Gardening magazine?

[tricia]

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

 

[bluebirdfarm]

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

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

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.

Well put.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

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.