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.

Thompson & Morgan Summer Trials – Caroline Broome

by | Sep 3, 2015 | , | 0 Comments

So here we are at 1st September, time to survey the successes, failures and lessons learnt this season, with one eye on bigger and better things for 2016 already!

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Update from the greenhouse

by | Aug 25, 2015 | , , | 0 Comments

Hello Gardeners,

Hope you are all well and enjoying the summer, soon it will be a time for Harvest Festivals and Halloween. I can’t believe how quickly August is going. I apologise for the lateness of this blog as I try to get it out in the middle of each month, but we went on holiday. We got on an aeroplane and flew to sunny Scotland! We spent five days there and it was fantastic.

greenhouseOur greenhouses are at their best thanks to my brilliant friend Rachel who kept an eye on things. All the plants survived our mini break and we are still picking a steady stream of aubergines, peppers, tomatoes, radish, spinach, beet, lettuce and basil. I have given away bags of tomatoes to work colleagues as well as to family and friends. I have eaten fresh food every day since the end of July and it really does taste wonderfully sweet. It’s also quite interesting to have a salad consisting of four different colours of tomatoes, bright reds of a mystery cherry tomato, yellow sungolds, dark skinned, Black Opals and orange Gardeners Delights. In a few days I shall be photographing and eating my first Green Zebra ones. I can’t find any White Opals, I am wondering if this is why I have some unexplained Cherry Tomato.

Currently I have a massive flying ant problem. Ant Powder is doing nothing, thankfully the sparrows are trying to help, but if anyone has any ideas on how to combat them organically I would be hugely grateful. Sticky traps seem to help but I don’t want the bees to get stuck by accident.

greenhouseSlugs and Snails seem to want to torment me at the moment. The number I have pulled off the glass outside is ridiculous. They seem to want to crawl up the glass and through the windows then slide down the canes. I even found a slug chewing a hole in the peppers and wood lice crawled out of a hole on the other side of the pepper. Do woodlice bore holes in them? I’m not convinced it’s them as I saw earwigs in there too. Earwigs nip pretty hard if you upset them.

On returning we spent two hours in the large greenhouse removing woodlice, picking produce, tying up stems, picking out side shoots and also cutting the very tops off the plants again. There are hundreds of blooms on the tomatoes and I don’t think the season is going to allow for them to turn to fruit. Because of the damp and humid weather here, there is a high chance of blight occurring. As soon as I spot any sign of it, the plants will be uprooted. Unfortunately we have not had the six weeks of sun that we had last year. I am really hoping for a warm September and a dry October. I am in two minds as to whether or not to grow Potatoes for Christmas. Two years ago we had the worst November storms and the crop really took a battering. They did supply us with potatoes but it was too wild to and dark after work to properly take care of them. I am reluctant to overwinter them in the greenhouse as again there is a good chance of blight.

Talking of big greenhouses, when we were in Edinburgh we visited the National Botanical Gardens. The place is massive. It took us five hours to walk around it, but I don’t think we even covered it all by then! It’s best to speak to the reception staff for the seasons highlights and to pick up the maps. It’s free to walk around the Garden and only £5 per adult to go into the glass houses. We had a 2-1 voucher so it really was value for money. However, I would gladly have paid an entrance fee for the Gardens if they charged, as it really is magnificent.

greenhouseThere are ten greenhouses in all. I have included a photo of the Victorian entrance and a picture of most of the greenhouse and its plan. It’s worth visiting just to see the giant Water lilies in flower. I could talk for hours about our trip away, but apart from the Botanical Gardens it would have nothing to do with plants, unless I can include, whilst out walking near Arthur’s Seat, that I never knew, once a Thistle has flowered it seed heads are super soft. I was slightly alarmed when my Uncle Ronnie picked a thistle and said rub it under his chin. I dare you to try it the next time you see one.

