Favorite gardening magazines?

Hi, all. I need some bedtime reading about my new obsession, so I want to subscribe to 2 or 3 gardening magazines. I'll bet y'all can steer me in the right direction. Which magazines are your favorites, and why?

I LOVE Fine Gardening... have saved every issue I can get my hands on, although not a subscriber.(I know, I should be, but have moved around so much for so many years...) I find their articles very informative, whether simple gardening tasks, or esoteric ideas...

My favorite magazine is Countryside and Small Stock Journal! Although it is not specifically for gardening, there are many garden-related articles that are useful to anyone. There are features about plants, country home life, self-sufficiency, animal care, building your own things, and so much more. Here is the link to the magazine's homepage:
http://www.countrysidemag.com
Trish

Darius and Dicentra, I checked out the web sites for both of these mags, and they look great. Fine Gardening seems to have plenty of info for new gardeners, too. I'll bet Countryside will just make me long for the day when I can relocate to a rural area in a more rational part of the country. (That day is 4 years, 2 months, and 4 days from now. Not that I'm counting. :))

Thanks!

Organic Gardening is good, also useful for fruit, flowers, vegetables, ecological (pesticide, genetically modified)information including legislative links.
I like the seed and plant catalog ads for browsing now that more of them give not only 800 numbers but website addresses.
Must admit that I rely more on some of the how-to stuff in Countryside--it seems to have more useful and less expensive to implement readers' gardening tips.

My favorite is Fine Gardening, too, but a close second is Horticulture Magazine. Its URL is www.hortmag.com. Also the magazine put out by the American Horticultural Society (which has a fairly inexpensive membership and you get the mag for free) Website is: www.ahs.org. They also have a free seed distribution program, I think.
Ruth

Another vote for Fine Gardening with Organic Gardening a close second.
Venting my frustrations I wish all the magazines would stop using those stupid business reply cards. I must tear 15-20 out of every magazine and throw them away.
How do you all feel about them?

Thanks, tashak2, Runew, and paulgrow...more votes for Fine Gardening and Organic Gardening. Runew, I'll also look into the American Horticultural Society. Sounds like they'd have good information.

Paulgrow, I agree, the reply cards drive me nuts. I try to shake all of them out before I start reading, but I always miss one or two. At least they're not scented. (I assume...unless the rose marketers have caught on to scented magazine inserts!)

Hi, My favorite garden magazines include Fine Gardening, Horticulture, American Gardener(AHS), and Garden Gate. Garden Gate has no advertising so no reply cards to throw away.

my favorite is garden design-just renewed for 3 more years and i save every issue.

talinum and notmartha, thanks! I'll look into these, too. I can tell it's going to be difficult to choose just 2 or 3 titles.

Horticulture and organic gardening are my top two favorites. They are packed full of good stuff. Mick

The Gardener magazine. It is a new publication, the second issue just arrived last week. The editor use to be an editor of Horticulture magazine. The Gardener also has no advertising. Here is a link with more info. http://www.shepherdseeds.com/listing.asp?s=264

Horticulture and Garden Gate are also great magazines. Garden Gate has a nice website that will give you a good idea of what the magazine is like. http://www.gardengatemagazine.com/

You might want to make a visit to your local library and see if they subscribe to any of the publications you are interested in. You can look at back issues and decide if you want to subscribe.

I like all the above listed magazines, but my husband is into birds so we subscribe to "Birds And Blooms" as well.

Countryside, Horticulture, Mother Earth news........I kinda go for the more down to earth magazine. the pretty "Martha Stewart" type of magazines drive me NUTS! :-}

Well, I took the plunge and subbed to Horticulture, Countryside, and Fine Gardening. Also plan to make a trip to the library to browse all the other recommendations.

Weebus, I'm with ya regarding Martha. Gotta hand it to her marketing machine, but it's just not my cup o' tea. :)

Thanks again to all!

