Thompson & Morgan’s new spring catalogues are in and will soon be winging their way to gardeners up and down the UK. The full spring range is now available online at www.thompson-morgan.com and offers the horticultural mail order company’s customers a huge choice of plants and gardening equipment.

Vicky Ager, T&M’s head of direct sales said:

“We’re really pleased with the fabulous range of plants that we’re offering gardeners for 2020. Our horticultural team have excelled themselves in searching out the very best plant varieties for our customers to grow next year.”

Catalogues will be coming through customers’ letterboxes in the New Year. Anyone who does not receive our catalogues can request them via our website.

We’ve been refreshing our website with an updated colour scheme and improved functionality to create a seamless customer experience across the brand.

Holly Taylor, T&M’s online manager commented:

“With over 17 million recorded customer visits this year, our website plays a huge part in our business. We think the new look website will appeal to our customers – and we’ll be adding some more features in the new year.”

The website isn’t the only area that has had a makeover. Well-known stalwart of the potting shed and gardeners’ favourite, Chempak, has been rebranded.

“The Chempak plant food range is highly respected by many gardeners and has a long-standing reputation for quality and successful results; we thought it only good and proper to bring its branding up to date.”

said Joseph Cordy, Thompson & Morgan’s head of B2B.

Look out for the new packs in garden centres and here on our website. Gardeners can find out which Chempak product is best for their plants’ needs in this article https://www.thompson-morgan.com/chempak-fertiliser-guide

Sonia Mermagen

Sonia works at Thompson & Morgan in the role of press and communications officer. She is a self-proclaimed ‘reluctant’ gardener and is generally amazed if anything flourishes in her garden. Sonia has a ‘hands off’ approach to gardening and believes that this helps to encourage bees, butterflies and other wildlife. (That’s her excuse anyway!)

www.thompson-morgan.com

Alstromeria ‘Holiday Valley, Alstromeria ‘Spring Valley’ and Alstromeria ‘Times Valley’

Further ‘reveals’ from our new Spring Range
We’ve just released details and images of a number of new products that will feature in our Spring 2020 range.

All three of the striking varieties in the new Summer Paradise series of alstroemeria – ‘Holiday Valley’, ‘Spring Valley’ and ‘Times Valley’ – have a neat, compact habit and boast wonderful, exotic-looking blooms. Tougher than they might look, the delicate blooms are in fact able to cope with temperatures of down to -15 °C! They are perfect for the front of borders and will also work well in patio pots. And, as many gardeners will know and appreciate, alstroemeria make fabulous, long-lasting cut flowers.

Peter Freeman, our product development manager, said:

‘We were so impressed with these alstroemeria in trials – we think our customers are going to love the way they grow so neatly. And, of course, the fact that they are so hardy is a great bonus!’

Exclusive to our Spring 2020 range is a spectacular new variety of ornamental sage, Salvia ‘Strawberry Lake’. It’s a very versatile perennial which makes a superb patio plant, flowering from late summer into autumn on attractive, mounding foliage. Bees and butterflies absolutely love the ruby-red, ‘open-mouthed’ flowers!

Also new to the range for next season is the amazing Dahlia ‘Tropical Breeze’. With its eye-catching colouring, it is already sparking interest amongst the new generation of dahlia lovers. The stunning blooms are particularly large and uniform for a bedding variety and they flower freely from late May to October! Vigorous plants are neat, bushy and well-branched and show good tolerance to mildew. Like all dahlias, ‘Tropical Breeze’ makes a truly striking cut flower.

T&M Exclusive – Savlia ‘Strawberry Lake’ and Dahlia ‘Tropical Breeze’

Vicky Ager, T&M’s head of direct sales and GMG awards compère, James Alexander Sinclair

Garden Media Guild awards lunch

We proudly sponsored the Practical Journalist of the Year award at the annual Garden Media Guild awards lunch at The Savoy in London on Thursday 21st November. Vicky Ager, our head of direct sales, announced the winner, Alan Titchmarsh, who was unfortunately not in attendance. Vicky said:

‘We were so pleased to be involved in this great event again this year. It was such a pleasure to see so many of the gardening industry’s press, writers, broadcasters and bloggers!’