 

 

waterlily

Looking on the T&M website, I realise I haven’t got long to enter the Fuchsia and Sunflower competitions, I can see there is a category for unusually shaped veg, I wish there was one for massive peppers. The biggest one I have grown so far this year is eight inches. Can you beat that?

pepper

Meanwhile in my little 6 x 6 greenhouse, the spinach beet and carrots are growing rampantly. We have seen temperatures in the high teens so nothing has bolted. The pots of foxgloves are ready for pricking out and the new basil plants can be split and put into individual pots for winter cooking.

botanical gardens

Soon it will be time to bring the Christmas cacti, the spider plant and money tree back into the house once the nights start to draw in. I plan to start sowing my winter crops in early September but for now I’m happy to enjoy the last of the late sun, and plan another mini break, I think I would like to visit The Eden Project next as we have seen both the Welsh and Scottish Botanical Gardens. Is there an Irish National Botanical Garden? When we go to Europe it always astounds me how big geraniums can grow, and I love to see all of their native plants. Once in Ibiza I saw a field of poppies growing amongst the cereals and it was just beautiful.

Until next month,
Happy Gardening.
Love Amanda xx

Rose ‘Sweet Spot Calypso’

by | Aug 19, 2015 | | 2 Comments

Rose ‘Sweet Spot Calypso’ is a very distinctive rose, and is part of a completely new breed called ‘Decorator roses’, and, as such, does not fit into any of the existing categories we are so familiar with. It is not a Hybrid Tea, or a Floribunda or a Patio  … but a Decorator rose ! The ‘Sweet Spot’ roses are being hailed as an exciting new development, as they should flower constantly from June to October, and unlike many other roses, they shed their dead petals, leaving the plant looking tidy.

rose sweet spot calypso

The single blooms are strongly coloured, with variations of tone in each flower. There is a striking ‘eye’ in the centre, made up of a darker red, surrounded by a yellow halo, with prominent stamens of a slightly darker hue.The whole effect is quite dramatic, as the colours are rich, and contrast well with each other. The flowers change shade, as they gradually fade with age.

I was fortunate enough to be asked by Thompson & Morgan if I would trial two of these roses, with the proviso that I would blog honestly about their progress. That was a year ago, and I am only just posting now, as I wanted to know how these roses would perform over time.

rose sweet spot calypso

I was sent two plants, and the photo shows how they looked straight after they were taken out of their packaging, on arrival. One appeared much more vigorous than the other, was bushier, and had more leaves. The other had some yellowing and dead leaves, and showed barer stem.

rose sweet spot calypsoI decided that I would grow the roses in different conditions to see how they responded. The smaller one was planted in a container, so that it had no competition from any other plants. It was planted in good quality compost, with a slow release rose fertiliser at its roots. The pot was placed in full sun, facing south east, in a sheltered spot next to the greenhouse.

The other plant looked as if it could cope with being planted out, so I chose an open, sunny spot in a border and planted it in a relatively big hole, complete with compost and rose fertiliser. I ensured that surrounding plants did not crowd the young ‘Sweet Spot’, as this could have hampered growth quite dramatically.

 

rose sweet spot calypso

Then, I sat back, watched and waited – I watered when necessary, fertilised again in the spring, and added fresh compost as a top dressing. Sadly, the rose in the pot took a dislike to me, and went into a deep decline. It turned out to be a long and lingering death, whilst I tried every trick I knew to revive it, to no avail. There were no signs of pests or disease, it just failed to thrive, and gradually died off. It just happens sometimes!

Happily the plant in the ground grew and flourished. It had one or two blooms late on in the first summer, which I was pleased about as I didn’t receive it until August.

rose sweet spot calypso

When spring growth got underway this year, I became aware that other plants were growing larger in the border, and beginning to swamp ‘Sweet Spot Calypso’, so I took the decision to lift it and pot it up, taking as large a root ball as possible, to minimise disturbance.

My rose loved the move to a pot, and began to put on growth quite quickly, growing into a compact little bush, clothed with foliage. The foliage has remained exceptionally healthy all season, and it is still as fresh as it was in spring, particularly when compared to lots of my other roses, which are looking a little ravaged by this point in the season. Even varieties which are essentially very healthy, and disease – free can dip at this time of year, but ‘Sweet Spot Calypso’ has no sign of black spot and is completely pest free. I never use chemicals on any of my roses, so what you see is completely as nature intended!

rose sweet spot calypso‘Sweet Spot Calypso’ will never be a large rose, and, as such, is ideal for the front of beds and borders, or containers. Maximum size is given as 50 cm x 50 cm. It does not need complex pruning – a haircut with the shears in late autumn or early spring, taking off approximately half its growth, is deemed to be sufficient.

