Potpourri Magazine

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...

It’s surprising for a plant that has become so entrenched in folklore that snowdrops are not actually indigenous to Britain.  While the precise date of their introduction remains a subject...

We always celebrate the arrival of our spring and summer migrants such as swallows, swifts, cuckoos and nightingales.  Less celebrated and often creeping in under the radar are our winter...

When is a tree not a tree and does it need to be a living specimen to feature as one of our exceptional trees?  In the case of  the Great...

A favourite houseplant in the winter months especially around Christmas, Cyclamen are also wonderful, long-lived garden plants.  A native to Europe, the Mediterranean, and parts of Iran and Somalia, they...

Plant-based insulation is emerging as a leading choice for environmentally-conscious homeowners and as an alternative, not only providing good thermal efficiency but also meeting eco-friendly living requirements and practices.  With...

Most of us were affected by the Covid lockdown of 2020.  None more so than Sophie van Gerwen whose contraction of the disease and the subsequent debilitating effects of long-covid...

Thirty years ago the sight of an egret in the UK wasn’t unheard of, but it was certainly a rare event.  Move on to the 2020s and sightings of these...

Robin's pincushions, sometimes referred to as bedeguars (from the Middle French bedegard, and Persian bādāward) are distinctive galls that form on wild roses when the gall wasp, Diplolepis rosae, lays...

The Wollemi Pine (Wollemia nobilis) is probably one of the most exciting botanical discoveries of the 20th century.  Endemic to Australia this conifer was unknown to science until 1994, when...

Snowdrops, Galanthus nivalis (meaning ‘milk flower of the snow’), originated across Central and Southern Europe.  Botanical historians believe the Romans may have introduced the plant.  The first documented cultivation is...

We’ve previously written about the traditional production of rubber from plantations of the Amazonian rubber tree Hevea brasiliensis.  It may come as a surprise that rubber is also produced commercially...

Lee Connelly, better known to some as The Skinny Jean Gardener, came to prominence as CBBC’s Blue Peter Gardener, appearances on BBC ‘Teach’, and BBC Radio One.  His theatre tour...

Prune climbing roses December can be a good time to deal with any climbing roses you have on the cottage or garden walls.  We always try to keep everything tight,...

Every year, December visitors to Trafalgar Square in London get to enjoy a  Christmas tree that stands as a symbol of friendship between Norway and Britain.  It’s a tradition that began...

What bird could be more symbolic of winter that the red breasted Robin?  A gardener’s friend, the robin will often follow keen gardeners around the garden, investigating any recently turned...

Mistletoe's Christmas association and traditions can be found in both ancient mythology and relatively modern customs.  The familiar custom of kissing beneath mistletoe, while often assumed to be ancient, only...

Cotton has been shaping human civilization for millennia, with evidence of its use dating back to prehistoric times.  The soft, fluffy fibre that grows protectively around cotton seeds was domesticated...

The tawny owl (Strix aluco), is a medium-sized owl species widely distributed across Europe and western Siberia.  It’s a common sight in woodlands and has successfully adapted to urban environments...

Clearing Borders   With many plants now beyond their best it’s time to consider clearing your borders.  Although an operation that many are choosing to leave until the spring, we...

The blackthorn or sloe, scientifically known as Prunus spinosa, is a well known countryside plant and appears frequently in Celtic folklore and mythology.  This thorny shrub is intrinsically linked with...