The Great British Growing Awards
In Grow Your Own magazine’s Great British Growing Awards, we were recently named the winner in two categories – Best Plug Plant Range and Best Online Retailer. Miles Turner, our direct sales manager, commented:

‘We’re very honoured to win these two awards, particularly as they are voted on by Grow Your Own readers who we know have so many brands and products to choose from. We’re so proud at T&M to be part of such a great industry and very happy to be recognised for our contribution.’

New additions to retail gift range
A number of new gardening gift items have recently been added to our retail range, namely a Gardeners’ Hamper and two herb kits. Joseph Cordy, our head of B2B, commented:
‘We’re pleased to be expanding our retail offering to include these premium gardening gifts. Whether customers are buying presents for the festive period or at other times of the year and for other occasions, we think that these gifts can provide an attractive alternative to plants.’

These gardening gifts are available in garden centres in the New Year.

Gardeners’ Hamper, Herb Garden Trio Kit and Chalk Pot Herb Kit

Alstroemeria ‘Holiday Valley’, ‘Spring Valley’ & ‘Times Valley’ (Summer Paradise Series)
| Long-flowering, exotic blooms | Ideal for patio pots and front of borders | Long-lasting cut flowers| Sun or part shade | Height & Spread: 45cm | Available as jumbo plug plants
| Available separately or as a collection of all three varieties | Despatching Spring 2020 |

Salvia ‘Strawberry Lake’ | Exclusive to Thompson & Morgan | Free-flowering from late summer into autumn | Ideal for cottage gardens or exotic borders | Great for patio pots | Half hardy perennial | Full sun | Height: 45cm | Spread: 30cm | Available as jumbo plug plants | Despatching Spring 2020 |

Dahlia ‘Tropical Breeze’ | Superb bedding dahlia | Large uniform blooms | Great for patio pots, beds and borders | Stunning cut flower | Half hardy perennial | Full sun | Height: 45cm | Spread: 30cm | Available as jumbo plug plants | Despatching Spring 2020 |

Sonia Mermagen

Sonia works at Thompson & Morgan in the role of press and communications officer. She is a self-proclaimed ‘reluctant’ gardener and is generally amazed if anything flourishes in her garden. Sonia has a ‘hands off’ approach to gardening and believes that this helps to encourage bees, butterflies and other wildlife. (That’s her excuse anyway!)

www.thompson-morgan.com

We are launching two intriguing new winter squash varieties. Intriguing because when cooked, they taste just like mashed and baked potatoes whilst offering fewer calories, along with lower carbohydrate and higher fibre content. With today’s trends towards healthy eating, plant-based diets and home-grown vegetables, we think the new squash varieties will go down a treat with home gardeners, allotment growers and plot-to-plate foodies alike.

The cooked flesh of both squash is lower in carbohydrates and calories, and higher in fibre than that of potato. Per 148g portion, ‘Mashed Potato’ has 23 calories against potato with 110; 2.25% carbohydrate against 9%; 9% dietary fibre against 7%.

Winter Squash ‘Mashed Potato’ is a white-skinned acorn-type with almost white flesh that when baked, scooped out, mashed and seasoned has the look and taste of mashed potato.

Winter Squash ‘Baked Potato’ is an acorn-type with a pale butternut-coloured skin and off-white flesh that when cooked has the appearance, texture and taste of baked potato.

Peter Freeman, our new product development manager, said:

“We’re very excited to be offering these two new squash varieties for next season. Jumbo plugs and seeds will be available, enabling gardeners and allotmenteers to grow these highly productive plants. In staff taste tests, we’ve been amazed at how similar to potato the winter squash flesh is!”

