The garden has been part of the Thompson & Morgan
Customer Trials Programme
since 2013, click here to read about the trial plants we received from 2013 to 2016.
The image in the header is the new Fuchsia "Icing Sugar" which we trialled at Driftwood in 2016 and my quotes are in T&M's blog on the launch of the new plant, read them here.
Driftwood has featured on both BBC Gardeners' World and Good Morning Britain and had a weekly gardening slot on Latest Homes Live, on a local TV channel in Brighton, Latest Tv between October and December 2014.
In 2016 it was a finalist in the a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Garden of the year in the small space category.
In 2012 it was one of 4 finalists in the Daily Mail National Garden Competition and outright winner of the Garden News Best Small Garden . Since 2012 it has had a monthly article in Garden News Magazine.
Read my monthly blog on the Garden Media Guild's 2015 award winning website, Richard Jackson's Garden begun in 2015.
My latest blog for T&M, "An interesting Winter Garden" was posted 14th February 2017
Michael Perry, who was New Product Development Manager until September 2016, visited Driftwood in August 2013 to see both the garden and the trial plants we were growing for T&M. In August 2014 I was invited to the Thompson & Morgan trial grounds near Ipswich for an afternoon being shown around the site on some new products and some of the new developments! You can see us all at above with me 4th from left!
I have written a number of blog posts for Thompson & Morgan which you can read here by clicking the links below.
My most recent blog, "An interesting Winter Garden", was posted on 14th February 2017 and can be read here|
January 2017October 2016 June 2016 March 2016 January 2016 November 2015 September 2015 April 2015 January 2015 November 2014 July 2014 April 2014 February 2014 November 2013 September 2013 March 2013 |
Looking forward to 2017 Trio of triumphs in 2016 New plant trials for 2016. Winter Storms. 10 years in my garden. Putting a coastal garden to bed for the Winter. Driftwood's 2015 successes. Blog on last 2 years' trial plants. Fuchsias and my relationship with them. Driftwood and T&M trial plants through the summer of 2014. A review of plants doing well in the garden. Thriving at Driftwood. 2013 successes at Driftwood. Big Begonia Revival sucesses at Driftwood. A busy summer at Driftwood Initial involvement with Trials Programme. |
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One of the main requirements as a panellist is to maintain a record of what you are trialling. I have chosen to take photographs on arrival and as they grow through the season. It is interesting, as I have a coastal garden, with very strong, salt laden winds blowing in from the sea and it is sometimes difficult to find the right spot for plants and shrubs to give them the protection they rightly need!
Below is the back garden, which faces due north, with half the area receiving no sun in the winter months, being screened by the house & the front garden, which faces the sea and due south.
The garden will open 14 times in 2017.
BELOW IS THE RECORD OF TRIAL PLANTS WE WILL BE RECEIVING IN 2017 More on these as the year progresses!The new plants to be trialled in 2017 are as follows:-
Strawberry "Just Add Cream" Petunia Amore "Queen of Hearts" Buddleja davidii "Wisteria Lane" Geranium "Black Rose" Osteopermum "Falling Stars" Gazania "Shepherd's Delight" Calendula "Winter Wonders Collection" Petunia "Mini Rosebud, Romantic Peach" Sweet Pea "Earl Grey" Petunia "Night Sky"I have also bought the following which I shall report on too. Hydrangea "Annabelle" Erigeron Glaucus "Sea Breeze" Thompson & Morgan have also sent 5 experimental lilies to trial and 12 experimental dahlias.
So, here goes let's get ready for a busy season and some lovely plants!
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On 15th May a pack of 12 experimental dahlias arrived in pristine condition and were potted up, initially in the greenhouse. It will be intertesting to see how thye turn out. |
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By mid May the Gazania Shepherds Delight were doing quite well (centre). On the left, the plugs of geranium black rose have all grown well but not flowered yet, while on the right the 5 experimental lilies sent are growing well. |
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On 24th March the plugs of Sweet Pea "Earl Grey" arrived and looked very healthy indeed! On the right the first flowers appeared on the Strawberries Just Add Cream in Mid May too. |
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On 20th March there were 2 deliveries, on of the Geranium "Black Rose" (left) and one of Osteopermum "Falling Stars" (right). Both looked healthy and have now been potted up in the greenhouse! Then, on 21st March the three Erigeron Glaucus "Sea Breeze" (centre) arrived. |
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On 10th March three boxes arrived containing, left to right, Petunia Amore "Queen of Hearts", Petunia "Night Sky" and Petunia "Mini Rosebud, Romantic Peach", all looking very healthy! |
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In addition to the trial plants I have purchased some as well this year. The first this gorgeous Hydrangea "Annabelle" which arrived at the end of February. On the 9th March the 36 plugs of Gazania "Shepherd's Delight"arrived. |
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On 2nd February, the first of this years plants arrived. The 5 small bare root Strawberry "Just Add Cream" arrived in good condition and will be planted up in either a hanging pouch or strawberry pot. By 28th February they had already shown some good growth. |
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In January, two plants were looking great! The calendula power daisy, from 2016, survived the frosts and shone beautifully while the fuchsia arborescens, from 2014, was still flowering, under cover, in the side alley! |
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