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.

Wildlife in the garden - collared doves

Wildlife in the garden - collared doves
We love collared doves. They’re often around the garden grazing under the bird feeders and the margins of the surrounding fields.  Barely known in the UK prior to the 1950s,...
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Modern heroes of horticulture - Adam Kirtland

Modern heroes of horticulture - Adam Kirtland
Adam Kirtland is a gardener who has surged onto the gardening scene in recent years with his informative, relatable, and often incredibly witty Instagram account that offers advice from making...
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Gardeners' notes - what to do in August

Gardeners' notes - what to do in August
Propagate clematis Many clematis will have flowered by now and you may have spotted a particularly good performer in your own or a friend’s garden.  Now is a good time...
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Plant folklore - elder

Plant folklore - elder
We have a number of elder trees dotted around the edges of the Genus garden and we have discovered that in earlier times elder trees were frequently planted near homes...
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On the plot - new plantings

On the plot - new plantings
Onion from seed - try Cipolla borretana  Most of us are used to growing onions from ‘sets’ -  ready grown baby onions.  Growing from seed though is very easy and...
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Plant Profile - Ficus carica

Plant Profile - Ficus carica
Figs make wonderful garden plants with green, deeply lobed leaves, and of course the potential to provide sweet golf ball sized fruit.  These figs are the edible fruit of Ficus...
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Gardening explained - etiolation

Gardening explained - etiolation
Anyone who frequents social media will have seen examples of etiolation, especially in the first few months of the year.  Ever keen to get started, new gardeners will often sow...
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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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