I love gardening. In fact, of all the things I love, gardening is right up there with toasted bagels, sunny days down the park, my boyfriend's smile and rainbows.
Gardener's World Magazine has travelled the journey to gardening love I have been on all my life, and it's been such a great source of information and inspiration that I felt compelled really to write about it here.
There are other magazines out there for gardening enthusiasts, but I really fell this one has the greatest quantity of good information and advise, the most amazing colour photography, with some of the images being, in my opinion, frame worthy, as well as reader offers on plants and a whole directory on gardens to visit and shops to purchase your gardening stock at. It is just jam packed full of everything that could possibly be useful for either a hopeful or a more experienced gardener.
Perhaps
the thing I like best about this magazine is the tone of writing. These are people who live and breath gardening - it's their passion, their world, and when they write, there isn't the slightest hint of talking down to, or patronising-ness (I know, I made that word up, but it's all about creation, isn't it…?) - you feel that they are happy to share their knowledge, that it isn't a race for who knows the most, and that all they really want to do is infuse others with the joy and passion they feel every time they pick up a trowel, or sow a seed, or eat an apple straight from the tree.
*****What Goes Into Gardener's World Magazine?*****
The content of the magazine is always varied in subject, but follows a distinct format.
There is a section at the beginning called FIRST WORD, which is a welcome to the magazine, and includes the monthly feature from Monty Don, which is always entitled "What I love about…". In this Monty describes what he likes so much about the particular month we are in. This is a short piece of writing but one a full double page photograph, often of Monty in his garden, and always inspirational in terms of planting and colours and light.
The next section is about gardens to visit, and there is a feature garden with lots of photographs to inspire you. Joe Swift also has a feature in this section about his garden design course, and he gives advice on planning out your garden before you start, in terms of planting, hard landscaping and features. It's very interesting and helpful whatever stage your garden is at.
The next section is the most well thumbed for me - plants and flowers. There is always a feature which focuses on one particular type of plant or flower, and it's always very interesting reading. Often this feature covers less well known plants and flowers, and has taught me a lots about may plants I would never have come across in my local area.
The Wildlife section is always a good read, often giving advice on how to attract wildlife to your garden plot. I have followed much of the advice given in past issues and have found my garden has developed quite quickly into its own little eco-system with butterflies, bees, birds, hedgehogs and the occasional field mouse all vying for space amongst the plants and flowers and trees.
Well-being is the next section, and Sarah Raven often heads this up. There is information in this months issue on Super foods - the top ten plants to give you a healthier and happier life, as well as a section by Sarah Raven on healing herbs.
Other sections include one on flavour, which includes more information from Jekka McVicar on herbs and their uses, plus organic gardening hints and tips. There is a section on buying for your garden, with all the latest must-haves. The problem-solving section is full of readers' letters asking for advice which is given out by the gardening experts. There is a section about visiting gardens around the country, and the last page is always a little something from Alan Titchmarsh.
At the back of the magazine there is always a directory, which is full of contact details for plant and garden specialists and suppliers, and there are always offers peppered throughout the magazine. I have just taken one of these up - for a garden groom at a knock-down-price. It's a hedge trimmer which collects the trimmings in a bag and shreds them for quick composting. As I have lots of hedges, I'm hoping it will be useful, and once I've got it, and have used it, I'll be reviewing it!
*****Where to Buy your Magazine and How Much it will Cost you*****
I buy my magazine either in my local corner shop, WHSmiths, or my local supermarket. The price is the same wherever you buy it, and really only differs if you subscribe, when you will get it cheaper, depending on what they're offering at the time you subscribe.
COST: £3.10 12 Issues per year, on a monthly basis Published by BBC For more information: www.gardenersworld.com
Thank you so much for reading, enjoy your gardens! Kate x
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Gardening's not really my thing but I can appreciate a real purdy garden along with the best of them! It's good to have publications to raise people's awareness and interests in such pleasant past-times... D.
torr 12.09.2006 00:15
Good review. My wife subscribes to this and yes, from what I see over her shoulder it looks like a pretty well-put-together magazine. Duncan
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Advantages: Packed full of information and helpful advice; suitable for amateurs and professionals Disadvantages: Price - although each issue contains over 150 pages
Sep 11th, 2006
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