Plants for pets: A guide to pet-friendly houseplants

by Annelise Brilli | Jan 26, 2022 | Gardening Posts, House plants | 2 Comments

Pets and plants don’t always go together. My ‘Border Terrorists’, Ogmore and Dylan, are notorious for chomping foliage. Whilst they mainly graze on Dog’s Mercury and other outdoor weeds, they have been known to unleash their rasping tongues on my elegant Bamboo Palm ( Dypsis lutescens) making it look like it’s been attacked by a giant slug! Fortunately, Bamboo Palm is entirely non-toxic to pets, as are most popular varieties. To help you decide which house plants to choose, we asked a panel of Thompson & Morgan pooches and pussycats to point you in the right direction.

Browse our full range of indoor plants for more inspiration.

Hedges for Wildlife

by Annelise Brilli | Jan 20, 2022 | Gardening Posts, Hedging, Wildlife | 2 Comments

Go native and plant the ultimate wildlife hotel! Winter is the perfect time for hedge planting, and if you seriously want to put conservation into action, planting a native hedge is an easy and effective way to help some of our most threatened UK species.

For most of us, large trees and woodland patches are beyond the scope of our modestly sized gardens, but native hedging plants function as mini woodlands which are absolutely teeming with wildlife. Supporting up to 80 per cent of our woodland birds, 50 per cent of our mammals and 30 per cent of our butterflies, the benefits of hedgerows to wildlife are indisputable. However, in some parts of the UK, up to 50% of hedgerows have disappeared. This is where gardeners can step in and make a real difference.

So, get planting your Hedgerow Hotel! Here is an introduction to just some of the wonderful guests who will be eagerly waiting to check in.

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.

Houseplant Watering Guide

by Annelise Brilli | Jan 14, 2022 | Gardening Posts, House plants | 0 Comments

Image: Shutterstock

To water or not to water?

That is the question asked by many a gardener, their watering can hovering over a stubbornly mute Aspidistra which refuses to reveal whether it’s thirsty or not! “When did I last water it?” you ask yourself. “Last week? Last month? ….Last year?” At this point you are pondering the possibility of encroaching dementia as your watering recollections have merged into a dense fog. “How often am I supposed to water this thing anyway?” you wonder, dashing to look it up on Google. “Every week”, “Every other week”, “Every few weeks”; the answers are as varied as the water stains on your furnishings which you are now eyeing up crossly. Clearly, your inability to divine your Aspidistra’s needs must be down to an absence of those mystifying ‘green thumbs’ and you splurge a glug of water into the saucer ‘just for good measure’ before stomping off to quench your own thirst with a cuppa.

Sounds like a familiar story? Well, sit back, enjoy your tea and I will attempt to clear the muddy waters around this critical topic.

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.

What to do when bad weather prevents planting

by Thompson & Morgan | Jan 12, 2022 | Gardening Posts | 2 Comments

Unexpected late frosts or snow or can undermine the best laid plans
Image: Shutterstock

When bad weather stops you from immediately planting out your order, don’t despair. With a little bit of care, your plants will survive intact until conditions improve. Here’s how to look after your freshly ordered roots and plug plants when unexpected snow, late frosts, severe rain or the fickle British weather prevents you from getting them into their final positions straight away. From artichokes to strawberry runners, here’s what you need to do.

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.

Houseplant Lighting Guide

by Annelise Brilli | Jan 7, 2022 | Gardening Posts, House plants | 5 Comments

A sunny bay window decorated with a variety of houseplants

Image: Shutterstock

Houseplants function as living décor, making your home look beautiful. They also introduce nature into sterile indoor environments, injecting mood-boosting natural greenery. Finding creative ways to display your plants is the fun part, but before you do that, it is essential to consider the living conditions which plants require. The most important of these is light.

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.

