essex

Sophie Essex is a freelance garden writer with a passion for horticulture and environmental conservation. With a BSc in Botany/Plant Biology from the University of Plymouth, she further honed her expertise through a Masters of Science in Biodiversity and Taxonomy of Plants from The University of Edinburgh.

Sophie has also worked as a professional gardener and landscaper, showcasing her practical skills by transforming outdoor spaces. Her commitment to fieldwork is further evident in her acquisition of a Certificate in Field Botany from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, and over the years, she has interned at the Eden Project, Cornwall, the National Trust for Scotland and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Find more information about Sophie over at LinkedIn.

Roses masterclass: best expert content

by Sophie Essex | Jun 13, 2024 | Blogs we love, Gardening Masterclasses, Gardening Posts, Roses | 2 Comments

Roses are quintessential English country garden plants
Image: Rose ‘Peach Melba’ (Climbing) from Thompson & Morgan

Delve into these gems of expert knowledge to help you grow fabulous roses. We’ve scoured the internet to find the best planting, propagating and pruning advice available. Whether you’re caring for a single bush or planning an entire rose garden of bare root plants, these top tips will inspire and inform you every step of the way.

Sophie Essex

Sophie Essex is a freelance garden writer with a passion for horticulture and environmental conservation. With a BSc in Botany/Plant Biology from the University of Plymouth, she further honed her expertise through a Masters of Science in Biodiversity and Taxonomy of Plants from The University of Edinburgh.

Sophie has also worked as a professional gardener and landscaper, showcasing her practical skills by transforming outdoor spaces. Her commitment to fieldwork is further evident in her acquisition of a Certificate in Field Botany from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, and over the years, she has interned at the Eden Project, Cornwall, the National Trust for Scotland and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Find more information about Sophie over at LinkedIn.

Garlic masterclass: best expert content

by Sophie Essex | May 31, 2024 | Blogs we love, Gardening Masterclasses, Gardening Posts | 0 Comments

Carcassonne Wight is one of the most successful garlic varieties for overwintering
Image: Garlic ‘Carcassonne Wight’ from Thompson & Morgan

If you love the taste of garlic and want to try growing your own garlic sets from scratch, here’s where you’ll find some of the best advice. These YouTubers and bloggers are garlic growing experts and will help you get the most from this tasty bulb. Here’s how to plant, care for, and store your own homegrown garlic…

This article was reviewed by T&M’s horticultural team and updated on 31st May 2024.

Sophie Essex

Sophie Essex is a freelance garden writer with a passion for horticulture and environmental conservation. With a BSc in Botany/Plant Biology from the University of Plymouth, she further honed her expertise through a Masters of Science in Biodiversity and Taxonomy of Plants from The University of Edinburgh.

Sophie has also worked as a professional gardener and landscaper, showcasing her practical skills by transforming outdoor spaces. Her commitment to fieldwork is further evident in her acquisition of a Certificate in Field Botany from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, and over the years, she has interned at the Eden Project, Cornwall, the National Trust for Scotland and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Find more information about Sophie over at LinkedIn.

Fruit masterclass: best expert content

by Sophie Essex | May 28, 2024 | Blogs we love, Gardening Masterclasses, Gardening Posts | 0 Comments

Try growing Raspberry ‘Little Sweet Sister’ in containers on the balcony for early crops of deliciously sweet fruit
Image: Raspberry ‘Little Sweet Sister’ from Thompson & Morgan

Do you want to grow fresh fruit in your garden, allotment or balcony? We’ve brought together a wealth of expert videos and articles to help you choose the best fruit plants for bumper crops of delicious produce. Everything you need to know to start growing fruit is here, whether it’s classic berries and currants or exotic melons and kiwi fruit.

This article was reviewed by T&M’s horticultural team and updated on 28th May 2024.

Sophie Essex

Sophie Essex is a freelance garden writer with a passion for horticulture and environmental conservation. With a BSc in Botany/Plant Biology from the University of Plymouth, she further honed her expertise through a Masters of Science in Biodiversity and Taxonomy of Plants from The University of Edinburgh.

Sophie has also worked as a professional gardener and landscaper, showcasing her practical skills by transforming outdoor spaces. Her commitment to fieldwork is further evident in her acquisition of a Certificate in Field Botany from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, and over the years, she has interned at the Eden Project, Cornwall, the National Trust for Scotland and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Find more information about Sophie over at LinkedIn.

Cucumbers masterclass: best expert content

by Sophie Essex | Apr 24, 2024 | Blogs we love, Gardening Masterclasses, Gardening Posts | 0 Comments

Group of cucumbers growing in the greenhouse

Cucumbers are prolific in the right conditions
Image: Cucumber ‘Carmen’ F1 Hybrid from Thompson & Morgan

Here’s a collection of the best independent content to help you grow your own crunchy cucumbers. These videos, articles and Instagram posts feature everything from sowing cucumber seeds through to pricking out and pollination. If you want to successfully grow cucumbers in your garden or allotment, you’ve come to the right place…

This article was reviewed by T&M’s horticultural team and updated on 24 April 2024.

Sophie Essex

Sophie Essex is a freelance garden writer with a passion for horticulture and environmental conservation. With a BSc in Botany/Plant Biology from the University of Plymouth, she further honed her expertise through a Masters of Science in Biodiversity and Taxonomy of Plants from The University of Edinburgh.

Sophie has also worked as a professional gardener and landscaper, showcasing her practical skills by transforming outdoor spaces. Her commitment to fieldwork is further evident in her acquisition of a Certificate in Field Botany from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, and over the years, she has interned at the Eden Project, Cornwall, the National Trust for Scotland and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Find more information about Sophie over at LinkedIn.

Strawberries masterclass: best expert content

Pond plants masterclass: best expert content

Hyacinths masterclass: best expert content

The ultimate guide to preserving fresh produce

Winter shrubs masterclass: best expert content

Shrubs masterclass: best expert content

Roses masterclass: best expert content

Garlic masterclass: best expert content

Fruit masterclass: best expert content

Cucumbers masterclass: best expert content

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