Write for Thompson & Morgan’s blog
We’d like to invite you to be part of our social community – the Thompson & Morgan gardening blog. We’re looking for bloggers to write posts about gardening-related topics.
We will consider publishing well-written, informative articles, but ask that you only submit original content and do not write about or link to commercial/retail businesses. Please see our blogging rules below and a list of suggested topics. In return, you’ll get a link back to your own blog.
Terms and conditions for bloggers:
- We welcome blogs on subjects related to gardening. Please email us to submit an article with ‘Your stories’ as the subject. We will review your article and post it on our blog if we consider it to be suitable. You’ll find a list of subjects that we’re interested in below.
- If you’d rather email us a sample of your article before committing to writing the entire post, please do so at the above address.
- Please only send original content – we ask that any posts you submit to us are your own work and not published anywhere else. If we find that the blog submitted is not original or published elsewhere we have the right to remove your blog.
- You may include a keyword-rich backlink to your own blog, but please do not submit links to a commercial/retail business. Your post will immediately be rejected if you do.
- Make sure you include a short section about you and your blog.
- Please pay careful attention to grammar and spelling. Ensure that your post is relevant to the subject and easy to read.
- Our readers are very keen on learning from others and an informative article with hints and tips will reach a wider audience.
- You may supply images, which must be your own work or from the public domain and both royalty and copyright free.
- We reserve the right to reject or amend posts. We may also remove previously authorised articles from the Thompson & Morgan blog without prior warning.
The following list of topics gives you an idea of what we’re interested in, but we’ll consider all well-written articles and publish them on our blog if we feel that they are of relevant content:
- Allotments and general veg growing
- Experienced gardeners
- Garden design
- Gardening for beginners
- Gardening with children
- General gardening
- Grow your own
- Organic gardening
- Pest control
- Recipes and cooking
- Remedial gardening
- Saving money
- Unusual gardening methods and tips
Rebecca works in the Marketing department as part of the busy web team, focusing on updating the UK news and blog pages and Thompson & Morgan’s international website. Rebecca enjoys gardening and learning about flowers and growing vegetables with her young daughter.
Rhodochiton atrosanguineus which I ordered on 23/4/20
I ordered 8 weeks ago and have sent numerous emails stating I haven’t received my order. I am still waiting for a reply. I cannot comprehend the lack of customer services I received a call saying my order is on its way more than week ago still no luck. Still waiting for the refund.
I cannot state my disappointment from my groceries to my clothes I shop online and never had such difficulty with getting through customer services or my goods
Very disappointed customer
Shilpi Shajpal
Hello
I’m sorry to hear this. I have passed on your comments to our customer care department.
All the best
Sue
Scotch Bonnet (habeneros,I think):
I am looking for some advice please. I bought a Scotch Bonnet plant with peppers on it in March last year and the seller told me that it would be perfect in a conservatory, however he did not tell me and I didn’t think to ask the tolerant minimum temperature. I used the peppers which was very good and kept the seeds for future use. The plant subsequently died due to the low temperature during the winter(silly me, didn’t think to bring it indoors). I decided to plant the seeds and really weren’t expecting them to germinate. They did and I have 12 plants which I am caring for. I planted the seeds in May/15 indoors and have kept them indoors They are about 12 inches high and have produced blossoms now. They have white fly infection and I am reluctant to use a pesticide, so end up picking these off. I put them near a south facing window to get the maximum sun and warmth. I would like to continue caring for them even though they require daily inspection. I would like some advice on whether I should pick off the blossoms to allow the plant to mature for next year or thin out the blossoms or just leave them as they are? They are in small pots but have grown so much since potting on from the seedlings. I don’t want to disturb them and pot on further, whilst in flower. I will start feeding with tomato fertiliser now. Please advice on how to control the white fly. Should I stake them? I will pollinate with a fine brush in case they are not self-pollinating. I would like to post a photo of them but I don’t have this option.
Thank you kindly in advance.
