There are a wealth of gardening magazines available to inspire you – a recent count at my local supermarket turned up 17 titles. Amazing! Nice to look at, most are short on organic and native plant information. Some are worth delving into though.
Magazines From Better Homes and Gardens (BHG)
Better Homes and Gardens
Who could resist the cover of Better Homes and Gardens? We all want to do things better, don’t we? If you’re interested in crafts, remodeling, and entertaining as well as gardening this might be worth a look.
Part of the focus of Better Homes and Gardens magazine is current trends and developments. It’s easy to subscribe to BHG through Amazon.com.
BHG has an extensive website with pages of information on nature lover’s gardening. Just be aware that they recommend a mix of natives and non-natives, such as butterfly bush, which I don’t personally agree with.
Nature’s Garden Magazine
No connection with Loving Nature’s Garden, Nature’s Garden magazine is quite possibly my top pick. I’ve seen it on display, yet it’s actually quite difficult to come across online and there doesn’t seem to be a way to subscribe to the print version. They do have a nice Nature’s Garden website though with photos and journals and they have a Facebook page.
Country Gardens Magazine
Country Gardens is described as “what-to-plant, where-to-begin, what-to-do-next gardening magazine that helps you add a personal touch to your garden“. It’s also promoted as being an inspirational magazine.
Articles include stories of people and their gardens and easy ideas to extend your living space into your garden. There’s an emphasis on sights and smells in the garden and celebration of flowers as part of your life.
Read more on Country Gardens at Amazon.com or Country Gardens at the publisher site (the price there is currently lower and the publisher has a money back guarantee if you’re not pleased with the magazine).
Gardening Magazines from a Variety of Publishers
Organic Gardening
Organic Gardening magazine is all about growing fresh food, with evaluations of heirloom varieties and tips on growing them, gleaned from a nationwide network of test gardens. It is published by Rodale Inc.
They also include some articles about wildlife gardening, organic flower gardening (non-natives like roses), landscape design, low maintenance gardening, and, of course, composting.
Read more about what you’ll find in Organic Gardening at Amazon.com or visit the Organic Gardening magazine website for further information.
Garden Gate Magazine
Garden Gate is an advertisement free magazine published by the August Home Publishing Company. Garden Gate is a general gardening magazine with an emphasis on garden design. Articles include lots of lovely illustrations – photos and drawings. At the magazine website you can download a pdf issue for free, subscribe, and read extra online content.
Mother Earth News
Mother Earth News from Ogden Publications is all about self-sufficient country living. It covers small scale farming, food growing, cooking, thrift, fishing, environmentally-friendly products, recycling, and home care and repair.
Whether or not you’re interested in subscribing to Mother Earth News, you may want to visit their website where you’ll find everything from polls to blogs, and even their own radio station. You can also subscribe to Mother Earth through Amazon.com.
Birds and Blooms
Birds and Blooms from Reiman Publications combines the pleasures of both gardening and birding into one magazine. Genius!
Disappointingly, at least at their website, they don’t distinguish between native and non-native plants, despite the fact that some non-natives are causing problems for wildlife and wildlife reserves.
They have quite a nice website with photo galleries, contests, and gardening tips. Unfortunately the website has an annoying pop-up asking you to subscribe to the magazine. Take a look though at Birds and Blooms online or check out Birds & Blooms at Amazon.com.
Horticulture Magazine
Horticulture magazine from F & W Publications is “for active, sophisticated gardeners seeking information and inspiration on plants and design.”
It follows trends, reveals gardening secrets, and brings you information from experts. Impressively, it’s been in publication since 1904.
You can read more about Horticulture magazine and learn about gardening books from F & W Publications, or subscribe through Amazon.com.
Garden Design Magazine
Garden Design is an upscale magazine from Bonnier Corporation. It emphasizes landscape design, unusual plants, ornaments, landscaping, water gardens, sunrooms, and outdoor furniture.
Each issue showcases spectacular gardens and provides information on gardening shows and events. Here’s the Garden Design website. You can subscribe to this garden magazine on design through Amazon.com.
