Island Life Magazine Ltd February/March 2009 | Page 80

life

GARDENING
Adrian Corney with Lavandula angustifolia 'Imperial Gem'

Get mud on your boots, not a
carbon footprint
Most plants sold at Thompsons are grown here on the Island. Mrs
Ursula Thompson takes us through one of the nurseries which
supply her garden centre, and has some planting suggestions.

Many people on The Isle of
Wight will know of Thompsons
Garden Centre, visiting for
gardening supplies or enjoying
the café, but many may be
unaware of the most important
part of the Thompsons business.
Having moved to the Island
and taken on the garden centre,
Mr David Thompson took over
two nursery sites which came on
the market. “The core business
of our garden centre is plants,”
says Mrs Ursula Thompson,
“and ninety per cent of all the
plants sold are either grown on
our own nurseries on the Island,
or in our two nurseries on the
mainland.”
Visiting Greentiles, their
nursery in Newchurch, is a
wonderful assault on the senses.
Here they are hard at work
preparing for the demands of
gardeners e verywhere. This
nursery specialises in growing
herbs, alpines, perennials and

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cottage garden plants. A large
plants, taking more cuttings of
variety of seasonal plants
Alpines, and sowing herb seeds.
are grown here
too, including
summer flowering
ivy geraniums,
and fuchsias.
Osteospernums
– known as the
African Daisy – are
being prepared in
their hundreds,
as with their long
season and cheerful
demeanour they
are always popular.
Plants for hanging
baskets and tubs
are also being made
ready. Hebes and
dahlias are always
important crops,
for they never lose
popularity.
The staff are
Stephanie Rose picking over spring perennial
extremely busy
range Digitalis
potting on young

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