Gardening Posts Archives | Page 16 of 122

Ten top organic gardening blogs

by Mark Delaney | Aug 19, 2022 | Blogs we love, Gardening Posts | 0 Comments

Learn how to grow delicious organic fruit & veg in your garden
Image: Organic Lettuce ‘Red & Green Salad Bowl Mixed’ (Loose-Leaf) from Thompson & Morgan

If you’d like to grow organic fruit and vegetables but need a little help to get you started, here are ten of the best organic and permaculture gardening blogs to bookmark. These experienced growers regularly share their knowhow, expertly easing you through the transition to chemical-free gardening. Read on for a wealth of top tips to help you change the way you grow.

Courgette and parmesan soup

by Thompson & Morgan | Aug 17, 2022 | Courgette recipes, Gardening Posts, Recipes | 0 Comments

Courgette and Parmesan Soup

Aimee Clark

This creamy soup is perfect for using up a glut of courgettes and a great way to make use of those extra-large courgettes! You can add extra parmesan to the soup when you serve, some fresh chilli and even a swirl of cream depending on your taste.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Main Course, Soup

Ingredients

Olive oil
1 tbsp garlic - chopped
Handful mixed herbs - fresh basil works really well, as does oregano, chives and parsley
salt and pepper - to taste
1 kg courgettes - chopped into small chunks
1 fresh chilli - optional
750 ml stock
50 g freshly grated parmesan - plus extra to serve
Swirl of single cream - to serve

Instructions

Gently cook the chopped courgettes, garlic and herbs in a heavy based saucepan until the courgette has begun to soften.
Season generously with salt and black pepper. You can also some chopped fresh chilli at this stage if you wish!
Add the stock and simmer until the courgette is completely softened - about 10 minutes.
Blend the soup until smooth - if you wish you can keep back some of the cooked courgette and add into the rest of the blended soup to give some texture.
Now add in your parmesan cheese and stir until it has melted into the soup. You can now add more salt and pepper to taste and then add in the cream at this point if you wish, although I find that when using a large courgette it is already quite creamy!
Serve with a sprinkle of parmesan on top and some extra black pepper, if you wish!
Enjoy!

Notes

Find out how to grow courgettes and other squashes from seed by visiting our hub page.

Keyword courgette, seasonal vegetables, soup, vegetables

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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.

www.thompson-morgan.com

Crocus masterclass: best expert content

by Sophie Essex | Aug 16, 2022 | Blogs we love, Gardening Masterclasses, Gardening Posts | 2 Comments

Crocus 'Botanical Mix' from Thompson & Morgan

Crocus flowers take centre stage in the late winter garden
Image: Crocus ‘Botanical Mixed’ from Thompson & Morgan

If you’re looking for advice on crocus care along with some nifty planting tips, check out this helpful collection of independent articles, Instagram posts and video tutorials. Crocus bulbs bring bright bursts of jewel-like colours at a time of year when not much else is growing. These versatile blooms brighten gardens and lawns long before other popular spring favourites like narcissi and tulips appear.

Inspired by this colourful content? Browse our high quality range of online crocus bulbs including delicate saffron crocuses, autumn flowering Colchicum and classic spring varieties.

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.

Big Butterfly Count and Best Plants for Butterflies

by Olivia Drake | Jul 27, 2022 | Gardening Posts, Wildlife | 0 Comments

Marbled White butterfly on knapweed. Image: Canva

The Big Butterfly Count 2022 is upon us! Running until 7th August, this nationwide citizen science project is a fantastic way to help our native butterflies whilst having a bit of fun in the process. With numbers of many of our native species dwindling, it’s more important than ever to keep tabs on their populations. Using the data from your sightings, conservationists can gain a clearer picture of how species are faring in different areas and habitats, which in turn helps to inform their conservation.

Inspiration from Arundel Castle’s Tulip Festival

by Annelise Brilli | Jul 27, 2022 | Gardening Posts, Spring gardening | 0 Comments

Display of tulips at Arundel Castle composed of a large planting with a central square of purple and white tulips surrounded by an outer square of bright pink tulips

The shimmering ‘Wedding Cake’ of tulips at Arundel Castle
Image: Annelise Brilli

In the middle of this scorching summer, it’s easy to forget the dark days of late winter, the desperate wait for spring colour and the immense joy when tulips emerge, studding bare borders like jewels. Gardening is all about planning ahead, and although spring seems very far away, you need to start thinking about which spring bulbs you’d like to grow now.

