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.

Podcast - The Virgin Gardener

Podcast - The Virgin Gardener
The Virgin Gardener podcast presented by Laetitia Maklouf and Andrew O’Brien is aimed at anyone wanting to green up their space – indoor or out.  They have a fabulous line...
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Technology in the garden - UV garden parasols

Technology in the garden - UV garden parasols
Parasols are perfect for creating soothing shade in a favourite seating or dining area in the garden.  And with climate change and our growing understanding of the damage the sun...
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The secret gardener - Nigel Havers

The secret gardener - Nigel Havers
When he’s not on screen or stage, actor Nigel Havers enjoys working in the garden, describing himself as a keen gardener. Becoming a home owner, after buying a house in Wandsworth...
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Cut flower corner - all about sweet peas

Cut flower corner - all about sweet peas
With their gorgeous scent, frilly blooms and beautiful colours, sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus) make wonderful summer cut flowers.  They take a bit of tending to, but the rewards are more...
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Garden trends - new colours for rendered walls

Garden trends - new colours for rendered walls
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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Body, soul and gardening - garden seating

Body, soul and gardening - garden seating
Whether it’s for a moment’s pause or a longer rest, a variety of seating in multiple areas of the garden allows you some calming time out. Mornings and evenings are...
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Technology in the garden - the olla

Technology in the garden - the olla
The use of ollas - unglazed porous clay vessels - is an ancient technique for irrigation, saving time energy and water.  It’s a simple idea: the clay pot is buried...
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Podcast - The Dirt

Podcast - The Dirt
This is a podcast devoted to growing fruit and vegetables presented by Laura, the editor of Grow Your Own Magazine, and other members of the team.  The show focuses on...
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Q & A with leading rose expert Michael Marriott

Q & A with leading rose expert Michael Marriott
Michael Marriott is one of the world’s leading rosarians.  He is also well-known for his rose garden design and his common sense approach to looking after roses.  Can you give...
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Gardening hero - Alan Titchmarsh

Gardening hero - Alan Titchmarsh
Gardener, writer and television presenter, Alan Titchmarsh, 71, has most recently been on our screens presenting ITV’s ‘Love Your Garden’ and ‘Spring into Summer’.  Married to Alison for 46 years,...
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Cut flower corner - roses in abundance

Cut flower corner - roses in abundance
The peonies are beginning to wane, but the roses are coming in abundance.  Some good varieties for cutting includes R. ‘Irish Hope’, a pale-yellow floribunda; R.’Winchester Cathedral’, a lovely white...
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Gardening trends - sedum bowls

Gardening trends - sedum bowls
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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Body, soul and gardening - gardening for mental health

Body, soul and gardening - gardening for mental health
One of the many wonderful things about gardening is that it helps us cultivate our ability to nurture.  As humans, caring for something is intrinsically rewarding and mood-enhancing, says the...
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Garden trends - the new exotics

Garden trends - the new exotics
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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Body, soul and gardening - home-grown produce for a healthy gut

Body, soul and gardening - home-grown produce for a healthy gut
There’s increasing evidence linking a healthy gut to our physical and mental wellbeing.  A healthy microbiome (the ecosystem of micro-organisms in the intestine) helps us digest our food and absorb...
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Head Gardener Q&A - Tom Coward from Gravetye Manor

Head Gardener Q&A - Tom Coward from Gravetye Manor
We talk to Tom Coward about developing the historic gardens at Gravetye Manor, East Sussex, created by the ‘wild gardening’ enthusiast William Robinson during the 19th Century.  How do you manage...
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Cut flower corner - early summer bounty

Cut flower corner - early summer bounty
There’s masses to pick in the garden right now to bring inside and enjoy, whether you have a cutting bed or well-stocked borders.  Peonies make wonderful cut flowers, especially the...
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The secret gardener - Ben Shepherd

The secret gardener - Ben Shepherd
When he’s not presenting TV programmes including Good Morning Britain, Ben Shepherd enjoys spending time in his garden with his wife Annie and two boys Sam and Jack. Pictures of...
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Vlog - The Plant-Based Podcast

Vlog - The Plant-Based Podcast
In the newly revamped plant-based podcast, Michael and Ellen discuss everything from garden design to growing your own fruit and vegetables, with lots of tips along the way.  The pair...
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Technology in the garden - low energy patio heaters

Technology in the garden - low energy patio heaters
Aside from blankets and layers, you might think that firepits are the most eco-friendly way of keeping warm outside, but unless you do your own logging, wood has to be...
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Body, soul and gardening - Japanese gardens

Body, soul and gardening - Japanese gardens
The Japanese have been creating beautiful, balanced gardens for centuries.  These carefully curated versions of the natural landscape create a calm space designed for contemplation.  So, what are some of...
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