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.

On the plot - Italian vegetables

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

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

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

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

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

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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Modern heroes of horticulture - Manoj Malde

Modern heroes of horticulture - Manoj Malde
With many British gardens often characterised by muted tones and traditional cottage garden designs, Manoj Malde is undoubtedly a breath of fresh air in the world of garden design.  His...
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Plant profile - snakeshead fritillary

Plant profile - snakeshead fritillary
We’ve planted hundreds of snake's head fritillary (Fritillaria meleagris) over the years.  A member of the Lily family, they’re distinguished by their uniquely patterned cup-shaped flowers and wiry stems.  A...
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Wildlife in the garden - toads

Wildlife in the garden - toads
Discovering a toad in the garden is always a moment to celebrate.  It’s almost impossible to spot one and not recount the tale over the dining table that evening.  Who...
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The plants around us - saffron

The plants around us - saffron
Saffron is a popular spice in Britain where it’s enjoyed in buns, cakes, and rice dishes.  The source of the spice, famously more expensive than gold, is the saffron crocus...
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Exceptional trees -The Fortingall Yew

Exceptional trees -The Fortingall Yew
Quietly thriving in the churchyard of Fortingall village in Perthshire, Scotland is the U.K.’s oldest yew tree.  The Fortingall Yew has witnessed thousands of years of human history, with experts...
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Plant folklore - narcissus

Plant folklore - narcissus
The appearance of daffodils is often the first sign of the changing seasons.  These flowers have long been associated with fertility and new life, and a gift of daffodils is...
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Modern heroes of horticulture - Tamsin Westhorpe

Modern heroes of horticulture - Tamsin Westhorpe
Take a little bit of Gerald Durrell, a pinch of Felicity Kendall from the Good Life, and a slice of Mini the Minx, and you’ll have a good idea of...
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