Potpourri Magazine

Trees trained into architectural shapes such as pleached trees have been used in large formal gardens since the 17th Century.  In recent years they’ve become increasingly popular with contemporary designers...
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With our summers getting hotter, a dip in your own beautiful and chemical free-swimming pond is becoming an increasingly popular idea. Unlike bright blue, artificial looking rectangular shaped traditional swimming...
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We all need uplifting colour in our lives at the moment in particular, and people are increasingly drawn to planting with bold, vibrant hues to create spaces that are uplifting...
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There’s an increasing movement in garden design towards gardens that take their cue from nature.  If you’re ready to embrace your wild side, here are a few pointers. Don’t over...
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Gardens are working harder than ever, being designed with zones for different activities including exercise, relaxation and entertainment.  A growing trend is to take the well-being element a step further...
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Container planting is a growing trend with the sale of outdoor plant pots going up by 225% last year, according to the RHS.  Planters can create an instant garden in...
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From seating and planters to fences and walls, black looks stylish in the garden.  It’s also versatile, working in both contemporary and traditional settings.  Here are three ways to use...
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Having a greenhouse in the garden for growing tomatoes, sowing seeds and extending your growing season is ever-popular.  But as well as this, people are increasingly using greenhouses for other...
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Low maintenance and drought-tolerant, gravel gardens are becoming increasingly popular. They’re perfectly suited to our hot dry summers and have a relaxed airy feel, with plants growing up through gravel...
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From wild flowers to sedum growing above extensions and sheds, people are increasingly realising the benefits a green roof can bring.  Not only are they attractive, they also help keep...
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White is out, in comes something warmer. Rendered garden walls painted a crisp white is a classic look.  However, the mood in garden design is turning towards something softer with...
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Low maintenance, evergreen and drought tolerant, sedums are perfect for containers.  So, it’s no surprise that large ceramic bowls and stone troughs with a collection of low-growing hardy sedum are...
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The tropical garden trend continues to be popular with people seeking a ‘holiday’ feeling in their own garden.  Gardens created using lush, leafy exotics work particularly well in urban situations,...
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As well as covering boundaries, hedges define the structure of a garden, anchoring the design, creating stability and acting as a crisp foil to more ephemeral planting.  Designers are finding...
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Dreamy romantic gardens seem to be having a revival in the world of garden design.  Their untamed wildness ties in with the trend for naturalism and there’s something comforting about...
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Designers are increasingly turning to bricks and clay pavers, to add warmth, character, texture and pattern to hard landscaping.  Reclaimed-style bricks have a rustic charm that work well in a...
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Planting more trees is invaluable for the environment and helps complete a garden by adding height, shade and an extra layer of beauty and year round interest.  Multi-stem trees in...
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With more of us spending time at home, garden rooms are increasingly in demand as another place to work or exercise in, or simply to escape to.  But there’s lots...
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Low maintenance gardens are ever popular in our busy world.  A design that includes good structure with plants and materials that don’t need much upkeep will avoid the garden looking...
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As the temperatures drop, instead of packing up the garden for the winter months, why not embrace the Scandi ‘hygge’ way of life?  This advocates wrapping up and enjoying the...
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The fashion for naturalistic planting continues, and key to this soft, unstructured look is using ornamental grasses.  When planted amongst perennials and loosely pruned shrubs, they give the garden wonderful...
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