Welcome to Thompson & Morgan’s gardening blog
Interview with a Giant Pumpkin Maker
Recently, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to talk to Ian Paton about his success at growing record-winning pumpkins. Last year Ian and his twin brother Stuart broke the UK record for the heaviest pumpkin grown indoors, which weighed in at a whopping 2252lbs...
Autumn is coming!
With Autumn now really with us it is time to get the garden and veg plot sorted for the winter. The first task was to lift the last of the main crop potatoes, Sarpo Mira, these had chance to dry in the sun and then get bagged up in the hessian sacks I use. All the...
Trial plants at Driftwood Gardens
So, as we approach the end of the season, how have then plants received this year fared? Without doubt the one that has excelled and received many comments from our many visitors is Petunia Amore “Queen of Hearts”. It has flowered prolifically throughout the season...
August – What a month!
Hi Everyone, Where to start? What a month - the weather has been just awful, heavy rain, westerly winds and foggy overcast days. The perfect way to ruin a summer garden and then just when you've decided to pack up the patio furniture for next year, guess what the sun...
Growing at home and at work!
One of my earliest memories is of helping my Mum and Dad weed the veggie plot and collecting chicken eggs from the chooks at the end of the garden. I grew up on a farm as a child and always had my own piece of land to grow and learn with, so I suppose it’s in the...
August – Potatoes, Carrots….. and Elephants!
Hello, it’s been a long time since I had the time to sit down and let you know how the garden has been progressing through August. We have been harvesting everyday in the vegetable patch. I can’t remember a year where we have had such a good potato crop, both early...
No weight-watching for these WHOPPERS!
Champion pumpkin growing twins, Ian and Stuart Paton from Southampton are at it again! This year they have four pumpkin babies which are currently piling on a massive 60lb or 4 stone a day! The twins are well on the way to giving their record-breaking 160 stone...
National Allotment Week
So this week is National Allotment week, it brings back happy memories of my first allotment that we decided would be a wonderful idea ( myself and my partner at the time), we would be self sufficient in vegetables and it would be such fun to do! Oh my goodness….. We...







