Subject: Re: Is there ONE perfect magazine for gardening?

From: [email-masked] (Steven Moore)
Date: Tue, 28 Mar 1995 06:54:04 -0500

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] wrote:

> I want to subscribe to one (well... maybe two?)
> really good magazines about gardening and
> would appreciate comments and recommendations
> based on personal experience.
> I prefer to read just enough technical info to be
> dangerous! That is, I like to know the correct names
> of my plants, and preferences, but I like to *discover*
> the plant's individual personality traits...
> does that make sense?
> Anyway, I don't have a _lot_ of money in my
> personal _recreation_fund so I would like to invest
> it wisely in a couple of the best periodicals. I would
> rather pay a higher subscription for quality info
> than a low one for *run*of*the*mill rehash?
> 
> TIA for any and all comments!
> 
> Chris (last name is Davis - I've seen at least
> one other Chris here!)
>
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> *  E-mail: [email-masked]

My vote would certainly be for Rodale's Organic Gardening 33 E. Minor
Street, Emmaus, PA  phone 610-967-5171.
-- 
Cheers...Steven 
€ € € € € € € € € € € € € € € € € € € € € € € € € 
   Steven Moore - Freelance Writer
          [email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (Steve Rehrauer)
Date: Tue, 28 Mar 1995 17:45:54 GMT

>Street, Emmaus, PA  phone 610-967-5171.

I greatly respect O.G.'s mission, and I've been a subscriber for
several years (and my Mom was a subscriber before "Organic" was
cool, let alone accepted).  But a couple of things are starting
to bug me about them.

Looking back over my past issues recently, I've realized that
they have an annual cycle of topics, and I'm reading less of
each issue because it's beginning to seem like the "same old
stuff".  How many different "We Rate the Best Tomatoes!" articles
do you really want to read??  (Well, okay, so I wasn't talking
to you. :-)

I'm also beginning to have allergic reactions to their editor,
Mike McGrath.  He's obviously smart, witty and a heckuva gardener.
He's also not someone you can feel indifferent about -- well, his
literary style isn't, at least.  For about the first year or two
after he arrived, the "Letters" section was filled with both
love and hate mail for this guy.  He likes to write "folksy" and
"down-to-earth", you see.

I like that too, generally, but it's beginning to cloy.  If you
haven't experienced it, pick up a copy on a newstand sometime, and
read his editorial.  I swear lately he's been going out of his way
to cheese off his detractors (who are most vociferous [hey, see I
can so use big words {when I feel like it (which ain't often, lemme
tell ya! [my boss will vouch for that, I'm sure] ) }, and plenty
of oddball nested ([{([{}])}]) combinations, even!] ).  It's those
!&^@#% ten-level-deep parenthetical comments that are finally
turning me off.

"So why not just skip the stuff, it bothers you?" I hear.  Well, I
am.  I'm skipping a lot of the mag lately, so I guess I'll probably
let my subscription run out this time.  Pity, because I do like their
basic message, a lot.

So, back to the original topic: what *do* people read for gardening
mags?  I like some of Fine Gardening, but it's often a little too
grand for me (I only wish I had the time, let alone the budget, to
do half of what I see in their pages!).  I do like the articles they
devote to particular varieties of trees and shrubs.  Like that
article on witch hazels they had a few months back, and native
woodland plantings.

I picked up an issue of National Gardening the other day, and that
seemed okay, if a little on the slim side.  It seemed to have a
basically pro-organic (i.e.: "go easy on the toxins") bent, which
I liked.

I'm not particularly turned on by Country Journal (I think I'm a
little too suburban to fit their intended audience, alas).  Come to
think of it, I guess it's not really a gardening mag, though they
sometimes have articles about it.

-- 
"I feel lightheaded, Sam.  I think my brain | Steve [email-masked]
 is out of air.  But it's kind of a neat    | Massachusetts Language Lab
 feeling..."  --Freelance Police            | Smack-dab in USDA Zone 5

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From: [email-masked]
Date: 28 Mar 1995 09:59:28 GMT

Hello, all...
Thank everyone for such wonderful and
entertaining information about gardening.
This is my favorite newsgroup!

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From: [email-masked] (Boyd Zenner)
Date: Tue, 28 Mar 1995 17:34:14 GMT

I would subscribe to _Fine Gardening_ and _Horticulture_: if
you only want to subscribe to one, make it _FG_.

Boyd Zenner
Charlottesville, VA (zone 7)

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From: [email-masked] (Laurie Cousart)
Date: 28 Mar 1995 19:25:32 GMT

I read Horticulture and enjoy that very much, but my favorite is Green
Scene, the journal of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.  You get the
magazine, a newsletter and a ticket to the great Philadelphia Flower Show
in March of each year.  The membership is worth it for the magazine alone.

