Potpourri Magazine

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...