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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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)

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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Gardeners' notes - what to do in April

Plant out potatoes Whether you’ve just purchased your potato tubers or you’ve had them chitting away for several weeks, now is the time to get them outside and into the...
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Modern heroes of horticulture - Alexandra Campbell

Alexandra Campbell’s journey into horticulture began long before she ever put pen to paper.  Growing up as the daughter of a diplomat, moving home was a regular occurrence and she...
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Exceptional trees - the Wood Wide Web

In recent years the ability of trees to ‘communicate’ with each other has been well documented.  Researchers have discovered  communication systems amongst trees and far from being passive organisms, it...
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Plant profile - pasqueflower

We’re always excited when April arrives because one of our favourite plants, Pulsatilla vulgaris, will be in flower this month.  Commonly known as the pasqueflower, they are small low growing...
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Wildlife in the garden - the wood mouse

Discounting voles, shrews, and rats, three types of mice are commonly seen in gardens - the house mouse, the wood mouse, and the yellow necked field mouse.  Being in a...
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Plant folklore - marsh marigold

Marsh marigold, Caltha palustris, is also known by a variety of names such as kingcup, yellow marsh marigold, and cowslip.  The name ‘kingcup’ is believed to have originated from the...
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The plants around us - plant-based packaging

Plant based packaging is becoming increasingly popular, moving away from the regular wood-pulp cardboard box and plastic bubble wrap to more ingenious and imaginative uses of plant based materials.  From...
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