Thompson & Morgan Gardening Blog

Our gardening blog covers a wide variety of topics, including fruit, vegetable and tree stories. Read some of the top gardening stories right here.

Propagation, planting out and cultivation posts from writers that know their subjects well.

Why rudbeckia is one of Lee Burkhill’s top three plants

Photo of Lee Burkhill - The Garden Ninja

Image: Lee Burkhill is also known as Garden Ninja

Lee Burkhill, aka Garden Ninja, is an award-winning garden designer, horticultural expert, presenter on BBC1’s ‘Garden Rescue’ and the owner of a hugely popular gardening YouTube channel. Having studied Horticulture with the RHS at Edinburgh Botanical gardens, he has 35 years of hands-on experience and has designed hundreds of urban gardens. Lee’s excellent videos are a great way to pick up practical tips and his passion for his subject makes them a joy to watch. 

Shortlisted for the Garden Media Guild’s Individual Social Media Influencer of the Year Award 2023, we caught up with Lee to learn a bit about his professional journey and the highlights of his career so far. Here’s what he told us…

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Currant plants masterclass: best expert content

Whitecurrants on wooden table

Super sweet currant ‘White Versailles’ is the earliest white currant to crop in July
Image: White Currant ‘White Versailles’ (Organic) from T&M

Fruiting currants thrive in the UK’s cooler climate. Blackcurrants are delicious in pies and jam, white varieties are sweet enough to devour straight from the bush while redcurrants are the perfect addition to rich gravies and jewel-coloured jellies. Here, some of our favourite bloggers, Instagrammers, and vloggers share tips on how to grow your own bountiful buckets of delicious, colourful currants. 

Browse our full range of currant plants for delicious red, white and black varieties.

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Spicy butternut squash soup recipe

 

Collection of butternut squash on ground

Spicy butternut squash soup recipe

Ken Stockley
Why not grow your own butternut squash to use in this delicious soup recipe from Ken Stockley?
Ken says: "A lovely, creamy soup. All of the veg came from my garden and I only used ONE Apache chilli, but it still made my mouth tingle! Don't forget to wash your hands after clearing out the chilli seeds."
Course Soup
Servings 2

Ingredients
  

  • 500 g butternut squash
  • 1 large clove garlic
  • 1 onion
  • tbsp oil
  • ½ tbsp lemon juice
  • ½ tsp mixed herbs
  • 1 vegetable stock cube
  • 1 chicken stock cube
  • ½ red pepper
  • 500 ml water
  • 125 ml milk
  • 1 small chilli or half tsp chilli powder (optional)
  • Ground black pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Cut the butternut or squash into one inch chunks, removing the peel and seeds and any ‘stringy bits’. Peel and chop the garlic, onion, red pepper and fresh chilli.
  • Put the oil into a saucepan on a medium heat and fry off the garlic, onions and red pepper (and fresh chilli if using) for a couple of minutes until the onion is soft but not coloured. Stir frequently to stop it sticking.
  • Add the butternut squash and continue to cook for another 3 minutes. Keep stirring throughout.
  • Dissolve the stock cubes in the water and then add to the pan together with the milk, herbs, chilli (if using) and lemon juice. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat until it is simmering. Put the lid on the saucepan and continue to cook for another 20 minutes until the butternut is soft.
  • Remove from the heat and blend with a stick blender until smooth. If you prefer, you can leave it lumpy.
  • Reheat the soup again gently but don't allow it to boil. Season to taste with black pepper.

Notes

Find out how to grow your own squashes from seed through to harvest at our pumpkin and squash hub page.
Lead image: Squash Winter Butternut 'Hunter' F1 - Kew Vegetable Seed Collection from Thompson & Morgan
Keyword butternut squash, pumpkin, soup
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

What to do with bare root plants when they arrive

Four bare root magnolia trees

Bare root trees arrive in a dormant state and resemble ‘sticks’ 
Image: Magnolia x brooklynensis ‘Yellow Bird’ from Thompson & Morgan

Bare root plants are sold between November and March, while in a dormant state, and delivered in special packaging without any soil. They are economical to buy and, if you’re planning a new hedge, they’re a very affordable way to get it going. Aside from hedging, our most popular bare root plants include specimen trees, fruit trees, shrubs, bare root roses and even some perennials. Although they might look like ‘dead sticks’ when they arrive, they’re very much alive! Here are some top tips from our horticultural team to help you get your bare roots off to a flying start this winter.

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Broad beans masterclass: best expert content

Veg trug filled of broad beans

Freshly podded broad beans are absolutely delicious
Image: Broad bean ‘Bunyard’s Exhibition’ from T&M

Broad beans are the star of the ‘hungry gap’. Their pretty flowers are a welcome sight in spring when other crops aren’t quite ready or have reached the end of their season. Combine that with fantastic cold resistance and heavy cropping and they become a real no brainer! Follow these top tips from experienced garden bloggers and Instagrammers to grow your own bumper crops of broad beans. 