Both varieties typically produce 3 to 4 fruits of approximately 450-700g each. Squash plants are vine-like and will trail on the ground. Click here to find out more and to order seeds and plants. A 10% discount is being offered when the hashtag #squashpotato is used when ordering from our website until November 6th 2019.

Cooking suggestion:
Both squash should be cooked in the oven, with the cut side lightly oiled and placed cut side down on a baking tray, at 200 °C for approx 30 mins. The flesh can then be scooped out and in the case of Squash Mashed Potato, mashed with butter, salt and pepper according to taste and enjoyed as you would regular mashed potato. In the case of Squash Baked Potato, the flesh can be eaten as you would that of a baked potato, with butter and cheese or any other filling of your choice.

Sonia Mermagen

Sonia works at Thompson & Morgan in the role of press and communications officer. She is a self-proclaimed ‘reluctant’ gardener and is generally amazed if anything flourishes in her garden. Sonia has a ‘hands off’ approach to gardening and believes that this helps to encourage bees, butterflies and other wildlife. (That’s her excuse anyway!)

www.thompson-morgan.com

Agapanthus Fireworks

We’re so pleased to announce that its Plant of the Year entry Agapanthus ‘Fireworks’ has been placed third today at RHS Chelsea Flower Show. It was one of six plants that we heard this morning were on the final shortlist of 20 entrants.

Agapanthus ‘Fireworks’ is a world first in pendulous bicolour agapanthus. Developed by Quinton Bean and Andrew de Wet of De Wet plant breeders, not only does ‘Fireworks’ offer better colour, it has bigger blooms and more stems per plant than previous bicolour cultivars.

This striking agapanthus flowers for longer too – most agapanthus are finished in August, but ‘Fireworks’ carries on flowering through September, giving gardeners 3 months of colour!

The large umbels carry generous clusters of upright white buds that open into fluted flowers which show off clearly-defined rich blue bases and white flaring petal tips. Plants are tougher than other evergreen varieties – staying in green leaf through winter in temperatures down to -10℃.

Peter Freeman, our new product development manager commented:

“We’re over the moon to have our Agapanthus ‘Fireworks’ placed in the top three of this year’s Plant of the Year. It’s a really great plant! We think gardeners will love its contemporary elegance and the fact that it can be used in so many ways in the garden. It grows to about 90cm so it looks really dramatic planted in drifts in the border, and just as good in patio container displays.”

All the plants that we entered into the Plant of the Year competition are featured on the Behind the Genes garden that was created in partnership with Sparsholt College in Hampshire. The garden, which is in the Discovery area of the Great Pavilion (Stand GPA154), offers a visually inspiring insight into the processes of plant breeding and explains techniques used to bring about improvements in plant species.

Also on the garden are our winning plants from last year’s Plant of the Year – Hydrangea ‘Runaway Bride’ which was placed first in 2018, and Sunflower SunBelievable Brown Eyed Girl’, which took third place.

Sonia Mermagen

Sonia works at Thompson & Morgan in the role of press and communications officer. She is a self-proclaimed ‘reluctant’ gardener and is generally amazed if anything flourishes in her garden. Sonia has a ‘hands off’ approach to gardening and believes that this helps to encourage bees, butterflies and other wildlife. (That’s her excuse anyway!)

www.thompson-morgan.com

We’re thrilled to announce that the shortlist announced on Sunday afternoon for RHS Chelsea Flower Show’s Plant of the Year, includes six of our entrants. This beats last year’s tally of five plants, two of which went on to be placed first and third places in this hugely prestigious horticultural competition.

The shortlist of 20 plants will now be considered by a panel of Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) judges and the top three winning plants will be announced later today.

The six plants on the shortlist of twenty are:

Osteospermum ‘Purple Sun’ – Previously unseen colour combination of orange and pink. The pink-purple centre spreads outwards on the fade-resistant petals as the season progresses.
Nepeta ‘Neptune’ – Abundant flowers ‘rebloom’ on a compact, bushy habit; firm foliage is perfect for making tea.
Clematis ‘Kokonoe’ – Uniquely changing flower shape; flowers open as single blooms and develop into flamboyant doubles.

