Potpourri Magazine

Secret Gardener - Kate Moss
The glamorous supermodel is tiring of partying and turning to more wholesome pursuits such as yoga and gardening.  After spending lockdown at her Cotswold home in Little Faringdon, she decided...
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Plant of the month - Eurybia divaricata
Also known as a white wood aster, this plant is the star of the show in autumn gardens.  It has pretty clusters of tiny white daisy-like flowers on black stems...
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Q&A with Lottie Allen, HG Hidcote Manor
Tell us about your journey into horticulture? I knew I wanted to work outdoors (ironically, as these days I’m more often inside than out) and after working with a local...
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Podcast - Knepp Wildland
In this podcast, Knepp ecologist, Penny Green, gives us a behind-the-scenes insight into the pioneering Knepp Wildland project.  A 3,500 acre estate in West Sussex, once intensively farmed, it’s now...
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Technology in the garden - outdoor fireplaces
We’re increasingly using our gardens as an extra room and with chilly autumn nights upon us, installing an outdoor fireplace can really extend the season for sitting out in the...
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Q&A - Jodi Dickinson, HG, Barbara Hepworth Garden Museum
Tell us about your journey into horticulture. Growing up surfing the coastline of Cornwall nurtured my desire to be immersed in nature in my work, which naturally translated into horticulture, and I have...
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Technology in the garden - pizza ovens
Sales of pizza ovens has soared.  They make crisp restaurant-quality pizza and are ideal for family meals, where everyone can get involved in the prep.  Home pizza ovens also make...
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Podcast: My Garden Podcast
Penny Haslam presents this down-to-earth gardening podcast from her own garden in Cheshire, north west summer. She calls herself a have-a-go gardener and the tone is jolly and personal as...
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Plant of the month - salvias
Whatever your favourite colour, you can probably find a salvia in that hue as there’s such an array of colours and forms, flowering throughout the summer. Along with the culinary...
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Secret gardener - Miranda Hart
The popular actress has grown up with gardening, as her mum, Dee, has opened her garden for the NGS for over 27 years. The three-acre Hampshire garden has a large...
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Garden trends - timber
Timber isn’t a new material, but designers are opting for this timeless classic over other materials for its beauty, strength and sustainability.  ‘There’s a massive push for timber over wood...
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Body, soul and gardening - perennial vegetables
Perennial vegetables are a particularly sustainable way of growing produce.  You only need to plant them once and they live for years, saving on seed, potting compost, water and time....
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Q&A with Asa Gregers, Head Gardener at The Beth Chatto Gardens
What led you to The Beth Chatto Gardens? My grandparents and parents were keen gardeners and I always enjoyed working outside, but after doing lots of different jobs, it wasn’t...
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Body, soul and gardening - the cooling power of plants
With temperatures rising and heat waves more common, plant foliage could help temper the sun’s scorching rays.  While buildings and hard surfaces raise temperatures by absorbing and reflecting the day’s...
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Garden trends - beyond the grass lawn
There’ s something timelessly beautiful about a well-kept lawn, but the latest trend is the ‘tapestry lawn’, an alternative to the normal grass, created using a combination of many different...
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Plant of the month - hydrangeas
Hydrangeas are gorgeous shrubs.  Their voluptuous flower heads make a fabulous statement in the summer garden and many take on pinky hues into autumn. There are masses of varieties to...
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The secret gardener - Rupert Everett
The Golden Globe-nominated actor, writer and director, famed for Another Country, My Best Friend’s Wedding and more recently playing Oscar Wilde in The Happy Prince, which he wrote and directed,...
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Podcast - Joe Gardener
American gardener Joe Lamp’l presents this interesting and informative podcast in an accessible and encouraging way. He’s a great presenter with bags of gardening advice to share.  There’s a good...
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Technology in the garden - cordless hedge trimmers
If your hedges need a trim, cordless hedge trimmers are a great investment and avoid balancing dangerously on top of a ladder with a pair of shears in hand. A...
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Body, soul and gardening - the joys of foraging
From elderflowers to nettles, wild garlic to blackberries, there are so many wild plants to pick and eat.  And foraging for this delicious, nutritious and free bounty has a host...
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Garden trends - yellow is having a come-back
People are often wary and even snobbish about yellow flowers.  Yet from primroses and daffodils heralding spring to heleniums radiating autumn sun, it’s one of the most joyful colours to...
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