Browse our full collection of quality pea and bean seeds for new varieties and old favourites.

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Win A Bumper Prize Bundle worth £100 from Thompson & Morgan

To enter, click on the buttons below and follow the instructions. Increase your chances of winning by completing all of the entry methods.


Win A Bumper Prize Bundle worth £100 from Thompson & Morgan

Your Chance To Win

  1. 12 packets of new flower and vegetable seeds from our 2024 range – worth £40!
  2. A £50 Thompson & Morgan voucher to spend across our range of plants, bulbs, seeds and garden equipment
  3. 1 Year Free Thompson & Morgan Gardening Club Membership

This trio of prizes includes a fantastic bundle of new flower and vegetable seeds handpicked from our 2024 range. In addition, we’re throwing in a £50 voucher to spend online and 1 Year Free Thompson & Morgan Gardening Club Membership which unlocks 10% OFF EVERY order placed online plus £20 worth of vouchers and much more.

Thanks for entering and good luck. The winner will receive an email from blog@thompson-morgan.com just after the closing date.

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Blueberries masterclass: best expert content

Blueberries overflowing bowl from Thompson & Morgan

A bowl of juicy blueberries, plucked straight from the bush
Image: Blueberry ‘Duke’ from T&M

Packed with antioxidants and bursting with sweetness, blueberries are a fantastic addition to the garden. Find out how to maintain the acidic soil they need to thrive, how to increase yields, and which varieties to try, using advice from our favourite blueberry growing bloggers, Instagrammers and YouTube experts.

Browse our full range of blueberry plants for more inspiration.

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How to grow fig trees

With their lush, exotic-looking leathery foliage and succulent fruits, fig trees create a striking feature in the garden! Thriving in sunny, sheltered positions, figs will grow successfully in large containers or garden borders, with varieties bred to achieve heady heights or petite patio pot perfection.

Where is the best place to plant a fig tree?

Image shows fig 'little miss figgy' growing in a glazed blue ceramic planter in a garden setting. Behind the planter is a white-painted wooden veranda and ballustrade with brick steps.
Figs need to grow in full sun
Image: ‘Little Miss Figgy’

Although figs thrive in the Mediterranean climate, they can happily grow in UK gardens as long as you pick a sheltered and sunny spot.

Growing a fan-trained fig tree against a wall will help produce the most fruits, as your plant will benefit from the heat of the wall during the night. Plus, you won’t need to stake your tree against winds.

How to plant a fig tree in the ground

Image shows a close-up on a fig tree growing in a garden border, with green lobed leaves and two green unripe figs.
Fig trees planted in the ground can become huge specimen trees over time
Image: Pascale Amez on Unsplash

Fig trees can be planted at any time of year when the ground isn’t frozen. Bearing in mind the mature height and spread of your fig tree, pick a sunny, sheltered spot in the garden and dig a planting hole about twice the size and depth of your plant’s nursery pot. Fig trees with restricted roots put more effort into fruit production, so line the planting hole with old paving slabs or rubble. Next, carefully remove your plant from its pot, place hold it in the planting hole and gently spread out the roots whilst refilling the hole and gently firming the soil around it. Make sure your tree is planted to the same depth it was in its nursery pot.

How to plant a fig tree in a container

Image shows a recently potted fig tree in a pot on a wooden bench seat in a garden, with a trowel, metal watering can and a pair of gardening gloves.
Plant figs in containers twice the size of their root ball and place them on a sunny patio
Image: Fig ‘Little Miss Figgy’

Fill a 30cm wide pot with free-draining potting compost such as John Innes no. 3, place you fig tree in the centre and gently firm down the compost around it. Make sure your tree is planted at the same depth it was in its nursery pot. Leave a few centimetres at the top clear of compost to help with watering. Water well and place in a sunny and sheltered area.

How to care for fig trees

Image shows a standard fig tree growing in a terracotta pot. The tree has a lollipop of green foliage on a single tall stem. The pot is stood in a perennial garden border edged with stone walling, with a lawn behind it.
Potted fig trees like this standard form should be moved indoors in winter
Image: Fig ‘Brown Turkey’

Spring – Remove any horticultural fleece and move any indoor plants back outside, Add a mulch of well-rotted compost or manure around your plants every year to keep the soil fertile and to suppress weeds. Pot-on container-grown plants every two or three years and top-dress any plants that are too large to move with fresh compost.

Summer – If grown in a container, your fig tree needs to be kept moist and will benefit from a weekly feed with tomato food as soon as the fruits start to form. You may also feed trees grown in the ground and remember to water them well during dry periods.

