Freebies from Garden Gate

I heard that Backyard Living is going out of publication. Too bad.

The economy is taking a hit on a lot of publications.

Country Home just went under....I had a gift subscription to that one. They are going to substitute Better Homes & Garden for it.

Yup the economy and the internet. So many newspapers going under... you can go online and get your "newspaper" there. I love laying around on sundays in my jammies reading the sunday paper. Hope it never becomes a thing of the past.

I received the bill for $30 for a subscription a couple of weeks ago. Threw it in the trash! I don't feel it's worth that price for a one year subscription, which is 6 issues!

Yesterday, I received the April Issue of Garden Gate Magazine, no free book, just an insert inside the magazine to order the book for $9.95. Maybe the free book was only IF you subscribed at the $30 rate?

Also, I noticed numerous subscription cards inside the magazine .. one right inside the front cover "Special Gift Offer" 2 gifts for the price of 1. I can give two one year gift subscriptions for $24 - $12. each! Now, if I could have gotten the six issues (one year) for $12 instead of $30, I probably would have subscribed. I received this magazine for a number of years and really liked it, don't remember when or why I let the subscription lapse but it was probably a couple of years ago when there was a lot going on with illness in the family and I was away from home a lot.

A few other cards were inside the magazine in different locations, to subscribe for 2 full years (12 issues) for $38 or 1 year (6 issues for $24).

I'm not convinced it's worth $24 for only six issues, no matter how good the magazine is and the savings isn't that great for twelve either.

Are you sure the $30 on your bill was for a one year subscription? The rates on their website are listed as $30 for 2 yrs or $20 for one year.

Yep, at first I thought the $30 was for the Fine Gardening but no, that's what the bill says. I have a renewal notice I just got too for Garden Gate since I had subscribed previously. $38 for 2 years, $22 for 1. Seems you can shop around for a better price.

My bill probably stated $30 for twelve issues which I thought was a year ... when actually they only publish six times a year so that was for two years. Still a bit pricey in my opinion, at $2.50 per issue.

Just an FYI here: we have had 970 people sign up for the free offer, and we can only take the first 1,000. That means that we have room for only 30 more signups. If you were waiting to do it, now is the time! I expect it'll be closed within the next 24 hours.

I signed up the first day this was posted, I got the bill quite a while ago, but no magazine or book here.

Deb

My magazine arrived on Friday. I haven't had time to sit down and look at it.

Thanks!

I signed up the first day too, received a couple of bills, finally received the "free" issue of the magazine, no free book (I think you have to subscribe to get the free book) and have received a couple of additional bills for renewal, since returning the first one marked cancel. I do like the magazine, but not enough to pay $25-$30 for only 6 issues!

The original offer in Dave's first post says you get the free issue and the free book both with no obligation. I suspect they're just a little slower on getting the books sent out. Also, $30 gets you 2 yrs (12 issues). Still not super cheap but not as bad as only 6 issues for that price.

I emailed my contact at HQ to touch base with our friends at Garden Gate to learn what is up with the book. I'll write again here as soon as I get an answer.

Mine came with the magazine!

Doug

I got my response back:

Thanks Dave! Called them and my free flower book will be shipped out with the May/June issue. I'm certainly looking forward to it!

I called in and they said the book was more less only with getting Garden Gate, so I read them the thread here and they are sending it but not really thrilled.

Thank you Dave for working for us on this one!

The person you talked to maybe wasn't that familiar with the DG offer--I think if you go through their regular website you only get the book if you subscribe but our offer you got it no matter what.

Maybe so - I just read them what it said here and they said it would be sent out no problem.

I never got the book & hate when I'm promised something & don't get it. Won't do business with them at all. This is especially sad since the offer was through DG, I figured it'd be a stand up company.

davis1676, it may yet come. I don't know the problem but there was definitely a mistake made somewhere along the line, and they are fixing it.

It certainly wasn't intentional of them at all.

Last Wednesday they emailed me this:

ok then, I'll wait & see. thanks dave.

I got both the Garden Gate magazine & Flowers! book in the same bag. I also got the first bill on the same date. I'll need to wait until the second bill to cancel, since I'm not sure where it is right now . . . the magazine/book I am going to send to Ursula.

I'm back to reconsidering subscribing. I got this magazine for quite a few years, but let the subscription expire when I was traveling a lot to take care of my mom before she passed. I just did not have the time to read it.

Garden Gate is kind of on the expensive side as magazines go, but I really like the articles and photo's in this particular magazine, as well as the fact that there aren't hundreds of ads!

I didn't get the flower book either, but figured that would be a freebie only if I placed a subscription. I got a bit disgruntled when I got two bills before the free magazine issue arrived, another bill with the free issue, and yet another two weeks ago. I know it's business and they are trying to attain more subscriptions but it sure was a lot of money wasted in postage, as well as a waste of paper! I occasionally pick up gardening magazines at the new stand or in the grocery store and Garden Gate is by far one of the nicer ones!

FYI: Garden Gate is back and we're offering this deal again to anyone who wants it... No limit like last time, it'll just stay up there for whoever wants it!

Internationally??

Same as before...

I never did call them about the book, but it ended up arriving last week anyway. Have enjoyed the free issue and book, and am considering whether it fits into my gardening budget. Hmm. . .a magazine I can peruse in the dreary winter months, when I am color-deprived, or actual plants for the garden? It's so hard to keep it within budget!

I never got the book just invoices. LOL I really enjoyed the latest issue, but it is pricey. Guess I need to pull up their website & see what's going on. Thanks for the updates.

I didn't call either and was very happy to get the book this week. It is beautiful and full of great info. Thank you for the introduction to this magazine Dave.

LouC, you state back in February that you had received a copy of Backyard Living. I received a notice recently stating they were closing and they switched my subscription (gift at that) to Birds and Bloom. Have you had that happen?

Never got the book, just received 3rd invoice marked "URGENT", I have sent back the 2 others noting this was to be a free copy of magazine, when they originally e-mailed me invoice I told them that too - so I just sent another e-mail to them, I would not want this to go on my credit report for cryin' out loud!

fingers crossed they straighten this out

mrsj, I phoned them and they immediately took care of the problem. No more invoices.
Good luck.

thanks, I'll call them tomorrow!

Interesting I had the same issue Audrey. Never received the book either. I guess when the next invoice comes I will call them also.

I can understand why the offer isn't available in Canada but I was a little hurt when instead of the usual cheery "Welcome Dahlianut" from Dave when I signed on I got a 'Want Free Stuff?" from Garden Gate and I wasn't eligible for any free stuff. After a sniffle or two I got over it though.

OK, I had to look for this thread. It's been so long since I signed up for the freebie, I'd forgotten all about it. The magazine and book arrived just a few days ago - along with an invoice for $30! I'd gotten the Fine Gardening, February issue way back and thought this must just be a prank. So glad I finally found this thread; I really am still sane. Like some of you, I'm on a reeeeeely tight budget and even though I like this magazine, I doubt I will subscribe.

I like Fine Gardening a lot, too, but out here in Hades, there is really very little that applies to gardening here in *any* national magazine. It's just torture to look a peonies and Japanese maples. :(

Thank you, Dave, for the freebies. Any chance of finding a magazine for desert (temperature) gardening?

TF - if you contact them they will void the invoice - you're lucky though, I got mags, no book ever arrived though....its a great mag for other climate's though!

Never got the book either....