Your Stories Archives | Page 15 of 29 | Thompson & Morgan Blog

Preparing for 2014 – potato blight

by Steve Woodward | Feb 12, 2014 | Your Stories | 1 Comment

We are in an area which suffers yearly with potato blight (Phytophthora infestans) and once you have had this terrible potato disease in your allotment or garden then it seems like it is with you permanently! There are still some copper based products that haven’t been taken off the market yet that have some control with regular applications, but if you are against chemical control or want to try another method then this is a way I have found around the problem.

Steve Woodward

I am 56 yrs young, and have been married to Joy for over 35 years, We have 2 children and 3 grandchildren, and have an allotment on the Notts/Derbys border. I am RHS trained to level 2 and have also passed a course in herbalism, I have had the allotment for about 20 years, that is mainly for the veg growing, whereas at home I grow fruit and have a love of anything big leaved, exotic-y looking, jungly type plants. I also help run a gardening forum at garden-friends.co.uk.

garden-friends.co.uk/

Wet start to the year – unruley weather

by Thompson & Morgan | Jan 29, 2014 | Your Stories | 0 Comments

Despite the wet start to this year I have still managed to finish my winter digging. Despite the allotment site being clay soil, my plots have had so much organic matter added to it over the years that it makes digging easy. I hardly have to put my foot on the spade to get it into the soil.

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.

Was Buying a House Called ‘Brambles’ an Omen? (part four)

by Rachel Davidson-Foster | Jan 20, 2014 | Your Stories | 1 Comment

Was Buying a House Called “Brambles” an Omen? (part four)

Rachel Davidson-Foster

Rachel is the Marketing Director at Junari Ltd, a bespoke software company that has developed the JunariCRM+ product. She spends her time at work ensuring that the Junari team continues to place the customer at the centre of the universe. Whenever free time presents itself, Rachel likes to practice horticulture! She is Junari’s resident (cough, only!) ‘gardening expert’ and is well known for her admiration of the gardening maestro and all round plant-guru Monty Don. If you have any questions you get in touch via Twitter (@RDavidsonFoster).

Ho ho sow

by Jane Scorer | Dec 16, 2013 | Your Stories | 0 Comments

In ‘Ho ho sow’, Jane Scorer shares some great ideas for Christmas gifts.

Jane Scorer

I am the willing servant of my garden and also admit to a severe plant addiction. I love them all, but especially sub tropicals, roses, salvias, dahlias and auriculas. I enjoy propagation (because it makes even more plants!) and I hate weeding. My garden was a field when we first met, all those years ago, and its development has been a long, slow, labour of love. It is still evolving and changing all the time. I have opened for the NGS in the recent past, and I have an RHS Qualification, but, the experience I value has mainly been gained with my hands deep in the soil.

As a freelance garden writer, Jane has also written articles for ‘ThinkinGardens’ and ‘Garden Drum’

hoehoegrow.blogspot.com

Variegation across the nation…

by Jane Scorer | Nov 14, 2013 | Your Stories | 0 Comments

Guest blogger Jane Scorer has gardened the same half acre plot for over 30 years and has opened her garden for the NGS (Yellow Book) scheme. She has an RHS qualification, but feels that her main qualification is the years she has spent with her hands in the soil.

Jane Scorer

I am the willing servant of my garden and also admit to a severe plant addiction. I love them all, but especially sub tropicals, roses, salvias, dahlias and auriculas. I enjoy propagation (because it makes even more plants!) and I hate weeding. My garden was a field when we first met, all those years ago, and its development has been a long, slow, labour of love. It is still evolving and changing all the time. I have opened for the NGS in the recent past, and I have an RHS Qualification, but, the experience I value has mainly been gained with my hands deep in the soil.

As a freelance garden writer, Jane has also written articles for ‘ThinkinGardens’ and ‘Garden Drum’

hoehoegrow.blogspot.com

Getting more from your garden!

by Phillippa Lambert | Sep 24, 2013 | Your Stories | 0 Comments

Getting more from your garden!