They can be reached at:

215-625-8250

or by email at :  

[email-masked]

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From: Susan Sanders <[email-masked]>
Date: 28 Mar 1995 21:19:53 GMT

>would appreciate comments and recommendations

This is a hard question to answer without knowing a little more about
what you're looking for.  What kind of gardening do you want info about? 
Veggies?  Flowers?  Landscaping?  Do you want lots of pretty pictures, or
are you more interested in more text?

A publication I think would be useful to every kind of gardener but which
has no pictures at all is Avant Gardener.  It's comes in kind of a
newsletter format and covers all aspects of gardening because it's kind
of an abstracting service.  They read all kinds of gardening
publications, including the technical journals, and then they write short
articles about whatever they think would be of interest to
non-professional gardeners.  I've been a subscriber for years and find it
very interesting.  I also like and subscribe to Horticulture and have
recently started to buy House Plant.  
									-Sue Sanders

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From: [email-masked] (Richard Campbell)
Date: 28 Mar 1995 21:40:19 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, Leslie Troutman <[email-masked]> writes:
|> 
|> I do buy OG on occasion from the newstand but don't have a subscription. 
|> I do subscribe to _Horticulture_ and I was given the first two issues of
|> _Garden Gate_ by my mother-in-law.  I might subscribe because I really
|> liked the "practicalness" of their articles.  Any other opinions on
|> _Garden Gate_? 

   I plant a lot of ornamentals and few vegetables.  I enjoy Country Gardens,
National Gardening and Fine Gardening and subscribe to the first two.
I also have received the first issue of Garden Gate and like it although it's
a little thin (I guess without the advertisements that's not bad, although
I like to see the ads).  I'll probably add it to the list I subscribe to.  I liked
the style, ideas and project plans. 

   I find, of these, only National Gardening covers much in the way of edible
plants.

-- 
Rich Campbell
[email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (elaine shanahan)
Date: 29 Mar 1995 04:32:28 GMT

In <[email-masked]> [email-masked] (Boyd 

>Charlottesville, VA (zone 7)

I would go with Organic Gardening.  It is very useful, espeically if you 
are concerned with growing veggies/herbs and some flowers, all in an 
organic way (the only way to grow).

Elaine    San Francisco

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From: [email-masked] (Sherry Bailey)
Date: 28 Mar 1995 17:59:20 GMT

I'd say it depends...

If you want to grow mostly food stuff, I'd agree with Organic Gardening.

If you are mostly interested in ornamentals, I'd recommend Fine Gardening.

(But I haven't read EVERYTHING!)

Sherry

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From: [email-masked] (HollyTW)
Date: 28 Mar 1995 20:37:03 -0500

Well, to my thinking there isn't ONE perfect magazine.  I currently enjoy
three - OG, Horticulture and Green Prints (The Weeder's Digest).  The last
one isn't a "How To" magazine, it's more of a "Here's Why We Do It". 
Published 4 times a year, it has essays and short pieces by gardeners
about gardening.  If you're interested

     Green Prints 
     Pat Stone
     PO Box 1355
     Fairview, NC  28730

Happy reading!
Holly

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From: [email-masked] (Jeremy Hickman)
Date: 28 Mar 1995 13:54:56 -0500

>I agree! I really enjoy reading OG!

I also agree.  OG rocks!

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From: [email-masked] (Barbara W)
Date: 29 Mar 1995 17:25:28 GMT

> the plant's individual personality traits...

I subscribe to Horticulture, Garden Design, Avant Gardener, Garden Gate,
and American Horticulturist (sic).  If you're a beginning gardener, with
general interest in outdoor gardening, I'd suggest Garden Gate. As others
have said, it includes lots of 'how-to' info. If you have a more technical
bent, I'd suggest Horticulture or Fine Gardening. I do not subscribe to
Fine Gardening because they seem to ignore my part of the world. (Maybe
they think NM is all hot desert?) 

I personally find Organic Gardening a little pedestrian, and oriented at
edible gardening. 

The best suggestion I can give is to buy a copy of each periodical at a
newstand or directly from the publisher, in the case of Avant Gardener,
and decide for yourself.

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From: [email-masked] (Tom Bredemus)
Date: 29 Mar 1995 18:12:19 GMT

In article [email-masked], [email-masked] () writes:
> This is my favorite newsgroup!> I want to subscribe to one (well... maybe two?)

I prefer "Fine Gardening" or "Horticulture" magazines.

Tom

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The views expressed here are not necessarily those of my employer.

