Gardening magazine?

tricia

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I love Mother Earth News. I think I will look for Organic Gardening, it sounds interesting.
 

bluebirdfarm

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101 garden tips and ideas .it is written like an encyclopedia and has tONs of good info.
:bee
 

OaklandCityFarmer

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I have to agree with a few others when they say that many a garden magazine out there don't do much in the way of good articles with great knowledge.

I agree with Pat, Organic Gardening has really gone downhill over the past decade.

Mother Earth news is a good read with lots of information but in no way is strictly a garden magazine.

Fine Gardening is a pretty good publication with tons of ideas and the information is does have is very explanatory and well written. In short I guess this would be the only "basic gardening magazine" I'd really recommend out of what's offered. Others are either very unfocused, too basic, too contrived or otherwise a bad read.

IMHO
 

Reinbeau

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I actually have every issue of Fine Gardening from #1 on. I've really enjoyed that magazine. Books are fantastic resources, but I like the variety, I love gardening, I love to read about others' gardens, methods, new plants, etc. I get People, Places and Plants and Horticulture as a perk for belonging to Mass Hort, and Fine Gardening, as well as Mother Earth News, Countryside and The Garden. You can only read a book so many times......;)
 

DrakeMaiden

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Reinbeau said:
You can only read a book so many times......;)
But you can reference it essentially forever! That's why it is my own preference. Once you read a magazine article, unless you clip it out, you will probably have a very hard time finding it again.

That said, it is naturally a matter of perspective. Are you looking for ideas and inspiration or are you looking for information?
 

patandchickens

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It amuses me that the majority of 'new' plants that the magazines get so breathless about are pretty thoroughly detailed in 10, 20, 50-year old books on my shelf. Sometimes different varieties (tho surprisingly often, not), but even if it's different varieties the basics of the plant are the same.

I can't think of all THAT much really NEW in the past 10-20 years. The explosion of interest in penstemons, perhaps. Gaura no longer being an obscure item in British-only books. The heavily-selected modern polyploid daylilies that are all fat and flat and ruffly (but their cultural requirements aren't really a new thing). I am sure there are a couple others but not that come to mind at the moment. The vast majority of the Exciting New Plant Trends are just things comin' around for another cycle ;)


Pat, who can in fact read a book a roughly infinite number of times, and even if I had a photographic memory which I so do not, it would probably still be true :)
 

OaklandCityFarmer

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I do use magazines and books both to inspire and some magazines do a good job of inspiring ideas.

Books are the best reference and I frequently find myself browsing our book collection to just remember things I've forgotten about. Although I have a few newer books, a few in my collection need to be somewhat updated.

I have a copy of Better Homes and Gardens: Garden Book from 1954 which describes the best way to kill thrips as, "Dust foliage after 8 inches tall at 10-day intervals with DDT, a general and very effective pesticide. Be sure to follow manufacturers warnings.".

Nonetheless, I think we've gone a little away from the point of the post. My recommendation to the poster. Go to a book store, look at some magazines, look at all the magazines. Find ones you like, take out a subscription. If you don't like them, cancel it. If not book store is available look them up online.
 

Reinbeau

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I think magazines serve a much difference purpose than books. This from the owner of a pretty extensive horticulture library. It's not like I don't have, read, consult with, reference, and revere books. It's just that I like a good magazine, too. The two are not mutually exclusive. :rolleyes:
 

OaklandCityFarmer

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Reinbeau said:
I think magazines serve a much difference purpose than books. This from the owner of a pretty extensive horticulture library. It's not like I don't have, read, consult with, reference, and revere books. It's just that I like a good magazine, too. The two are not mutually exclusive. :rolleyes:
Well put. :clap
 

DrakeMaiden

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I don't think anyone said that books and magazines are mutually exclusive. I don't think that was anyone's point.

I think where Pat and I are coming from is the perspective that if you want information, a book is a better resource. However, if you want inspiration with a little random information sprinkled in, then a magazine is probably a better source.

What a magazine won't provide is an answer to a specific problem/situation you are having (unless it happens to be in the edition that you pick up). I suppose if you have a specific question you can come here and pick other people's brains.

Everyone has a different learning style and different gardening aspirations.

However if you ask me where to find good gardening information, I will always point you toward a book first. Since half of the original question was where to find a source of "information," I think it is valid to suggest that a book might be a superior source of information.
 

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