Chris-P-Bacon "TBH the "virtuous eco lecturing" was getting a bit much - every edition there are the usual suspects 'telling' me what I 'must' be doing in my own garden..it's got to the point were I feel like I must self-flagellate if I use peat or a plastic pot..or God-forbid, mow the lawn.
I feel the same. There was an edition a couple of months back where Monty's two pieces were about climate change and what we 'must do' to counter it. I actually wrote into the letters page asking them to go a bit easier on us, the readership, but it wasn't published. I am a bit fed up of being lectured at to be honest.
I agree with you @didyw, there's much more plant information in Gardens Illustrated, the gardens featured are inspiring and there's a lot more thought put into the writing. Gardeners' World magazine has its place for new gardeners but I skip more than I read nowadays. The raised subscription will be better spent on more plants!
I have bought it since the very first edition,and took out a subscription for my Mum years ago. l changed it to my name when Mum could no longer garden, but have just cancelled my subscription. The May issue will be the last one l receive. I made the decision partly because the number of Garden magazines l was getting was ridiculous. I also cancelled subscriptions to Garden News and The English Garden. Also by its very nature, gardening is cyclical and there are only so many times you can read what basically amounts to the same thing each year. Another reason behind cancelling the GW subscription was that I agree with @Chris-P-Bacon about the "preachy tone" that has crept in over the past couple of years, although l appreciate that others may disagree. I read very little of the RHS magazine, l don't know if there is a way of cancelling it but still keeping my RHS membership. All that's left now is Gardening from Which which (!) I find very interesting, and Garden Answers because l like the style of it.
The problem with all the 'free entry to ' vouchers, or garden centre offers , is that they're no use up here. They were always just for locations or outlets in England and/or Wales. That annoyed me. A lot of people on the forum were mentioning the constant preaching about climate etc on the programme as well. The problem is - most fairly keen gardeners are already aware, and do their best. We aren't the ones who are generally causing the biggest problem, and that includes the peat usage. Only a tiny percentage is used for horticultural purposes. Who's using the rest then?
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I'll be cancelling my sub some time but haven't yet been contacted about any increase. I now get the RHS mag and don't need both. I agree about the preachy tone and the repetition of articles so I don't really need it any more.
I would agree that there are many houses and gardens in the south west to visit. I haven’t bought the magazine since 2019 right through the COVID and won’t be doing it this year either, but maybe next.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
I subscribed for several years but stopped because the content was basically being recycled - new contributors but basically the same information. I still have the magazines but plan to cut out the 'Plants for the Month' sections to keep and chuck the rest out.
I've just cancelled my subscription. Had a letter advising the cost was going up to around £67 per year. Might not sound alot but a new subscriber pays £44 per year! And gets a free Monty Don book. I enjoy the magazine, but don't enjoy being mistaken for a cash cow.
Like @Lyn we'll be just buying the May edition for the free-entry garden voucher. That gives us a saving of at least £15 when we visit our three favourite local gardens. Bit of a no-brainer really. But we certainly wouldn't subscribe. Too many adverts.
Clay soil - Cheshire/Derbyshire border. I play with plants and soil and sometimes it's successful
Had a letter advising the cost was going up to around £67 per year. Might not sound a lot but a new subscriber pays £44 per year! And gets a free Monty Don book.
It's the same as insurance policies - new people get the bonuses. Now that that's been sorted out, maybe the same will happen with magazines. Especially if people just stop buying.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Posts
l changed it to my name when Mum could no longer garden, but have just cancelled my subscription. The May issue will be the last one l receive.
I made the decision partly because the number of Garden magazines l was getting was ridiculous. I also cancelled subscriptions to Garden News and The English Garden. Also by its very nature, gardening is cyclical and there are only so many times you can read what basically amounts to the same thing each year.
Another reason behind cancelling the GW subscription was that I agree with @Chris-P-Bacon about the "preachy tone" that has crept in over the past couple of years, although l appreciate that others may disagree.
I read very little of the RHS magazine, l don't know if there is a way of cancelling it but still keeping my RHS membership. All that's left now is Gardening from Which which (!) I find very interesting, and Garden Answers because l like the style of it.
That annoyed me.
A lot of people on the forum were mentioning the constant preaching about climate etc on the programme as well. The problem is - most fairly keen gardeners are already aware, and do their best. We aren't the ones who are generally causing the biggest problem, and that includes the peat usage. Only a tiny percentage is used for horticultural purposes. Who's using the rest then?
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I haven’t bought the magazine since 2019 right through the COVID and won’t be doing it this year either, but maybe next.
I play with plants and soil and sometimes it's successful
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...