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.

Greener gardening - leave room for ladybirds

Greener gardening - leave room for ladybirds
Ladybirds are a welcome sight in our gardens, helping to keep aphids and other pests under control.  They’re brightly coloured and distinctive, so where do they hide in winter? Ladybirds...
Read More
Garden gadgets - compressed compost

Garden gadgets - compressed compost
One of the most interesting innovations in gardening lately is compressed coir compost. Coir is a natural fibre which comes from the outer husk of coconuts, and is being used...
Read More
Wildlife in the garden - fieldfare

Wildlife in the garden - fieldfare
Fieldfares are visitors to our gardens and parks during the winter months - they come to the UK from Scandinavia and Russia from September to April, sticking to rural areas...
Read More
Plant of the month - ivy

Plant of the month - ivy
One of the most misunderstood plants in our gardens, ivy is lush, evergreen, symbolic and valuable to insects and wildlife. English ivy (Hedera helix) is the most common form of...
Read More
Gardeners' notes - what to do in November

Gardeners' notes - what to do in November
Plant bare roots Many woody plants, like fruit trees, shrubs, hedges, roses and some perennials, can be bought from nurseries and specialist growers as bare root plants.  In other words,...
Read More
Modern heroes of horticulture - Jamie Butterworth

Modern heroes of horticulture - Jamie Butterworth
Jamie Butterworth is part of a new wave of horticulturists redefining what it means to be a plantsman in the modern world - blending craftsmanship, science, and storytelling.  At just...
Read More
Body, soul and soil - grab a jacket, get outside!

Body, soul and soil - grab a jacket, get outside!
When the days get shorter and the temperature drops it’s all too easy to embrace the indoors - a cosy corner, a hot drink and a seed catalogue is all...
Read More
Modern heroes of horticulture - Roz Chandler

Modern heroes of horticulture - Roz Chandler
Roz Chandler didn’t grow up knowing she would become a flower farmer.  In fact, when she first moved to a five-acre smallholding near Milton Keynes in 2007, it was livestock,...
Read More
Garden gadgets - leaf grabbers

Garden gadgets - leaf grabbers
These have got to be one of the most useful and yet inexpensive bits of kit for the gardener at this time of year, when raking is a weekly, if...
Read More
Greener gardening - install a water butt

Greener gardening - install a water butt
The weather may be turning, but think back to just a few weeks ago when repeated heatwaves left our gardens wilting.  Hosepipe bans are becoming a frequent occurrence in many...
Read More
Wildlife in the garden - hedgehogs

Wildlife in the garden - hedgehogs
The Irish word for hedgehog is ‘gainneog’, which means ‘ugly little thing’. Surprising, as these little spiky mammals are usually considered a very cute garden visitor! Hedgehogs are a gardener’s...
Read More
Plant of the month - Rudbeckia

Plant of the month - Rudbeckia
Is it late summer, or early autumn?  This between-season time can throw all kinds of weather at us.  Whether the sun is shining or not, there are still plenty of...
Read More
Body, soul and soil - harvest happiness

Body, soul and soil - harvest happiness
You’ve been working hard on your plot all year - sowing seeds, tending to young plants, protecting them from frost, wind, pests and disease, keeping them watered and making sure...
Read More
Gardeners' notes - what to do in October.

Gardeners' notes - what to do in October.
Sow broad beans Broad beans are not only tasty and easy to grow, but they’re hardy and capable of withstanding colder temperatures. Sow them in autumn for an early crop...
Read More
Plant folklore - oak

Plant folklore - oak
It’s not surprising that a native tree that has held such an important role in the British countryside has a wealth of folklore surrounding it. Oak trees have been considered...
Read More
On the plot - autumn harvests

On the plot - autumn harvests
Pea shoots A great way to add a new flavour to your salads and to add that little touch of restaurant quality - try pea shoots.  They’re an easy addition...
Read More
Modern heroes of horticulture - Katy Watson

Modern heroes of horticulture - Katy Watson
Has there ever been such a dramatic pivot in the search for a new career?  Just a few years ago, Katy Watson was performing solo to audiences of 2,000, her...
Read More
Gardeners' notes - what to do in September.

Gardeners' notes - what to do in September.
Order bulbs There are several ways to purchase bulbs and I suspect like most gardeners we’ve done them all over the years. These are the options.  1. Take advice from...
Read More
Plant profile - Aeonium

Plant profile - Aeonium
Aeoniums are an incredibly popular genus of succulent plants that are most often used in potted displays and brought inside during the colder months to keep them frost free.  Gardeners...
Read More
Wildlife in the garden - moths

Wildlife in the garden - moths
There are over 2,500 species of moth in the UK.  Compare that to butterflies with 60 species and you can see the important role moths play in the ecology of...
Read More
Gardening explained - thermogenesis

Gardening explained - thermogenesis
When you first hear of thermogenesis in plants, you think “Surely not!  How can a plant warm itself up?”  Well, the news is in, they can, and it’s happening in...
Read More