Autumn – Monitor container-grown plants for waterlogging and raise them up on feet if necessary. The fig fruits are ready to harvest during August and September each year. Ripe fruits begin to hand downwards and will feel soft.

Winter – Fig trees are hardy in most of the UK but their developing fruits are not. As the budding fruits are held on the plants throughout the coldest months, your plant will appreciate some protection in order to provide a bountiful harvest next summer:

  • If your fig tree has been grown in a container that can be moved, it is advisable to move it to a shed or greenhouse before the first frosts, moving it outdoors again once all risk of frost has passed
  • Larger plants and those grown in the ground should be wrapped in horticultural fleece or draped with a floating film crop cover.

When to prune a fig tree

Fig trees don’t have to be pruned but doing so each year will keep vigorous plants to a more manageable size and improve fruit production. Warning: the sap of figs is an irritant, so wear protective gloves! Prune your plant by removing dead branches in late winter, plus any undesirable and crossing branches. If you plant is becoming too large you can prune it back hard but this will lead to a loss of fruit the following summer.

What are the best fig trees to grow in the UK?

Best fig tree for a patio pot

Image shows a dwarf fig tree growing in a cream-coloured pot on a stone-topped table with black metal legs in a conservatory. The background plants and furniture are blurred.
Dwarf fig trees are perfectly proportioned for patio growing
Image: Fig ‘Little Miss Figgy’

Fig ‘Little Miss Figgy‘ is a naturally dwarf variety and a perfect patio fruit tree. Shortlisted for RHS Chelsea Flower Show Plant of the Year 2021, this petite plant produces two crops per year on plants reaching 180cm tall and 120cm wide.

Best fig tree for a large container

Image shows a close-up on a ripe fig, which is a deep purple-brown. The fig is growing on a brown branch with the undersides of the leathery green fig leaves in the background.
Larger varieties can be kept at a manageable size by growing them in large pots
Image: Fig ‘Brown Turkey’

Brown Turkey‘ is self-fertile and has been bred to perform in UK gardens. Available as bush or standard trees, this variety is excellent for growing in large containers where it’s mature growth (potentially 3 meters tall and 4 meters wide if unpruned) can be contained.

Best fig tree for a smaller garden

Images shows a close-up of Fig 'Dalmatie', showing light-green unripe figs hanging below green foliage with the sky peeking through the leaves, which is blurred in the background
Mid-sized fig varieties are ideal for borders in small to medium gardens
Image: Fig ‘Dalmatie’

Fig ‘Dalmatie’ is one of the hardiest cultivars that’s highly productive and self fertile, offering some of the largest fruits with rich amber-coloured flesh and a fabulous flavour. With a neat and compact habit, plants reach 250cm tall and 200cm wide, making them the ideal choice for smaller gardens where space is at a premium.

Best fig tree for a large garden

Image shows a close-up on the fabulous fruits of fig tree Panachee. The figs point upwards before they ripen and are bright-green striped with cream, borne on brown branches.
Sensational striped figs make a fabulous specimen tree
Image: Fig ‘Panachee’

Despite its modern look, fig ‘Panachee‘ is a traditional variety dating back to 1668 with very unusual striped green and yellow fruit. Reaching a mature height of 3 meters with a spread of 4 meters, this ‘Tiger Fig’ makes a dramatic feature in the garden – especially when fan trained against a wall.

Now you know how to grow fig trees!

We hope you find our guide to growing your own fig trees helpful. For more information, head over to our fruit tree hub page to find top tips on preventing disease, growing exotic fruit and much more. Share your images with us on Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #YourTMGarden.

Acers masterclass: best expert content

Bright red acer leaves drenched rain

Acers are famous for their dazzling leaf colour
Image: Acer palmatum ‘Bloodgood’ from T&M

If you want to fill your garden with striking colours and textures, look no further than acers and Japanese maples. With a palette that includes striking blood red leaves, delicate pink variegation, and acid greens, this diverse group has something for every garden. We asked our favourite bloggers, Instagrammers and YouTubers which varieties they love to grow, as well as their practical tips for planting and caring for these striking trees. Here’s their advice.

Browse our full range of autumn colour trees for inspiration.

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Winter bedding plants masterclass: best expert content

Pink, white and red bellis

Winter bedding brings colour to the garden when you need it most
Image: Bellis ‘Bellisima Mixed’ from T&M

Winter bedding is an easy way to introduce colour to your garden in the coldest months of the year. With so many vibrant colours and forms to choose from, these hardy plants are sure to cheer you up on even the shortest of days. Check out these top tips and tricks from expert bloggers, Instagrammers and YouTube gardeners and fill your outside space with modern, colourful and creative displays. 

Browse our full selection of quality winter bedding plants for more ideas.

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Meet the experts

The T&M blog has a wealth of knowledgeable contributors. Find out more about them on our "Meet the experts" page.

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