Osteospermum ‘Purple Sun’, Nepeta ‘Neptune’ and Clematis ‘Kokonoe’

Ajuga ‘Princess Nadia’ – Brings together the best evergreen, variegated foliage and flower spikes of the genus. Year-round interest.
Chlorophytum ‘Starlight’ – Hardy Spider Plant with the architectural appeal of an ornamental grass and the flowering performance of a bedding plant. Attractive variegated foliage and pretty white flowers.
Agapanthus ‘Fireworks’ – The best bicolour agapanthus, offering bigger blooms, better colour and more stems per plant than previous bicolour cultivars.

Ajuga ‘Princess Nadia’, Chlorophytum ‘Starlight’ and Agapanthus ‘Fireworks’

Our new product development manager, Peter Freeman said:

“We couldn’t be more pleased to hear the news that six of our plants are on the shortlist. To have placed six out of the twenty on the list is an amazing feat. We thought we’d done well last year to have five on the list, so to improve on that is incredible! Everyone at Thompson & Morgan is keeping everything crossed while we await the judges’ decision later on today.”

For updates and images from the Great Pavilion on the first day of the Chelsea Flower Show, please follow Thompson & Morgan on Twitter and Instagram.

All of Thompson & Morgan’s plant entries are featured on the Behind the Genes garden which has been devised and built in partnership with Sparsholt College in Hampshire. The garden, in the Discovery area of the Great Pavilion (Stand GPA154), offers a visually inspiring insight into the processes of plant breeding and explains techniques used to bring about improvements in plant species. To read more about our journey to Chelsea, click here.

Sonia Mermagen

Sonia works at Thompson & Morgan in the role of press and communications officer. She is a self-proclaimed ‘reluctant’ gardener and is generally amazed if anything flourishes in her garden. Sonia has a ‘hands off’ approach to gardening and believes that this helps to encourage bees, butterflies and other wildlife. (That’s her excuse anyway!)

www.thompson-morgan.com

Have you ever been left puzzled for days on end, trying to remember the name of that plant in your border? We’ve all been there – racking our memory for an elusive plant name! What if you could catalogue your plants online so that their names were all there at your fingertips? Even better, if you received personalised, timely care information to tell you exactly what needs doing in your garden.

And then there’s all that time spent trawling books to figure out what those bugs are? Wouldn’t life be simpler if you could just message a ‘real-life’ horticultural expert and get a fast, personal reply?

Well, all of that is now possible with an impressive app called SmartPlant™. Whether you are new to gardening or a green-fingered guru, this innovative app makes plant care simple.

The SmartPlant™ app offers plant identification, a calendar of growing tips tailored to your own garden, pest and disease identification and advice, expert chat, and plant suggestions based around your gardens growing conditions. Better still, you can connect SmartPlant™ with your Alexa device to receive your plant care advice, even if you’re up to your eyeballs in soil! With so much to offer, it’s easy to see why Thompson & Morgan have teamed up with SmartPlant™, to help their customers get the very best from their house and garden plants.

PLUS, Thompson & Morgan customers can access a month of premium membership for FREE with promo code tmsp

Get started now by downloading on the iTunes app store or Google play

Sue Sanderson

Plants and gardens have always been a big part of my life. I can remember helping my Dad to prick out seedlings, even before I could see over the top of the potting bench. As an adult, I trained at Writtle College where I received my degree, BSc. (Hons) Horticulture. After working in a specialist plantsman’s nursery, and later, as a consulting arboriculturalist, I joined Thompson & Morgan in 2008. Initially looking after the grounds and coordinating the plant trials, I now support the web team offering horticultural advice online. I have a keen interest in drought resistant plants and a passion for perennials, particularly hardy Geraniums. I previously stood as regional secretary for the International Plant Propagation Society which gave me lots of opportunities to see what other horticulturalists were up to in their nurseries and gardens.