Magazines from Taunton Press (Fine Gardening)
Fine Gardening
Described as “for gardeners who are passionate about their existing gardens”, Fine Gardening covers the basics of garden design as well as advice from experts. Each issue includes techniques and time-saving tips.
Winner of five Garden Globe Awards from the Garden Writer’s Association of America in 2006. A quality publication which only accepts garden-related ads and provides product reviews. Covers some vegetable gardening, such as how to grow popular food crops like tomatoes and peppers.
You can read more about Fine Gardening at Amazon.com or visit the Fine Gardening website to see the contents of the current issue, get online extras, and to compare the subscription price.
A Basketful of Gardening Magazines
Other magazines from Taunton Press are more like books in magazine form and emphasize one specific aspect or area of gardening. Here is a selection of their titles:
- Gardening Green – includes a selection of articles from Fine Gardening with information on building raised beds, composting, low maintenance gardens, replacing lawn, planting natives, and bee friendly plants. Currently just $4 this is worth a look.
- Container Gardening
- Gardening Basics
- Grow Magazine covers fruit and vegetable growing through the seasons. The cost from the publisher is $7.99 per issue and topics include blueberries, tomatoes, onions, and potatoes.
- Plant Combinations
- Great Plants
- Great Gardens
- Starting from Seed Magazine
- 101 Gardening Tips and Techniques
Outdoor Ideas and Solutions
Outdoor Ideas and Solutions, also from Taunton Press, emphasises “Making the most of outdoor areas” with ideas on: entryways; dining areas; side yards; shady spots; slopes; and neighbor-friendly screening. “It helps you create plantings that look attractive year round and outdoor areas that expand your home’s livability and increases its value.”
Outdoor Ideas and Solutions and other magazines described above are available direct from Taunton Press for $4 and up.
What Did I Miss?
I’m sure I’ve missed a few gardening magazines – I didn’t even touch on great English or Canadian ones and I know that I’ve not written about Garden and Gun!
Inspiring Gardening Photos
While gardening magazines are designed for as large a circulation as possible and tend not to cater to the reader interested in planting native they are still good places to learn. They have wonderful photographs. They are increasingly incorporating articles on organic gardening. At the very least, take a look at some of the websites. They could whet your gardening appetite.
Related posts:
[...] Continue here: Gardening Magazines | Loving Natures Backyard [...]
I am still baffled by “Garden & Gun.” The first time I saw a copy I sat and stared at it for about five minutes going “…but…wait…what?”
My boyfriend’s theory is that it’s an effort to get men to buy gardening magazines by including something manly in the title, and will spawn several dozen spin-offs, like “Scrapbook & Plumbing” and “Home Decor & Scantily Clad Women.” I don’t know if he’s a genius or not.
UrsulaV´s last blog ..A vast ignorance…
[...] Gardening Magazines | Loving Natures Garden [...]
Wow, that’s a lot of magazines! I usually pick something up if I’m at one of the home & garden stores – they have a great selection and usually on some more obscure topics, like gardening in small spaces.
Roy Scribner´s last blog ..Canoe Camping with Kids
Ursula, your comment really made me laugh. I’m still wondering about Garden and Gun. Should I say, “Only in America!”
Roy, I too was surprised about how many gardening magazines there are available. As you say, there are even special topic ones – I think they’re basically magazine format books which the publishers print a one-off run of. The price tends to be about $8. How nice for the publisher that they can publish and get advertising revenue, unlike book publishers. You know what though, readers can get my content for free!
[...] Gardening Magazines | Loving Natures Garden [...]
I have a little bit of a love affair going on with Birds and Blooms. I like their regular magazine and their special issues (backyard makeovers, etc.) really inspire me. Not that I necessarily do anything with that inspiration, but I do enjoy the feeling
Jean Sarauer´s last blog ..Empire Building 101: Designing a Custom Content Strategy
I used to subscribe to many garden mags…until I was so busy reading about and dreaming about gardening that I barely had time to DO any. Now I occasionally pick up a mag or two for inspiration while browsing at the grocery store, and supplement them happily with all the catalogs that start to come in the winter.
This is the most excellent and thorough round-up I’ve ever seen. Thank you!
[...] Gardening Magazines | Loving Natures Garden [...]