Do you buy gardening magazines? Which do you recommend?

Tracie · 07-01-2007, 16:43

I've just brought a copy of 'Grow Your Own' magazine and it looks quite good - does anyone else regularly buy gardening or allotment magazines? If so, which one would you recommend?

I have a birthday coming up and I'm considering asking my parents for a magazine subscription.. I quite like the idea of a present is both useful and lasts all year round

mc55 · 07-01-2007, 16:54

Hi Tracie, I've had loads of gardening mags off freecycle. Some are more informative than others, but they all generally seem fairly repetative after a while.

My favourite is Gardeners World

shellym · 07-01-2007, 17:03

I like grow your own too, the free seeds are an added bonus.

RobD1 · 07-01-2007, 18:49

I get Grow Your Own too, it's quite practical and down to earth with some good articles. For a beginner (like me) I find it good, better than the others I've tried, but I'd guess after 12 months it will start to become a little repetitive.

Yellowrose · 08-01-2007, 16:42

I usually get Amateur Gardening but will be changing soon if they dont stop putting such huge photos of their experts in. I wrote to them recently and said more pictures of the plants and less of Bob Flowerdew! Garden News is OK too. I havent seen 'grow your own'. Is it at newsagents or by subscription?

shellym · 08-01-2007, 16:55

hi yellowrose, you can but it at most newagents, I know morrisons stock it and w h smiths.

Tracie · 08-01-2007, 18:33

I picked up my copy of Grow Your Own in Wh Smith on Fargate yesterday

I had a flick through it last night - it looks good, but as RobD says, it does seem particularly aimed towards beginners rather than experienced gardeners. So, perfect for me (and a 12mth subscription would probably cover everything I need to get started!

) but probably not as useful to someone who has been gardening for a while.

I've never seen Amateur Gardening.. I'll keep an eye out for that.

Yellowrose · 13-01-2007, 18:44

Just bought Grow your Own from Asda. Its OK, but not cheap!

I have had a letter published in this weeks Amateur Gardening!

Hecate · 13-01-2007, 19:34

I was a fan of Gardener's World, though I found that it tended to sometimes be a bit more about personalities than gardening occasionally. I haven't bought it in about a year.

The one that looks a little like a newspaper (I can't remember the title now) is good. It's more traditional than some of the others, and certainly less style over content.

Yellowrose · 14-01-2007, 17:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hecate

The one that looks a little like a newspaper (I can't remember the title now) is good. It's more traditional than some of the others, and certainly less style over content.

Thats Garden News. I agree. Its more serious gardening stuff. But you cant always get it.

Hecate · 14-01-2007, 17:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yellowrose

Thats Garden News. I agree. Its more serious gardening stuff. But you cant always get it.

That's the one!

. I'm lucky in that I've always been able to get it at my local ASDA.

Yellowrose · 14-01-2007, 17:48

Am I alone in preferring pictures of plants and gardens to presenters? Im not really interested in what the presenter looks like, but if they are bothered they could add a thumbnail. In Amateur Gardening theyve all been hit by the ugly stick too!

Hecate · 14-01-2007, 18:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yellowrose

...In Amateur Gardening theyve all been hit by the ugly stick too!

LOL Especially Bob Flowerdew

. Great name though, and he is an excellent gardener.

VickyR · 15-01-2007, 11:47

More nice pictures of Bob the better I think!

I got a copy of Kitchen Gardener when I was down south which I thought was really good...and not a big picture of any experts in sight. I came in for a lot of stick after my boyfriend watched Christine's Garden one week and came to the conclusion that we're all nutcases. As a result Amateur Gardener can't darken our doorstep incase she's peeking out of it.

Yellowrose · 15-01-2007, 16:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hecate

LOL Especially Bob Flowerdew

. Great name though, and he is an excellent gardener.

Dont you have the urge to sneak up behind him and cut that plait off? Give it up Bob, its not a good look

Hecate · 15-01-2007, 16:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yellowrose

Dont you have the urge to sneak up behind him and cut that plait off? Give it up Bob, its not a good look

LOL absolutely! He'd look so much better if he just admitted to himself that he's thinning on top, let go of the hair he's grown in compensation, and shaved the lot off. It'd make a nice bulking agent for his compost bins too

.

Yellowrose · 15-01-2007, 16:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hecate

LOL absolutely! He'd look so much better if he just admitted to himself that he's thinning on top, let go of the hair he's grown in compensation, and shaved the lot off. It'd make a nice bulking agent for his compost bins too

.

Perhaps we ought to write to him and suggest the compost idea, it might "sell" the idea to him! I think its his trademark along with his daft name though. How old is he do you think?

Hecate · 15-01-2007, 16:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yellowrose

Perhaps we ought to write to him and suggest the compost idea, it might "sell" the idea to him! I think its his trademark along with his daft name though. How old is he do you think?

I think Bob without his plait would be like Poirot without his moustache

.

I'm not sure how old he is. He might look a bit older than he actually is due to spending all that time out in the open. Maybe late 40s, early 50s? I don't think I've seen him on TV recently, and those magazine photos could be taken with soft focus

.

craigpugh · 16-01-2007, 16:30

Hi,

I just finished a subscrioption to gropw your own, it was OK, but the stuff just wasnt in any detail at all. There are articles on 'how to build a compost bin' but only 1 picture so you just couldnt follow it.

Something that really bugged me was that they never proof read it so there were always loads of spelling/ typos/ cut-off sentecnes or paragraphs.

The other bugbear was that as it's a new ish mag, they didnt seem to ahev a lot of stock photos, so there'd be an article about a particular weed, and in the background a picture of generic overgrowth, but not the weed in question- basically photos irrelevant or not specific to the article.

On the whole i prefer Kictehn Garden which still covers the beginner but also has much more detail.

Hope this is helpul.

Tracie · 16-01-2007, 18:40

That is helpful - thanks craigpugh

Where can you buy Kitchen Garden? I haven't seen that one before...