Annelise Brilli

Annelise Brilli is the Horticultural Copywriter for Thompson and Morgan. Annelise caught the gardening bug from her mother, whose tiny backyard was crammed with a huge collection of plants. As an adult, she had a career change into horticulture, gaining a training apprenticeship with the National Trust at Powis Castle Garden in Welshpool. She went on to work in a range of private and public gardens, later running a garden design and maintenance business. She is passionate about sustainable gardening and has developed her own wildlife-friendly garden which she has opened as part of Macmillan Coastal Garden Trail.

Wildflowers masterclass: best expert content

by Sophie Essex | Jul 21, 2022 | Blogs we love, Gardening Masterclasses, Gardening Posts | 0 Comments

Wildflowers are a colourful addition to the garden
Image: Wildflower mixture from Thompson & Morgan

Wildflowers are beautiful, colourful and a great way to attract beneficial insects to your outside space. Pick up tips on how to grow them in your garden, allotment, or even in an old wheelbarrow using these independent articles, videos and Instagram posts for inspiration.

If you want to create your own annual or perennial wildflower meadow, take a quick look at our pre-prepared wildflower mixes for a quick and easy option. Alternatively, choose your favourite single varieties, like poppies, from our full range of quality wildflower seeds.

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 best way to preserve apples

by Thompson & Morgan | Jul 13, 2022 | Blogs we love, Gardening Posts | 0 Comments

You can do a lot with a bumper crop of apples
Image: Apple ‘Appletini’ from Thompson & Morgan

If you’re wondering what to do with a bumper haul of apples, never fear, there are plenty of ways to preserve your crop. We turned to some of our favourite bloggers for advice, asking them how they deal with an apple glut.

Here are some of the best ways to store and preserve this most traditional of British fruits, along with top tips from those who’ve been there, done that and have the chutney to show for it! Inspired to grow a few more varieties? Take a look at our excellent selection of apple trees here.

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.

www.thompson-morgan.com

The best way to preserve tomatoes

by Thompson & Morgan | Jul 13, 2022 | Blogs we love, Gardening Posts | 0 Comments

Mandy’s cooked tomato passata is a great way to use cherry tomatoes
Image: MandyCanUDigIt

Wondering what to do with a glut of tomatoes? Lovely as it is to grow a bumper harvest of any crop, when it all comes at once, you can’t possibly eat it all. Friends and neighbours will only take so much, and it’s such a shame to see all your delicious food go past its best and end up on the compost heap.

We asked gardening bloggers what they do when they haven’t been able to resist growing too many tomato plants. If you’re looking for new ways to preserve your tomatoes, here are six great ideas to try…

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.

www.thompson-morgan.com

Eight best chutney recipes

by Thompson & Morgan | Jul 12, 2022 | Blogs we love, Gardening Posts | 0 Comments

Turn your gluts into chutney and enjoy the taste of summer for seasons to come
Image: Angyalosi Beata/Shutterstock

Originating in India, chutney was brought back to Britain during colonial times and quickly became a popular way to preserve gluts of fresh produce. Not only does the delicious flavour liven up any dish, chutney is a great way to avoid waste and enjoy healthy, seasonal ingredients throughout the entire year.

There’s still time to get growing – order a few garden ready vegetable plants to pop into gaps in your veg patch, herbaceous border or patio containers. And when you’re ready, here are 8 chutney recipes, courtesy of some of our favourite bloggers, to help you preserve your healthy homegrown produce at its best:

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.

www.thompson-morgan.com

How to dry and dehydrate fresh produce

by Thompson & Morgan | Jul 12, 2022 | Gardening Posts | 0 Comments

Kev dries 400 apples each year!
Image: An English Homestead

How would you like to enjoy dried chillies, vegetable crisps, and tomatoes all year round? In fact, you can dry a wide range of fruit, vegetables, and herbs – it’s an excellent way to preserve homegrown harvests for future use.

There’s still time to give it a try – order a few garden-ready vegetable plants if you didn’t have time to sow your own. We asked some of our favourite grow-your-own bloggers to share their tried and tested methods for drying and dehydrating fresh produce. Here are their top tips…

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.

www.thompson-morgan.com

Thompson & Morgan Gardening Blog

Ten top organic gardening blogs

Courgette and parmesan soup