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I enjoy Garden Gate and Gardening How-To because they contain a lot of useful tips and plans for things. I love the photography in Birds and Blooms, and the articles in Horticulture. I don't subscribe to any right now, but I pilch some from my Mom when she's done with them and I go to the library. And a friend gives my Better Homes & Gardens...Just the thing to motivate me to sweat outside, then give me a recipe for something decadent to replace the calories I've burned!

My very favorite gardening magazine is English Garden. It's got wonderful pictures of different gardens and comes out 4 times a year. There's also How To's and hints. It's great! Doris

More great suggestions; I'll keep my eyes peeled for all of these. Over the weekend I got an issue of Horticulture and thoroughly enjoyed it...I think I'd better brush up on my Latin, though! Thanks, everybody.

Garden Gate puts some of their articles in their website. http://www.gardengatemagazine.com/
You might check it out to get a feel for the magazine itself, and it looks like you can request a free preview issue on the site. It's my favorite gardening magazine because it's not full of advertising.

Southern Living is my all around favorite periodical because it has home decorating, cooking and gardening all in one, and is geared toward this area. http://www.southernliving.com/

They also have a website and a free e-mail newsletter you can subscribe.

Better Homes and Gardens (a runnerup to SL) also has a free e-mail newsletter, geared specifically toward gardening: http://www.bhg.com/

I enjoy Garden Gate a lot. Very practical and not too hoity-toity like Horticulture. I also like Southern Living; Steve Bender is a great gardening writer and funny too. I also get Carolina Gardener; it is great for North and South Carolina and surrounding areas.

i like 'amateur gardener' its gots lots of information including articles by well known british gardening presenters such as charlie dimmock, comes out every week and you get a free packet of seeds with every issue!

i don't know if overseas subscribers would receive the seeds, but i know you can subscribe.

lil

Thanks, go_vols, woodspirit1, and Lilith. I'll definitely check into Garden Gate and Amateur Gardener.

I've been picking up issues of Sunset magazine (geared for my region), but I'm a little disappointed with the gardening articles. Maybe they're just going through a phase. Sunset's Western Garden Book is a great reference, though.

I don't see it mentioned here, but I bought an issue of Country Living Gardener and really enjoyed it.

Lilith~ OOOOOH Free Seeds ! With this crowd, I bet anybody could sell a magazine with free seeds in it, even if it wasn't about plants! LOL I know I'd be tempted. :)

i got a some seeds from the issue before last - they are a new hybrid of a lupin - lupin 'nanus mixed', a lovely purplely-blue and white one, and they have invited us to trial them and give them a name! They're ready to go outside already (2 weeks!) and ill let you know how they come on.

If anyone wants some seeds just let me know :)

Last week i got some pontentilla 'monarch's velvet' but i haven't sown them yet.

lil

Thanks go_vols for the link to Garden Gate. They have some good on-line articles for newbies like me so I'll give the free preview issue a try.

Lilith, Can you give us more info on Amateur Gardening mag?
Perhaps a web site? Thanks

sure, let me see...

for uk the number to phone is : 01622 778778 and the rates are £9.99 per quarter (79p an issue!)

for overseas use : (+44) 01444 475675 and i'm not sure about overseas rates, i think they vary.

the website is http://www.ipcmedia.com

Quote from the website

"Amateur Gardening's heritage speaks for itself. The weekly magazine is over 100 years old, and the brand name holds authority and credibility amongst gardeners.

Amateur Gardening's heartland is the real gardening enthusiasts - the experienced and committed people who spend time and money getting the best out of their gardens.

Amateur Gardening offers in-depth information on plants, products and technique, as well as access to a wide-range of well-known gardening experts. And the brand is also able to champion issues such as the award-winning.

Amateur Gardening "Save our Allotments" campaign, which resulted in questions being raised in the House of Commons! IPC Media has successfully built on the brand's integrity and position by establishing two key gardening shows - the National Amateur Gardening Show and the Amateur Gardening Spring Show."


hope this helps

lil

Thanks, I was curious what it would cost in US