Potpourri Magazine

Garden trends - dark foliage
Designers are predicting a fashion for darker, plummy-coloured flowers and foliage with accents of brighter colours in planting design.  This can add depth, drama and a touch of glamour to...
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Body, soul and gardening - get a stress-free break
Holidays are supposed to be relaxing, so you don’t want to be worrying about how your garden will cope while you’re away.  The most obvious solution is to enlist a...
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Top of the pots - Great combos for summer
High summer is when tall perennials and soft wafty grasses are really coming into their own.  They add lovely texture, naturalism  and movement to a container display – ideal if...
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Garden review - Hannah Peschar Sculpture Garden, Surrey
We visited this garden on a hot day last year and the mixture of woodland planting, dappled light, water and beautifully placed sculptures creates the most wonderfully soothing environment. The original...
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Veg and recipe - samosa
If you’re bored of steaming your runner beans, why not try something a bit more exciting by making tasty samosas?  Runners go well with Indian spices, and combined with fluffy...
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Podcast - Rich Pickings
Garden designer friends Jo Thompson and Nina Baxter talk about gardening and much more besides in this enjoyable podcast. In a recent episode they discuss this year’s Chelsea Flower Show...
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Technology in the garden - sails for cooling shade
Sails make a great alternative to umbrellas, creating a cool retreat in hotter weather without an intrusive pole.  They also have a graceful, contemporary feel. Most will stand up well...
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Q&A with Clive Nichols, garden photographer
Q&A with Clive Nichols, garden photographer Tell us about your route into garden photography? After studying human geography at Reading University I got a job as a head chef of...
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Body, soul and gardening - good for children's well-being
Encouraging your children to garden or simply relax and have fun in your outdoor space is excellent for their wellbeing.  With one in eight young people suffering with a mental...
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Garden trends - rethinking weeds
Plants usually described as weeds are having their moment.  Show gardens at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show were full of brambles, dandelions and thistles.  Instead of complaining about them, horticultural experts...
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Top of the pots - lightweight pots for balconies and terraces
If you’re thinking of greening up your terrace or balcony with beautiful planting, lightweight pots and compost will ease your mind by helping to combat challenges, such as weight restrictions....
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Veg and recipe - Asian shredded courgette and noodle salad
Shredded courgettes work well in salads.  And Asian salads with their spicy, tangy flavours and bright colours are fun and refreshing for the summer. If you can shred or spiralise...
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Podcast - Dear Gardener
In his new podcast, Ben Dark discusses plants, nature and gardening, either on walks in nature, in situ in gardens and sometimes talking to horticultural guests. Ben invites guests from...
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Technology in the garden - solar water features
A bubbling water feature glistening in the sun on a hot summer’s day adds a cooling and calming dimension to a garden.  And with technological advancements, these can now be...
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Q&A with John Anderson, Keeper of the Gardens of the Windsor Estate
Tell us about your career journey so far I was a student at Kew from 1988-1991, then went on to be Head Gardener at Mount Usher Gardens (Ireland), Inverewe Gardens...
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Body, soul and gardening - rain gardens
As well as drought, experts believe the changing climate is causing more periods of heavy rain, which can lead to flooding.  But there are beautiful and sustainable ways to deal...
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Garden trends - all about soil
One of the big trends in garden design at the moment is about how we look after and adapt soil conditions to suit different plants, mimicking natural habits and using deep mulches...
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Veg and recipe - asparagus and Parma ham
This is a classic way of serving asparagus, and for good reason.  The salty ham and rustic soft sweet asparagus are a match made in heaven.  It can be served...
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Top of the pots - planting design for a large trough
As well as clustering smaller pots, you might have the space such as a roof terrace or side return that merits a large trough or planter where you can indulge...
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Podcast - Why Women Grow
This podcast isn’t about gardening as much as an insight into the lives of interesting women of note from designers to chefs, and the impact gardening has had on them. ...
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Technology in the garden - outdoor TVs
If you’ve ever fancied dragging your TV outdoors to watch a bit of sport or a film on a warm summer’s evening surrounding by the scents and sounds of nature,...
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