Hi Fazela, thank you for your post. Scotch Bonnets and similar Habenero types usually need a long growing season, many gardeners sow seed late January in a heated propagator or in the airing cupboard, ideally they need a minimum 25C ( 77F) and can be very slow to germinate. Often they do not flower until well in the summer and unripe fruits not harvestable until August and ripe fruits in September. Usually the flowers are self pollinating but, similarly as tomatoes and aubegines, if you tap the plant gently on a daily basis when in flower then this moves the pollen. In very hot weather mist spray the flowers with water to prevent ‘dry set’ with resultant fruit loss. Usually in summer, even in your conservatory, there will be a few insects around which will do the job anyway. At this time of year you are not likely to obtain much fruit development. I would remove the flowers and reduce the watering, just keep the compost barely moist. Do not allow the plants to get cold, just keeping at room temperature is fine. In their wild state many of these habenero types are perennial, but in our climate they tend to be much shorter lived. Your plants can be potted into larger pots now if you want or wait until the New Year, when you can give them a fortnightly weak liquid feed. Just increase the feeding to weekly as the plant develops and once flowers have started to set you need to feed a high potash tomato fertiliser. Habenero types vary considerably in plant height and branching habit. If too tall then trim to the height you want, if plants are over 37cm ( 15in) then you should support them. As for white fly then the easiest way is to tap the plants and have a hand hoover ready to suck them up as they fly around, or use an old fashioned yellow sticky fly trap and hang it just above the plants. I don’t recommend any chemical control, but your garden centre will advise you on a suitable indoor white fly killer. You could consider growing some nicotiana ( tobacco plants) next spring and place a few pots amongst your chilli plants, their sticky leaves will catch a considerable number of whitefly. I hope this helps 🙂 Terri
Thanks Terri, that was very helpful. The flowers have started to fall off. I did pinch off a few of the blossoms to wee what would happen. I will take your advise.
Thanks.
Way back last year, in September, I held a Casino Night in Stowmarket in aid of the East Anglian Air Ambulance and was keen to obtain prizes for the draw from local companies. I was delighted to receive a package from Thompson and Morgan of £25 worth of seeds. The generosity of local firms never ceases to amaze me, and I was so pleased that these seeds were won in the draw by a very keen gardener. I just want to make this a public thank you to Thompson and Morgan for their generosity.
Hi Carla,
Thank you so much for your kind comment. We try to help the public where we can! It is a pleasure to donate to worthy events and causes such as yours. All the very best, Terri
our local papers was selling seeds it was sea holly to which they were planted nothing has come of them ,were they planted to earLy if you can tell me when should I have done this. A.ross
Hi Alexander Ross. I am sorry to learn of your disappointment with the germination rate of the Sea Holly seeds. Sea Holly are generally very hardy so should not be too hard to grow from seed, we advise sowing these any time between February and July. Unfortunately it appears they have been planted too early, which has resulted in the seeds not germinating. I hope that helps, Terri
Dear sirs, As a novice on my lap top….I would like to share my excitement growing
marigolds this year for the first time, I repland my old rose bed at the front of my bungalow
after easter…(wanted something different) made a large bed with reclaimed house bricks
(a domino effect ) Then planted 12 marigold plants that Now Mesure…..wait for it …….
ONE PLANT = 34 inches x 33 inches along with red begonias completing the effect…….
every one comments when passing…..What a Show….
Yes I have taken photos, but l don’t know how to send them to you….
PS l enjoy watching what mother nature dose also for me……self seeds “Godetia”/”Corn
flowers from my last year borders to an array of colour….I even left them on my driveway,
again what a show for FREE……
All my photos are on my lap top but I don’t know what to do to send them.
your Doreen
PPS could l enter your competition?
thankyou.
Thought the following info. might help. Your local library will tell you of courses run free for 2 hrs a week for several weeks called” Surfs Up”. They are specifically designed for people of mature years who know nothing about computers and you can get 1 to1 help afterwards from the staff if you need it. It’s part of the Government initiative to get the older generation on line so it should be available in all areas. If I hadn’t done one I wouldn’t be able to access this site and my garden would be even more of a mess than it is now! Sending photos is easy once someone has shown you and I, for one, would love to see them! You may have to wait if funding is limited and with the election looming that is likely but if you live in a rural area you might find a computer club that can help.
Marigolds flourish here in East Anglia but I can’t grow nasturtiums at all . Help!!
Well here goes. This year my small garden has in it a bright pink clematis that was on a final warning (grow or you are out!). Replanted behind a palm tree stump it is flowering its heart out so it must prefer its roots in shade. Having paid more than I ever do for sweet peas they are shooting up the wicker canes. My 2 clematis ( Mother’s Daypresents) are just about to flower. Just been given 20 runner bean plants. Bit leggly so will plant to grow up the arch so will up date you. 4 strawberries on my new plants will the squirrels get to them first. Alone strawberries are running riot amongst the paving. Potatoes are popping up all over the place too. The hedgehog seems to be eating the pests as well as the birds. Regards the lazy gardener