Unfulfilled potential (Garden Answers)

Name: BizzyB

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Product:	Garden Answers
Date:	02/07/00 (30 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: informative, well presented hard landscaping features

Disadvantages: poor content order

Garden Answers is a monthly magazine. Whenever I've bought this magazine it has been strongly features led - and I mean features in the gardening sense of the word such as hard-landscaping and accessories. There are many how-to articles on landscaping projects such as decking, patio laying, steps which admitedly are useful and easy to follow. I think this trend is in light of the popularity of gardening makeover shows and the recognition that people are increasingly having a go at D-I-Y in their garden. Whilst the magazine still carries traditional articles on plants I feel these are too few for the keen hobby gardener and have the general feeling that the magazine lacks that magic garden spark. Towards the back of the magazine they carry product testing which is useful and a section called the 'green pages'. The 'Green pages' are said to be 'the essential guide to all your gardening needs' and includes plant reviews, gardening questions answered, plant care - this is what I want the whole magazine to reflect not just a section at the back! It comes across as they do not know who their target audience is.
There is no doubt the writing on all aspects of gardening is knowledgeable but I find the content ratio of plant gardening to landscape gardening to much towards the latter. There are a number of gardening magazines I would buy before this one given the choice and tend only to buy it if there's a particular article of interest to me as opposed to be a regular reader. I feel as if this magazine has the content just in the wrong order!

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