My rose began to flower in June, and had an initial flush of flowers, and is just gearing up to flower again. It has buds on it now, which should open in a week or so. It has retained its bushy, compact shape, and has shown no tendency to get ‘leggy’, and show bare stems, as many roses do. The entire lengths of the stems are clothed with foliage, which really adds to its appeal.

The flowers are very unusual, and … well … subtle they are not. I guess that people will love them, or hate them. They are light years away from the traditional image of romantic, pastel roses and have a contemporary feel about them, as the colours are strong and contrasting.

On the whole, I like what I see, so far, with Rose ‘Sweet Spot Calypso’. I like the fresh, healthy looking foliage and the compact, bushy habit and I am hoping that the plant flowers more freely as it matures, as promised. So, I have to say, it really hits the spot!

A Lettuce Garden for All Seasons

by | Aug 18, 2015 | , , | 0 Comments

lettuce for all seasonsAs daylight starts to dwindle from the June solstice onwards, thoughts are more of growing and harvesting than of sowing. Yet the later summer months, August and September, alongside those of early autumn, are still bright enough for growing a handful of hardy crops.

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Busy summer enjoying the fruits of our labours

by | Aug 14, 2015 | , | 2 Comments

It’s been a busy summer, what with the new shed roof terrace, the beach hut themed patio makeover and the plans for our new front garden.

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Ground cover plants

by | Aug 11, 2015 | , | 0 Comments

Ground cover plants are useful in the garden for covering bare patches of soil beneath trees or shrubs or for covering steep banks where access is difficult. Their roots also help to stabilise soil on steep slopes. Ground cover plants brighten up otherwise dull areas and will suppress weeds, making them ideal for a low-maintenance garden. We’ve put together a list of some of the best ground cover plants, which are fast-growing and make an effective dense covering.

Ground cover plants for shade

From foliage to flowers there are plenty of colourful ground cover plants to light up a shady spot in your garden. Even vigorous plants may grow more slowly in heavier shade so don’t be too concerned if they are taking their time to spread. You may need to be more vigilant in weeding whilst these plants become established as the soil will be bare for some time. Once they do establish however, they will form an impenetrable mat.

Bbergenia 'Dragonfly Sakura'

Bergenia ‘Dragonfly Sakura’

Bergenia ‘Dragonfly Sakura’ is a hardy evergreen ground cover plant with incredible winter colour! The pretty blooms provide invaluable food for pollinating insects early in the year, and make dainty cut flowers too.  Plant Elephant’s Ears in any well-drained soil in sun or dappled shade.

Heuchera 'Patchwork'

Heuchera ‘Patchwork’

Heuchera ‘Patchwork’ Mix are prized for their colourful leaves, these versatile semi-evergreen perennials make excellent drifts of ground cover, adding a distinctive splash of colour to the front of borders, or even brightening winter containers.

Lily of the Valley

Lily of the Valley

Lily of the Valley is a scented ground cover plant. Each delicate arching stem carries a flurry of snow-white, bell shaped blooms with a powerful, timeless fragrance. Set against of a carpet of lush green foliage, the exquisite blooms of Convallaria majalis make a wonderful cut flower for scented, springtime posies.

Ground cover plants full sun

From annual to evergreen ground cover plants, there are plenty of options for a sunny spot in the garden. Plants growing in full sun benefit from mulching in their first year to help retain moisture at their roots. If the weather is very hot and dry make sure you water your new plants regularly to help them establish. It’s also essential to keep on top of weeds so there is no competition for nutrients and water.

Delosperma 'Hardy Mixed'

Delosperma ‘Hardy Mixed’

Delosperma ‘Hardy Mixed‘, Hardy ice plant, is fantastic for those hot, dry problem areas where   many other plants would fail to establish.

Lily 'Colour Carpet™ Mixture'

Lily ‘Colour Carpet™ Mixture’

Lily ‘Colour Carpet™ Mixture’ is the only ground cover Lily that will flower within 10 weeks. These short stemmed dwarf lilies are a ‘must have’ for creating vibrant ground cover in exotic gardens, or edging paths and borders.

