Potpourri Magazine

Body, soul and gardening - cold therapy
As the temperatures drop, we tend to want to stay warm and cosy indoors.  But feeling a bit chilly can have potential well-being benefits, from easing anxiety to improving circulation...
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Garden trends - low impact paths
Paths are one of the most important aspects of garden design, allowing you to access different parts of the garden throughout the year.  They can take you directly to where...
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Top of the pots - berries and stems
Small shrubs with berries look great in window boxes at this time of year.  Add some tall colourful stems for extra impact.  Here are our suggestions: Skimmias are hardy and...
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Q&A with Sally Petitt, Head Gardener, Cambridge Botanic Gardens
What was your route into horticulture? I was planning to study architecture, but halfway through A-levels, I realised that what I really wanted was to be a gardener - I...
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Veg and recipe - warm roasted root veg salad
Salads aren’t just for the summer.  Winter root vegetable salad is comforting and tasty but is also packed with the fibre, vitamins, and nutrients your body needs in the colder...
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Podcast - Plantastic Podcast
Presented by American professor of horticulture Dr. Jared Barnes, this informative and interesting podcast gives listeners an insight into the US horticultural world. As a horticulture professor, there’s a serious...
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Technology in the garden - grow lights for indoor plants
As the light level drops, artificial lighting can be a good way of supplementing the amount of light plants get and can also be used to grow plants in darker...
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Body, soul and gardening - organising your shed
As things slow down in the garden, why not take advantage of the lull and organise your shed ready for spring.  Decluttering can make us feel liberated and more in...
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Garden trends - climate resilient planting
With more unpredictable weather patterns, from downpours and cold snaps to extreme heat and drought, we’re seeing a trend towards tougher, more resilient planting that will cope with extreme weather. The...
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Top of the pots - planting bulbs in a pot
Bulb planting season is upon us and a great way of getting a dense and successional display of colour in containers is by using the Dutch concept of a ‘bulb...
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Veg and recipe - parsnip gratin
This dish turns earthy parsnips into something luxuriously creamy. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees C.  Prepare six or so parsnips by top-and-tailing them and then slicing them lengthways or...
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Q&A with Luke Bartle, Head Gardener, Trentham Gardens
Tell us about your journey into horticulture?  My grandad was a big gardener and got me interested in gardening from an early age.   After leaving school at 16, I started...
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Podast - The Veg Grower
In this weekly podcast Richard Suggett shares his experience of growing food on his allotment and home vegetable plot, with much more besides. In recent allotment updates, Richard’s been planting...
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Technology in the garden - plant protection jackets
As the temperatures drop, tender plants such as citrus trees and bananas ideally need to be brought inside.  But hardy outdoor plants may also need some protection from frosts, and...
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Body, soul and gardening - the giving gardener
Whether it’s sharing knowledge or produce, there’s something about gardening that brings out the generosity in people.  And the good news is that this benefits the giver as much as...
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Q&A with Matthew Pottage, Wisley Curator
Tell us about journey into horticulture? I developed a love of gardening from my grandma, who had a passion for houseplants and gardening, and I was never happier than when...
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Garden trends - patchwork terraces
Large expanses of stone or porcelain paving or terracing have their place of course, but there’s a movement in garden design towards a softer combination of hard landscaping and planting. ...
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Top of the pots - window boxes for winter
Window boxes are an excellent way of adding some colour to the exterior of your house and now is a great time to give them a new lease of life...
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Veg and recipe - spicy white cabbage and chorizo hot pot
This comforting one pot is amazingly tasty, considering how quick, easy and inexpensive it is – perfect for a warming mid-week meal when you’re too tired to make anything more...
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Podcast - Roots, Wings and Other Things
In this fun and informal podcast, presenters Jez Rose and co-host Kathy Slack chat, mull and debate about gardening, nature and wildlife, often over a cup of tea or while...
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Technology in the garden - the Gripple system
The Gripple Plant Support System is a simple and strong system that creates highly tensioned wires to create a trellis on a fence or wall to support climbers like jasmine...
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