gardening mags

[mike348]

Looking for suggestions, I already get Mother Earth News and Grit. Are there any other good magazines, dealing with gardening, that I should take a look at? With planting time fast approaching, I'm starting to get the itch. Reading on the subject always seems to help. Thanks.

[farmertrappe]

Check out Countryside, a homesteading based mag with lots of interesting information.

[mrchicken]

I have to take magazines with a grain of salt now days. Having shot for magazines for many years, I have come to understand that 75% of the articles in them are just a spin on an old story. Often written by someone with little first hand knowledge.

That said, a LOT of the gardening articles in the "green" themed magazines are great if you have a very small garden,a LOT of time, or a herd of Mennonite children.
Too many are soooo incredibly labor intensive or location specific, yet touted as a one size fits all solution.

Every time I see a "no till" or "weedless" garden story I get as excited as a Monkey in a Banana boat. After reading it, I am usually disappointed.

The latest one touted the benefits of no till. The magic bullet was compost. Add 12 inches of compost over undisturbed ground/grass and you can have a beautiful weed free garden !!!
Really?
Not in the South you won't! You will have grass that could hide a lion by June, and weeds as thick as your wrist before the first tomato is ripe.

I keep looking for a better way, less labor intensive for a 1/4-1/2 acre garden but haven't found one yet.

Those magazines DO help get ya through the cold dreary months before spring comes though. Now if I can just keep my wife from reading them and adding new projects to My er... her list.

[mike348]

Farmertrape, thanks for the reply, I'll give it a look. Mrchicken, awesome reply. I'll probably have to use the "monkey in a banana boat" line somewhere and claim it as mine. Thanks again to you both.