For more information take a look at our ground cover plants guide. Find plenty more shade growing tips at our dedicated plants for shade hub page.

A beginner’s guide to being a beginner gardener

by | Jul 23, 2015 | | 5 Comments

Well hello there. I am Helen and I am new at gardening. Very new. Newer than Newton from Stoke Newington on his way to Newton Abbott. So new.

In my capacity as an ultra newbie I will be guest blogging for Thompson & Morgan. I am now your go to absolute-beginner-novice-don’t-know-what-I’m-talking-about gardener. Everyone needs one of those.

beginner gardener

This is me being new and enthusiastic

If you’re new too I’m so glad you’re here! We can be like the loners who bond over the buffet at an event where we don’t know anyone else; discussing the crudités and the cheese and such like. Except in this instance our topics of conversation will be more soil based.

It’s hard not to let the enthusiasm take over when you’re at the starting line isn’t it?! As one of the world’s newest owners of a garden in glorious London I’m like a pushy mum. This garden is my first baby and I have totally over ambitious visions for it that culminate in my mind in some sort of mythical, magical Enid Blyton inspired/Secret Garden level of bloom-tastic wonder. Then I have to remind myself that I am a total novice with a lonnnnng way to go.

The first thing to acknowledge here is that, in the words of Fawlty Towers’ Manuel: ‘I know nothing!!’

I do not know my Perennials from my Alpines (maybe they are the same thing? I don’t know. All I know is they sound posh and I like it) nor do I know why it insists on being called a trowel and not just ‘a small spade’. In fact I have a feeling my foray into gardening for the first time in my life is going to be a little Fawlty Towers-esque.

For instance; I have only owned my garden for approximately 6 weeks and, already, one pretty daisy plant (acquired from the wholly inspiring but scarily over crowded Chelsea Flower Show) has fallen victim to my not-so-green fingers. I think it was the lack of watering that did it… Oops. It does seem to have a few green shoots doing their best to be with us all above ground so it’s not total despair just yet. Hopefully said daisy will be one of those ‘hardy’ plants I keep hearing about and turn back into a thing of beauty instead of this light brown deep fried crispy scenario:

beginner gardener Helen Sorren

Now here is the trouble when you’re brand new; you know nothing and it’s really hard to admit you know nothing. If I’m being honest all I’ve ever actually known about gardening is that lawn mowers exist – and (mostly) dads use them – that honeysuckle smells really nice and that sitting in a garden to eat your breakfast is one of life’s simplest pleasures.

The designing, preparing, planting, growing and tending to bit is the big mystery. How exciting that you can join me at the very beginning of this journey of discovery!

I thought it might be useful at the starting line to share my three realisations for anyone else in my position. We really know nothing do we? But it’s OK.

1) The guilt factor

You kill stuff. You don’t really know what it is or what to do with it so you do the wrong thing (eg ‘look at me! I’m ‘pruning’! Oh I’m so clever to be ‘pruning’! I’m so gardeney. Wow I’m really channelling The Titchmarsh here! Look at me go!’) and inevitably you go too far or it’s the wrong time of year and you destroy it in the process. It’s OK. It’s just a garden. Stuff will grow back.

beginner gardener Helen Sorren

This is me looking positively dangerous with a pair of Secutures (also known as garden scissors. Is that how you spell them?)

 

2) The loss of the concept of time

When you plant stuff one day and you wake up the next morning like it’s Christmas and you’re six and you think it’s all going to have burst forth over night and you skip to the garden because your beds will surely be filled with colourful delights!… and then you get there and realise most stuff takes weeks if not months if not years to really become anything. It’s OK. Have patience little one.

beginner gardener Helen Sorren

This is me being impatient with my minuscule hydrangea

3) The ‘I know what you mean’ nod

When you mention to a friend or family member or just acquaintance that you have been doing a spot of gardening and they jump in with their latest warning on how their perennials are just ‘out of CONTROL this year ho ho ho’ and you just nod sagely as if to agree but you’re thinking ‘perennial? What’s that?’ Its OK. They probably don’t really know what a perennial is either.

beginner gardener Helen Sorren

This is me wondering whether this is a Perennial…

So it’s time for us beginners to just be beginners!

