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.

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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.

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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.

We’ve just donated 100s of packets of flower seeds to local charities, ActivLives and St Elizabeth Hospice. The seeds were left over from a promotion that we ran in conjunction with Garden Answers and Garden News, two magazines published by Bauer Media, who were more than happy for the surplus packets to be donated to Suffolk charities.

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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

Left: T&M Flower of the Year Nasturtium ‘Orchid Flame’ Right: Beetroot Morello Photo credit: Thompson & Morgan

New Season

We’re pleased to announce that we’ve seen a strong start to sales from our newly-launched 2019 mail order seed range. Flower of the Year, Nasturtium ‘Orchid Flame’, Beet Morello and Tomato ‘Sweet Success’ are all proving popular with gardeners eager to prepare for next season.

New Retail Ranges

Back in April, we announced partnerships with Mr. Men Little Miss and with the National Trust. Officially launched at the Hampton Court Flower Show, the Mr. Men Little Miss retail seed range is selling well in garden centres and other retail outlets.

Joseph Cordy, our Head of B2B Sales said:

‘We’re so pleased at how well this new range of seeds is being received by the gardening public. Our partnership with one of the best known and loved children’s brands seems to be inspiring gardeners young and old to get growing from seed’.

Left: Mr. Men Little Miss range details from T&M retail brochure Right: National Trust range details from T&M retail brochure Photo credit: Thompson & Morgan

The eagerly anticipated National Trust seed range is due to launch in early October and will be available via a variety of retail channels. Both new seed ranges will continue to grow and develop with exciting plans to add further products to them.

Long Hot Summer

The Floral Fantasia garden at RHS Garden Hyde Hall near Chelmsford, has been one of the horticultural highlights of the year. Thompson & Morgan’s display of thousands of bedding plants created an amazingly colourful spectacle which was visited and much admired by many of the over 135,000 visitors to RHS Garden Hyde Hall this summer. Last week, staff from Thompson & Morgan and the RHS cleared the garden as the displays had started to fade from their former glory.

Peter Freeman, our New Product Development Manager, who oversaw the design, planting and maintenance of the Floral Fantasia garden, said:

“We’ve been astounded at the success of the Floral Fantasia garden. The feedback from visitors has been extraordinarily positive. People have commented on the fantastic colour and the sheer quantity of varieties of plant featured in the garden.

The long hot summer was a challenge in many ways, but also meant that the plants filled out and came on quickly to produce the amazing displays that everyone has enjoyed.”

Left: T&M’s Floral Fantasia garden in July Right: View of the garden area following the clear down last week. Photo credit: Thompson & Morgan

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

Left: The Sun’s Peter Seabrook (L) presents Colin Randel (R) with engraved garden fork and spade Right: Colin Randel, Thompson & Morgan’s vegetable product manager and potato expert Photo credits: Thompson & Morgan

Colin Randel, our product manager and vegetable expert here at Thompson & Morgan was last week presented with an engraved commemorative garden fork and spade in recognition of his 50 year contribution to horticulture.

Veteran gardening writer, The Sun columnist and broadcaster, Peter Seabrook, who has known Colin for many years, was on hand at RHS Garden Hyde Hall last Tuesday where we were holding our annual press day, to make the presentation.

Peter commented:

“Colin is a real treasure; his knowledge and experience in the world of vegetable growing is remarkable. Whenever I come up with a query on vegetables he is, and has been for many years, my first port of call. He is to be congratulated on his 50 years’ working in the seed trade and on his loyal service at Thompson & Morgan over the last 18 years. Long may he continue to serve vegetable growing gardeners at home and abroad.”

Colin’s love of gardening started when, as a young boy, he would help in his grandmother’s garden, planting potatoes and runner beans. He left school at 16 and has been working in horticulture in one form or another since then. Colin learned much of the basics of gardening with the head gardener of the Parker-Bowles estate, Donnington Castle House in Berkshire. As an apprentice, he took day release to the local agricultural college to add to his practical horticultural knowledge. Over the next 26 years, Colin worked developing seed lines at several companies in Berkshire, Devon and Suffolk before moving to Thompson & Morgan here in Ipswich in 2000 to develop the company’s seed potato business.

Thompson & Morgan’s commercial director, Chris Wright, said:

“Colin has been part of the fabric of Thompson & Morgan for 18 years now and he has developed and launched many new and exclusive vegetable lines to UK gardeners. We’re very lucky to have benefited from his incredible fount of knowledge over the years and so we were keen to celebrate his half century in horticulture with this presentation.”

One of the highlights of Colin’s career was his invitation in 1995 to join the RHS Garden Wisley vegetable trials committee. He enjoyed working with other vegetable specialists on this prestigious board for 23 years, acting as Chair for 8 years from 2006.

Colin remarked:

“I was most surprised when Peter made his presentation last week. Of course I know how long I’ve been working in horticulture – time does fly when you do a job that you’re passionate about – but I wasn’t expecting to have this milestone recognised with so many kind words and congratulations!”

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

Left: Children from Chelmondiston Primary School holding plants donated by Thompson & Morgan. Right: Children from Thomas Wolsey Ormiston Academy with a trolley of donated plants. Photo credits: Thompson & Morgan

Last week we donated over 1,500 plants to two local schools. The PTA of Chelmondiston Primary School, near Ipswich, was delighted to receive the plants which have been planted in the Key Stage 1 garden and playground area to brighten it up whilst the rest have been sold to raise money for a new outdoor classroom.

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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