Decorating with Houseplants

by Annelise Brilli | Dec 15, 2021 | Gardening Posts | 2 Comments

This guide to decorating with houseplants shows you how to get creative with plant shape, texture, colour and size. Plants breathe life into sterile spaces and which houseplants you select and how you arrange them will affect the dynamics of your space and create different moods.

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.

The rough guide to beans by Real Men Sow

by Thompson & Morgan | Dec 8, 2021 | Gardening Posts, Vegetables | 0 Comments

This mixed bean collection adds colour to the vegetable plot as well as the plate
Image: Climbing Bean ‘Mixed’ from Thompson & Morgan

To help you produce an abundance of beans this year, we turned to an expert grower for practical advice. Jono, the original founder of the ever-popular gardening blog, Real Men Sow, is a man whose own hard-won experience has taught him how to get the best from his beans. Here are his top tips for sowing and growing bean seeds in your garden or allotment.

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.

Oh peas behave!

by Sam Corfield | Dec 7, 2021 | Gardening Posts, Vegetables | 2 Comments

Peas can be sown successionally for a continuous crop throughout the summer

If you love the idea of sowing pea and bean seeds and want to try growing them at home or on your allotment, we asked trained horticulturist, Sam Corfield, to talk you through his pea season. A man who likes to keep things simple, here are his top tips to help you enjoy excellent harvests with minimum fuss. Whether you want to grow juicy garden varieties, succulent sugar snaps or mangetout, this simple guide will have you growing your own peas in no time.

Sam Corfield

Having trained at Duchy College in Cornwall, he then spent 10+ years on and off working at The Lost Gardens of Heligan. In between Sam has setup a garden at RHS Hampton Court show, lived and worked on large private garden in New Zealand and worked for the BBC as a Natural history cameraman.

Sam now advises, designs and builds vegetable gardens for businesses, allowing them to grow their own crops. He tends to grow slightly more unusual crops and loves experimenting!

samcorfield.co.uk/

Growing raspberries with children

by Sue Sanderson | Dec 6, 2021 | Fruit, Gardening Posts | 0 Comments

Raspberry 'Ruby Beauty'® (Summer Fruiting) from T&M

Children love growing things they can pick and eat straight from the plant, and soft fruits are particular favourites. Raspberry ‘Ruby Beauty’ is a dwarf variety that grows to about 3ft tall, and is perfectly happy in the ground, in a container, or even on a sunny balcony.

As a thornless variety, children will love the easy pickings too, which is why we sent some plants to our horticultural expert, Sue Sanderson and her little helper to try out. Here’s how they got on with a raspberry that, while short in stature, is easy to grow and produces an excellent harvest of sweet, succulent fruit…

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.

Why you need to grow Raspberry ‘Ruby Beauty’

by Thompson & Morgan | Dec 5, 2021 | Fruit, Gardening Posts | 4 Comments

Summer-fruiting Raspberry ‘Ruby Beauty' in container

If you’d love to grow raspberries but lack the space in your garden to accommodate rows of towering canes, Raspberry ‘Ruby Beauty’® is the solution you’re looking for. This space-saving raspberry has all the deliciously sweet flavour you’d expect from a modern variety, but you don’t need a veg patch to grow it – in fact, this little beauty grows to just 1m in height and is perfectly happy in a container on your patio or balcony.

Being compact makes ‘Ruby Beauty’ easy to net to protect the fruit from hungry birds. And because its stems are thornless, the fruit is easy to pick too. This plant requires little, if any, support but you may choose to add a few canes around the pot to help hold up the fruit.

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.

Thompson & Morgan Gardening Blog

Plants for pets: A guide to pet-friendly houseplants

read more…

Hedges for Wildlife

Houseplant Watering Guide

To water or not to water?

What to do when bad weather prevents planting

Houseplant Lighting Guide

Decorating with Houseplants

The rough guide to beans by Real Men Sow

Oh peas behave!

Growing raspberries with children

Why you need to grow Raspberry ‘Ruby Beauty’

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