We wander around B&Q with our new wellies on looking like we know what we’re doing, picking up random pots and great sacks of ‘top soil’ (who knew there were so many different types of soil??) when really we are just a bunch of Manuels trying to avoid the next horticultural disaster.

I think what I’m trying to say is: don’t be scared that you don’t know anything – embrace it!! – because when we start out aren’t we all a little bit Manuel?

Follow my (slow) progress on my blog.

Helen Sorren is an actress and comedian. She also presents on Hoxton Radio every Saturday 10am-12pm Follow on Twitter @helensorren

“Shall I water the Triffiods?”

by | Jul 20, 2015 | , | 0 Comments

“Amanda…is…water…the Triffiods?” Yells Mark through the glass. I can’t hear him let alone understand what he’s on about. I’m down by the patio tying in a sunflower, its way over six foot and I have to stand on the steps. He is in the greenhouse with a watering can.

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Thompson & Morgan Plant Breeder honoured

by | Jul 17, 2015 | | 2 Comments

Chelsea Plant of the Year 2012, ‘Illumination Pink’, has been renamed to recognise the work of its creator, Thompson & Morgan plant breeder Charles Valin.

charles valin

Foxglove ‘Illumination Pink’ has taken the gardening world by storm since its launch in 2012. Unusual blooms, repeat flowering and multiple stems keep this unusual cross-breed high on the Thompson & Morgan best seller list. But it has left the experts scratching their heads when it comes to classification.

In recognition of the work carried out by Charles Valin in creating this unique cross as part of Thompson & Morgan’s breeding programme, James Armitage, Principal Scientist of Horticultural Taxonomy at RHS Garden Wisley, has announced Digitalis x valinii as the correct botanical naming convention for all existing and future crosses of D. purpurea and D. canariensis. He said: “The clever use of island species in the creation of D. x valinii has paid rich dividends.”

charles valin foxglove

Lauded as a revolutionary hybrid by RHS taxonomists, it was felt that a reclassification was needed to distinguish all present and future crosses of the UK native Digitalis purpurea and the exotic D. canariensis, while smoothing out confusion over previous naming conventions for its Canary Island parent. 19th Century taxonomists named the Canary Island foxglove Isoplexis canariensis in 1829, recognising its morphological and behavioural differences compared to others in the Digitalis genus, namely a shrubby and candelabra habit and differences in petal shape and flower positioning on the stem.

Modern studies have since indicated that the two genera should not be treated separately, and in 2012 the RHS recognised all Isoplexis as Digitalis, just as the first commercial cross was launched to the public by Thompson & Morgan. This reclassification outdated early naming suggestions for ‘Illumination Pink’ and its sister lines, such as  Digiplexis, while Digitalis ‘Illumination Pink’ just didn’t do justice to the work involved in creating it. It’s common for new cultivars to be named after people, but to have a species named in your honour doesn’t happen very often and was more common in the era of the great plant hunters. Charles said: “I am humbled and grateful to receive such recognition for my work on Digitalis. Having a plant named after you certainly doesn’t happen every day!”

During his time with Thompson & Morgan, Charles has developed over 40 unique creations across a wide range of genera, while overseeing the seed and plant mail order specialist’s unique breeding programme.  View a full list of Charles’ currently available introductions, but key lines alongside ‘Illumination Pink’ include the dwarf Buddleja ‘Buzz’ Series, the world’s first black double petunia ‘ Black Night’ and Cosmos ‘Cupcakes’. Several of Charles’ latest creations are being launched in the Thompson & Morgan 2016 Spring Catalogue. Watch this space!

National Allotment Week – A plot for all ages

by | Jul 15, 2015 | , | 1 Comment

Yes, it is that time again and we cannot believe how quickly it has come back around. Not that we are complaining we love National Allotment Week (August 10th – 16th )! This year the focus is on a plot for all ages. No matter your age or gender, allotments bring a wealth of benefits and by highlighting them we can value our plots and preserve them for future generations.

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