Potpourri Magazine

Podcast - Growing Wild

Charlotte Petts presents a thought-provoking show about nature in both the countryside and urban spaces.  She talks to a wide range of gardeners, designers and environmentalists covering everything from healthy soil...
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We interviewed Jessica Evans, head gardener at Knightshayes Court, a National Trust garden in Tiverton. What do you love about the garden at Knightshayes? I was drawn by the plant...
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Julie Walters is one of our best-loved actresses, but she is just as happy pottering about in the garden as treading the boards these days.  She even celebrated being made...
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Autumn is a good time save seed.  Leave a few flowerheads on your favourite plants after they've finished blooming to allow the seeds to ripen – aster seeds are attached...
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With Halloween and Thanksgiving upon us, now is a great time to get creative with pumpkins.  These huge striking orange fruit look almost surreal growing on the earth connected by...
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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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One of the great joys of plants is being able to give and share them.  A garden filled with flowers that remind you of your favourite people appeals on an...
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As well as being beautiful and relaxing, gardens can also shield us against air pollution from fossil fuels and petrol that damage our health.  According to the World Health Organisation, 90%...
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The hedgerows are brimming with sloes, so remember to take a pot with you next time you go on a nice autumn walk and gather enough to make some sloe...
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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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The actress, famed for her role in the BBC drama Silent Witness, loves to unwind in her garden.  ‘I’m a big gardener, I love gardening’ she says, recently telling Woman...
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Winter violas are wonderful hardy little gems that will flower on through the coldest months.  Try sowing some seeds now to flower in a few months’ time.  Sow seeds thinly and evenly in...
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All about apples

Homegrown apples are a world apart from supermarket-bought ones.  An apple tree, with its gorgeous spring blossom and autumn fruit makes an attractive and wildlife friendly addition to any garden,...
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The season of mists and mellow fruitfulness is upon us.  But if your apple and pear trees have grown so tall you can’t reach the fruit at the top of...
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Huw is only in his early twenties, but he has been creating YouTube videos on veg growing since he was 12 and is incredibly enthusiastic and knowledgeable.  His hands-on advice...
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If you’re in the market for some more garden furniture and are wanting to do something about the environment, the DuraOcean could be the answer.  This ground breaking chair, designed...
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The joys of lavender

Drifts of lilac-coloured lavender, humming with bees against a blue sky is a wonderful summer sight.  As well as being beautiful, lavender can also be dried – hanging the sprigs upside-down...
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The Garden Ninja, aka Lee Burkhill, is a garden designer from the north of England whose YouTube videos give clear, practical advice on design and gardening, helping people avoid common...
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The much-loved gardening broadcaster and writer was born in Germany in 1955 – the youngest of five siblings - and christened Montagu Denis Wyatt Don.  He is married to Sarah...
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Everything is growing very fast now, with plenty of harvesting, deadheading and seed-collecting to be done.  Here’s how to keep the garden looking good into autumn. Keep deadheading annuals, perennials and...
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Plums are a delicious tangy fruit, great eaten raw but also great for stewing or making jams, crumbles and tarts.  ‘Victoria’ is a well-known variety and ‘Blue Tit’ and ‘Opal’ are...
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