| Product: |
Gardeners World Magazine |
| Date: |
16/10/05 (116 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Good advice on gardening, top tips, lots of lovely photos
Disadvantages: Not much good if you don't like gardening
If you had asked me a year ago if I would be reading Gardeners’ World Magazine I would have laughed at you. I wanted a garden but mainly so I could lie and sunbathe in it and have somewhere to hang out my washing. Fast forward to December last year and we bought a new house with a garden and I fell in love with gardening. Now I am no Alan Titchmarsh (I’m female for a start) or Charlie Dimmock (I wouldn’t go out without a bra!) but I have found a real interest in gardening. There is something quite satisfying about going into your garden and picking a bunch of flowers to display in your house, or going and picking salad and vegetables for your dinner. So to feed my interest in my new gardening hobby I went out to buy a gardening magazine. Now there are plenty to choose from but I went for one I had heard of, Gardeners’ World, a magazine from the BBC and linked to the well known gardening programme on BBC 2 (and yes I do now watch that as well!).
The Cost
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It costs £2.95 and for this you get a magazine packed full of features and gardening tips and advice. The magazine is bright and glossy and in the November issue has 146 pages, so there’s plenty to keep you occupied. I am lucky enough now to get the magazine on subscription as a birthday present from my parents. This month you can subscribe for 12 issues at a cost of £35.40, for this price it will be delivered to your door and you will also receive a free pair of loppers worth £21.49. If you don’t want any loppers you can receive the 12 issues for a reduced price of £29.50. My advice is buy a few issues and see if you like it, if you do and want to get it regularly then it is certainly worth getting a subscription.
The Features
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The main headings in the magazine tend to be the same month to month with the articles varying. I will talk you through the main topics and let you know what is in the November issue which is the one out now.
Fresh Ideas – This is the first topic and this section shows you ideas to brighten up your garden, there are things you can make at home and also things you can buy in the shops. This month the ideas include ways of livening up your plant pots using material and PVA glue and how to make a boot scraper from a log and a slate (a bit like Blue Peter but no sticky-backed plastic!).
Gardens – In this section they give you ideas on designing your garden. They visit someone’s garden and talk to them about the design and the plants used and give you tips on how to recreate it in your own garden. The gardens vary in size and design so there is something for everyone. This month they have visited a natural looking garden near Oban. There is also advice on how to find a garden designer if you don’t want to tackle the job yourself.
Each month there is also a “Plant Pin-Up Page” although it’s not on page 3. I like this idea, its fun and you get to learn about some lovely looking plants and flowers. This month it is Honesty, the silver seed headed plant. It’s not a plant I have in my garden but reminds me of my mum and dad as they used to have some dried Honesty in a vase in the house. There is also a section on new plants, there is a photo of it and then it tells you when it flowers, where to plant it, how high it grows, where you can buy it and how much it costs.
Plants and Flowers – This month the main topic is very seasonal and is about growing indoor bulbs. It gives you some new ideas of bulbs to grow in addition to the usual hyacinths and how to grow them either in soil or in water.
Wildlife – This section features a different bird or animal each month that you might find in your garden. This month it is Tits, of the bird variety, what to feed them, how to attract them into your garden and the different types.
Flavour – This is the fruit and vegetable section. This month it is about apples and potatoes. In the potato section they show you lots of different types of potatoes, many of which I have never heard of, and they recommend growing Charlotte potatoes. There is also a potato recipe from Nick Nairn, but I haven’t tried that yet.
What to do now – This section is a reminder of all the things you should be doing in your garden just now. It’s separated into flowers, greenhouse, project, fruit and veg, around the garden and allotments. In-case you wondered you should be deciding whether to dig up your dahlias or mulch them, sewing your sweet peas, feeding your peppers, insulating your greenhouse, storing your apples, picking up the leaves and growing your own garlic (you can use the ones you buy in the supermarket). Once you’ve done all that you can get back to reading the magazine.
Tried and Tested – In this section they test a different type of product each month. This month it is leaf blowers and they test a variety of different priced products and tell you what was good and bad about each one.
Gardens to visit – In this section they give you money off vouchers for visiting different gardens. This month you get one adult free when one pays for six different gardens. As one of the gardens is Wakehurst Place in West Sussex costs £8 for an adult it’s a good saving.
My Opinion
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I really like this gardening magazine. As this review hopefully shows it’s packed full of information. I think there is something there for everyone and every garden. For me as a beginner to gardening this magazine has been very useful. I keep all my old copies and tend to flick back through them for help and advice with different problems. If you didn’t want to buy it every month you could just look at the front cover and see if it had anything that was relevant for you and your garden and just buy it now and again. As for me I will continue to get my monthly copy and try and make my fingers a little greener!!
Summary: Gardeners World is a magazine packed full of tips & advice for gardening both flowers, veg & plants.
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