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From: [email-masked] (Flyinggoat)
Date: 28 Mar 1995 20:25:20 -0500

Hah!  Here's one that's sort of specific, but I've been getting it for
3 years and haven't had a repeat article or recipe or plant, yet. 
THE HERBAL COMPANION
   Good planting articles, varieties discussed, international plant list,
good crafts projects, good reviews of gardens, full color photographs, NOT
regionally stilted, lots of advertisers, sources always listed, books
recommended (fiction, poetry, cookbooks, and even antient herbals),
scientific literature, recipes, soap recipes, incense recipes, wine
recipes, PESTO recipes, cosmetic recipes, dyer herbs, covers
edible+dyeing+medicinal+cosmetic+scented herbs, etc......
   What more could you want?
Betty Cunningham([email-masked])
illustrator, animator, and likes to collect dead things

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From: Place Name Here <[email-masked]>
Date: 28 Mar 1995 15:14:03 GMT

> Street, Emmaus, PA  phone 610-967-5171.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I agree! I really enjoy reading OG!

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From: Place Name Here <[email-masked]>
Date: 28 Mar 1995 15:14:07 GMT

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From: Leslie Troutman <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 28 Mar 1995 12:49:46 -0600

> cool, let alone accepted).  But a couple of things are starting

[Comments about recycled topics, the editor's style, and style of writing 
deleted.]

> let my subscription run out this time.  Pity, because I do like their

I agree with these comments . . . I'm an organic gardener and support 
OG's mission, but the style in general (not just McGrath) really grates.  

I do buy OG on occasion from the newstand but don't have a subscription. 
I do subscribe to _Horticulture_ and I was given the first two issues of
_Garden Gate_ by my mother-in-law.  I might subscribe because I really
liked the "practicalness" of their articles.  Any other opinions on
_Garden Gate_? 

Leslie
[email-masked]

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From: Til Eulenspiegel <[email-masked]>
Date: 30 Mar 1995 03:11:55 GMT

>the plant's individual personality traits...

It depends a lot on how much you know and what you like to grow.  I grow
flowers (and the occasional tomato), so I can't speak to veggie-oriented
publications, except to say that  I find OG interesting even though
that's its primary orientation.  I read Fine Gardening and the Penna.
Horticulture Society's Green Scene cover-to-cover the minute they come. 
The one I like best is the one that just came in the mail...

I tried Horticulture and Garden Gate, found both boring, and cancelled. 
Garden Gate is *very* basic -- so if you're a new gardener it might
appeal.  I didn't like it because I grew up with a gardening mother and
so learned most of what it has to say a long time ago --but I think it
might be very useful to someone who's new to the game.
from Jenny, Philadelphia area
(who is really [email-masked] even though she forgot to
change the signature and this is probably going out under her husband's
name...)

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From: ettings <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 29 Mar 95 23:19:05 -0500

I agree wholeheartedly with Susan Sanders: *The Avant Gardener* has the
most pure information, with absolutely no advertising.  It's definitely
dry, but boy, you sure get your money's worth.  (The Avant Gardener,
P.O. Box 489, NYc, NY 10028, $18/year (did I sayit? Did SUsan sayit?
It's a newsletter).
 
Carol

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From: [email-masked] (DonannPDX)
Date: 28 Mar 1995 21:26:32 -0500

If you can find it, the BBC Gardener's World magazine is a lot of fun. 
It's a little more accessible (less highfalutin') than FG and
Horticulture, and so much fun to see the gardening attitudes over the
pond.  I get it at a local tobacco shop/foreign language magazinery.

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From: Karen Russell <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 30 Mar 1995 10:48:22 -0800

I agree.  Though Horticulture had a fabulous PNW issue in Jan or Feb.
Karen Russell 
Seattle, Zone 8

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From: [email-masked] (Tom Bredemus)
Date: 29 Mar 1995 18:12:19 GMT

Tom

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From: [email-masked] (Flyinggoat)
Date: 28 Mar 1995 20:25:20 -0500

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From: Place Name Here <[email-masked]>
Date: 28 Mar 1995 15:14:03 GMT

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From: Place Name Here <[email-masked]>
Date: 28 Mar 1995 15:14:07 GMT

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From: Leslie Troutman <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 28 Mar 1995 12:49:46 -0600

Leslie
[email-masked]

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From: Til Eulenspiegel <[email-masked]>
Date: 30 Mar 1995 03:11:55 GMT

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From: ettings <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 29 Mar 95 23:19:05 -0500

Carol

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From: [email-masked] (DonannPDX)
Date: 28 Mar 1995 21:26:32 -0500

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From: Karen Russell <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 30 Mar 1995 10:48:22 -0800

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From: [email-masked] (CLNichols)
Date: 30 Mar 1995 17:42:54 -0500

My vote is for Horticulture, which I have subscribed to for years and have
saved all issues.  My second choice is Fine Gardening which I regularly
pick up at the newsstand.  Interestingly I have also saved all current and
back copies of the White Flower Farm catalog.  The offerings aren't much
different from year to year, however since they don't have photos of every
plant they offer, the do change the photos in subsequent catalogs.  And
it's a beautiful catalog.

