Thompson and Morgan is the only seed company with a significant presence on both sides of the Atlantic. Based in Suffolk in eastern England and in Jackson, New Jersey, T&M are known for their exciting new introductions, many bred at their own plant breeding station, and the sheer size of their full color catalogue. They publish separate catalogs amd websites for each market, one for the UK, one for North America.

This year, as usual, there are far too many newcomers to mention so let me just pick a five.

Antirrhinum ‘Bronze Dragon’
From T&M’s own breeding, when I saw this last year at the T&M headquarters I was impressed. Deepest bronze foliage is topped with delightful two-tone purple and white flowers on neat plants. Lovely for containers and the front of the border.
Order from T&M (UK)
Order from T&M (North America)

Cosmos ‘Double Click Rose Bonbon’
Double cosmos are great cut flowers, and as it happens I was admiring a huge vase of ‘Double Click Mixed’ at my favourite British pub, The Kings Arms at Polebrook, in Northamptonshire, just a couple of weeks ago. They were still going strong at the end of September. Now this is the first separate colour, with delightfully fluffy double rose pink flowers on plants 2-3ft/60-90cm tall. I expect to see great billows of ‘Double Click Rose Bonbon’ in the pub restaurant next year.
Order from T&M (UK)
Order from T&M (North America)

Nasturtium ‘Cobra’
A semi-trailing nasturtium with very dark blue-green foliage and deep red double flowers, ideal spilling out of baskets and as well-behaved ground cover. Another from T&M’s own breeding, it’s taken them ten years to build up enough seed to offer.
Order from T&M (UK)
Order from T&M (North America)

Rudbeckia ‘Cherry Brandy’
Developed by T&M, and fifteen years in the making, this is the first red rudbeckia and it looks spectacular. For more on this take a look at my New Plants blog.
Order from T&M (UK)
Order from T&M (North America)

Tomato ‘Cherrola’
For UK customers only, I’m afraid, this was a star at last year’s Royal Horticultural Society trial of cherry tomatoes, for more on this check out my New Plants blog.
Order from T&M (UK)

If you prefer to look over the T&M print catalog, and it’s well worth a few hours winter fireside browsing, you can email a request for a copy of the UK catalogue here and order the North American catalog here.