Potpourri Magazine

If you love gardening, our magazine will inspire you. It's a real magazine, not just a newsletter, and it's packed full of interesting articles written by professional gardening journalists. It's totally free and arrives once a month by email. Here is a selection of recent articles.

On the plot - perennial veg

On the plot - perennial veg
If you have a busy life, time is short, or you just want to sample something new, why not try growing perennial vegetables?  It’s one way to avoid the annual...
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Gardeners' notes - what to do in July

Gardeners' notes - what to do in July
Clean greenhouse glass Last month we recommended different forms of shading for your greenhouse.  Whether painted on or draped over, it is only usually only required on the south side...
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Modern heroes of horticulture - Kathy Slack

Modern heroes of horticulture - Kathy Slack
Kathy Slack’s story is one of inspiration to anyone caught in a career trajectory spiralling out of control.  Trapped in the corporate world of advertising, her journey from burnout and...
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Plant folklore - meadowsweet

Plant folklore - meadowsweet
Meadowsweet, Filipendula ulmaria, is a beautifully scented perennial plant growing along river banks and in damp meadows and has been used in various ways for centuries wherever it appears.  As...
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Gardening explained - DNA analysis

Gardening explained - DNA analysis
You may have noticed in recent years that the scientific names of some plants have been changing. As an example, Sedum has become Hylotelephium. Michaelmas daisies, commonly referred to with...
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Plant profile - Dianthus carthusianorum

Plant profile - Dianthus carthusianorum
Dianthus as a genus contains around 340 species but one of our favourites in the Genus garden has to be Dianthus carthusianorum, the Carthusian Pink.  Named after an order of...
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Wildlife in the garden - swifts

Wildlife in the garden - swifts
A summer visitor, swifts screaming across the evening skies are a common sight in July but their visit to the airspace over our gardens is fleeting.  Arriving in May they...
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Gardening explained - dioecy

Gardening explained - dioecy
Parents-to-be may have the sex of their newborn in the forefront of their minds but few of us ever suspect it to be an issue when choosing plants for our...
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Plant folklore - orchids

Plant folklore - orchids
We find there's always something magical about stumbling across orchids during a countryside walk.  With their stunning flowers they’ve been weaving their way into our stories and folklore for centuries....
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Wildlife in the garden - dragonflies

Wildlife in the garden - dragonflies
If you’re lucky enough to have a pond in your garden there’s every chance that you’ll be rewarded with the spectacle of dragonflies skimming over the water’s surface.  There are...
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On the plot - veg wisdom in June

On the plot - veg wisdom in June
It’s a wind up  I’m sure we’re all familiar with the scenario - the runner beans have been planted out but no matter how hard we try to help them...
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Plant profile - lupins

Plant profile - lupins
Lupins are a wonderful perennial plant to have in the garden in June.  From their mounds of fingered foliage to their beautiful spires of colourful flowers they’ve become a ‘must...
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Modern heroes of horticulture - Chris Young

Modern heroes of horticulture - Chris Young
At 16, confined by illness and having to attend the sixth form on a part time basis, Chris Young discovered his life's purpose between the rose bushes, natural history, and...
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Gardeners' notes - what to do in June.

Gardeners' notes - what to do in June.
Staking If you haven't already done it, this month is your last chance to carry out effective staking of your perennials.  The recent spell of fine weather can lure us...
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On the plot - Italian vegetables

On the plot - Italian vegetables
Why not try something new in the vegetable garden this year?  Italian vegetables have grown in popularity in recent years faring well in the UK climate. There are three we’d...
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Gardening explained - marcescence

Gardening explained - marcescence
You may have noticed certain trees clinging on to their leaves throughout winter and well into spring until new replacements start to appear.  This holding on to last year's leaves...
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Gardeners' notes - what to do in May

Gardeners' notes - what to do in May
Plant out half hardy annuals Your greenhouse or window sills are probably groaning under the weight of annual plants that you’ve been caring for since sowing them a few months...
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Modern heroes of horticulture - Fiona Cumberpatch

Modern heroes of horticulture - Fiona Cumberpatch
Was Fiona Cumberpatch destined to become a gardener and garden writer?  With parents living ‘The Good Life’ in their traditional Cambridgeshire cottage during the 1970’s, and grandparents maintaining their classic...
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Plant folklore - dandelions

Plant folklore - dandelions
Dandelion, that bright yellow native species belonging to the Asteraceae family (daisies and asters), are steeped in folklore in every part of the world in which they occur.  Who doesn’t...
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Wildlife in the garden - bats

Wildlife in the garden - bats
Have you got bats in your belfry, barn, or roof space?  Commonly seen at dusk as they leave their roosts to hunt for insects, bats  as a species are spread...
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Plant profile - Armeria maritima (sea thrift)

Plant profile - Armeria maritima (sea thrift)
Sea thrift always takes us back to holidays on the coast with memories of windswept sand dunes and rocky outcrops.  Tolerant of salt and dry soils, sea thrift is distributed...
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