By ‘getting more’ I mean multiplying up your favourite plants the cheap and easy way — by taking cuttings. Although September is thought to be late for taking cuttings, it is in fact my chosen moment. The busy spring and summer seasons of the gardening year are behind us, but light levels and warmth are still adequate to persuade the many half-hardies currently doing colourful duty in mixed borders and pots, to root in double quick time. By ‘half-hardies’ I mean the more tender perennials such as the larger Verbenas, Venidio-arctotis, Diascias, Salvias, some Osteospermum, and many of the foliage plants that are downright tender, including Iresine, Helchrysum petiolatum and Plectranthus argentatus. Interestingly I also routinely take Penstemon cuttings at this time of year, although they are hardy in the ground, I often treat them as annuals. In my garden, they flower their socks off in their first year for many weeks longer than older stock can ever manage.

Phillippa Lambert

Phillippa Lambert is a landscape designer based on the Isle of Wight at a unique site in the Undercliff of the Island — a favoured microclimate sheltered by enormous south facing cliffs. In 2002 Phillippa and Stephen Lambert came across the ‘lost’ gardens of a Victorian mansion dating back to the 1820s, managed to acquire part of the site, including the walled garden and ornamental lake, and have since worked on their restoration. The result is not an ‘expert’ garden and does not try for technical perfection in any sense. ‘Make do and mend’ is the keynote — most plants being raised from seed or cuttings— and self-sufficiency is the motivation for all the growing in the walled garden. In essence, this site goes back to the philosophy of ancient gardens in sustaining the body as well as the soul. Read more at Lakehouse Design.

All’s growing well in the garden

by Thompson & Morgan | Jun 18, 2013 | Your Stories | 4 Comments

By the end of May, all the bedding plants were put in the borders and watered in for a few nights. Last weekend after some heavy rain I went around them all with a small 2 pronged claw and loosened the soil. This will let air in around the roots and create dry soil mulch, trapping some of the moisture below as well as enhancing the visual appearance of the borders.

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.

Taking inspiration from The Chelsea Flower Show

by Deborah Catchpole | May 28, 2013 | Your Stories | 1 Comment

I have been to Chelsea before – I have always loved it and I’m sure I always will. Never before have I felt so excited about going as I did this year. The last time I went to Chelsea, it was the second day and I went with one of my best friends, a florist who runs a fantastic florist shop in Berkshire called Green Parlour. My friend Emma had got the tickets for us and we had a wonderful day looking around the show together – looking for inspiration for her floral designs. This year was quite different. I had been lucky enough to be accepted for Press Day and I was so excited to be able to see the showground, whilst it was still quiet before the gates opened to the general public the following day.

Deborah Catchpole

I’m a 30 year old, writer, photographer, gardener, and sweetpea obsessive! I did a degree in English Literature at The University of Liverpool, and when I am not writing I’m often found in my garden.

Deborah has also written gardening articles for The Herts Advertiser

Was buying a house called ‘Brambles’ an omen? (Part three)

by Rachel Davidson-Foster | May 24, 2013 | Your Stories | 30 Comments

Was buying a house called “Brambles” an omen? (Part three)

“Every snow drift has a silver lining?” or “Is it true that gardeners are the world’s greatest optimists?”

Rachel Davidson-Foster

Rachel is the Marketing Director at Junari Ltd, a bespoke software company that has developed the JunariCRM+ product. She spends her time at work ensuring that the Junari team continues to place the customer at the centre of the universe. Whenever free time presents itself, Rachel likes to practice horticulture! She is Junari’s resident (cough, only!) ‘gardening expert’ and is well known for her admiration of the gardening maestro and all round plant-guru Monty Don. If you have any questions you get in touch via Twitter (@RDavidsonFoster).

Behind the scenes at Chelsea Flower Show 2013 (press day)

by Amanda Hurrell | May 22, 2013 | Your Stories | 2 Comments

Behind the scenes at Chelsea Flower Show 2013 (press day)

The RHS Chelsea Flower Show celebrates its centenary birthday this week, and I was very lucky to receive a press pass for Monday 21 May for a sneak preview and behind the scenes look at the most prestigious event in the gardening calendar – a money can’t buy experience for any keen gardener!

Amanda Hurrell

Learn more about Amanda by checking out her blog over on Eight-by-Six, or by visiting her Instagram account @eightbysix

Posts from expert gardeners just like you!

Preparing for 2014 – potato blight

Wet start to the year – unruley weather

Was Buying a House Called ‘Brambles’ an Omen? (part four)

Ho ho sow

Variegation across the nation…

Getting more from your garden!

All’s growing well in the garden

Taking inspiration from The Chelsea Flower Show

Was buying a house called ‘Brambles’ an omen? (Part three)

Behind the scenes at Chelsea Flower Show 2013 (press day)

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