Cindy

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From: [email-masked] (Steve Carnes)
Date: Thu, 30 Mar 1995 19:41:32 GMT

Leslie Troutman <[email-masked]> writes:
> I was given the first two issues of _Garden Gate_ by my
> mother-in-law.  I might subscribe because I really liked the
> "practicalness" of their articles.  Any other opinions on _Garden
> Gate_?

I only saw the first two issues (complimentary copies), but they were
both a very quick read -- maybe 15 minutes max per issue.  Just not
much content. (And $19 for a years' subscription?? Ouch!) 
_Orgasmic Gardening_, on the other hand, allows me a couple evenings to savor.

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From: Susan Sanders <[email-masked]>
Date: 30 Mar 1995 21:55:14 GMT

>dry, but boy, you sure get your money's worth.  (The Avant Gardener,

You don't agree *wholeheartedly* with me 'cause I don't find it dry! 
Just no pictures.  (As a matter of fact, if they're talking about
something I grow or like, I usually find it fascinating).  But other than
that we do agree.          -Sue Sanders

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From: [email-masked] (Cheryl Netter x3449)
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 1995 15:57:41 GMT

>I personally find Organic Gardening a little pedestrian, and oriented at
Have you seen the new Organic Flower Gardening magazine? Similar to
Organic Gardening, but oriented towards flowers.

cheryl
[email-masked]
USDA zone 4
Golden Co

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From: [email-masked] (Matt Baney)
Date: 1 Apr 1995 01:14:21 GMT

>based on personal experience.
I've seen lots of good recommendations so far!!  Here's
my 2-cents worth:
  My favorite Garden magazine is SUNSET!!  It really 
isn't a garden magazine and it contains a lot of (good)
travel, cooking, home, entertaining stuff but I 
really like their plant&garden stuff.  It seems
real practical and easy to understand, and the price
is the most reasonable of the Garden magazines I've
subscribed to?
I also subscribe to Garden Design, I like it for its
glossy pictures but it seems to be aimed toward a
little more up-scale gardens than  mine?  Its also
a little expensive and I probably won't re-new.
I also subsribe to Garden_Gate, I got a free issue
of Fine_Gardening and Garden_Gate and decided that
they were too expensive to get both so I flipped
a coin and subsribed to Garden_Gate.  I think
Fine_Gardening is a little more in the up-scale
garden mode similar to Garden_Design, and Garden_Gate
seems a little more "basic" oriented.
I have subsribed to Horticulture and OrganicGardening
in the past and canceled both subscriptions.  They
both seemed a little to techincal/high-brow/upscale
for me?
FWIW?
matt

---------
 Matt Baney        Kent, Washington      [email-masked]
  They don't have a clue but that doesn't preclude them 
      from having an opinion!
------------

--
 Matt Baney                               [email-masked]
"All solutions should be as simple          I think having
as possible, and no simpler!                opinions is stupid!
     A. Einstein."

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From: [email-masked] (Bob Klebba)
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 1995 00:28:06 GMT

_Organic Gardening_, _Horticulture_, _Fine Gardening_, _National Gardening_, 
_BBC Garden World_, _The Gardener_, etc. are all great magazines, but do they 
really ever publish anything new?  

If I could only read one magazine (actually a newsletter), it would be _the 
Avant Gardener_, published by Horticultural News Service.  It is a digest of 
domestic and foreign gardening news that is always concise and up to date.  
After years of reading all the glossies out there, I turn to _the Avant 
Gardener_ for relief from hyperbole and repetition.

(Did anyone notice that artist's garden that appeared in the latest issues of 
_Fine Gardening_ AND _Horticulture_?  Need I say more?)

Robert Klebba
Nicolet Instrument Corporation
5225 Verona Road
Madison WI 53744-4495 USA
tel: +1-608-276-6374
fax: +1-608-276-6324 or 273-5046
inet: [email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] ([email-masked])
Date: 2 Apr 1995 23:45:03 GMT

I like garden design, because it focuses on whole gardens rather than on individual plants. A great place for getting ideas
from people who let their imaginations fly. 

Jim Nollman
Interspecies Communication Inc.
[email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (Bob Klebba)
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 1995 00:28:06 GMT

Robert Klebba

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From: [email-masked] ([email-masked])
Date: 2 Apr 1995 23:45:03 GMT

Jim Nollman

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From: [email-masked] ([email-masked])
Date: 2 Apr 1995 23:45:03 GMT

Jim Nollman

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From: [email-masked] (Steven Cangemi)
Date: Wed, 29 Mar 1995 19:17:01 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, Susan Sanders <[email-masked]> writes:
 
|> A publication I think would be useful to every kind of gardener but which
|> has no pictures at all is Avant Gardener.  
|> 									-Sue Sanders

This sounds good.  What is their address and phone number?

-- 
Steven Cangemi     [email-masked]         (914)432-7553