Gardener's World – Is it worth it?

Discussion in 'NEW Gardeners !' started by tommyrot, Aug 11, 2024.

  1. pete

    pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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    Youtube is good but some of the videos take 30 minutes to give you 5 mins of sensible information.
     
  2. JWK

    JWK Gardener Staff Member

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    Usually the 5 minutes is just nicked off another youtuber and they end saying "will be interesting to see how it turns out I've never done it before ..."
     
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    • JennyJB

      JennyJB Head Gardener

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      Another vote for any of Geoff Hamilton's books that you can get your hands on.

      I stopped subscribing to Gardening Which? as well, because it got more expensive than I though it was worth. OH still gets the regular Which?, and has an online login which gives access to quite a lot of garden stuff, but I only really look at it if I'm in the market for a new mower, hedgetrimmer etc.

      I'm still an RHS member so I get their magazine which usually has some interesting articles, but even that seems to be getting a bit less specialist and a bit more basic in places.
       
    • KT53

      KT53 Gardener

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      Thankfully Monty seems to have stopped doing it now, but for years on Gardeners World he would show you how to prune your grapes and how to protect large tree ferns from frost. The magazine ended up being just as repetitive.
       
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      • tommyrot

        tommyrot Gardener

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        This makes me nervous. Lurking about in my Jacque Tati trademark raincoat, I'll be accused of being a flasher.
         
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        • Busy-Lizzie

          Busy-Lizzie Total Gardener

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          I've subscribed to the GW magazine for years, though first my mother paid for it then OH did. I liked it because it made me feel less alone in my garden in France not knowing anyone else who liked growing flowers. Then GW said that since Brexit they wouldn 't send it to France anymore so I asked them to send it to OH's house in Norfolk.

          OH now gives me the RHS membership and I pay for GW but it has got so expensive and is so repetetive. I won't be renewing my subscription - but the main reason is because they have got rid of the GW Forum. I really liked the Forum, I met people through it and made friends.

          Since they got rid of the Forum they have developed the website and Premium but is is all full of celebrities and I learnt a lot more through the Forum. I think they treated Forum members disgracefully.
           
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          • waterbut

            waterbut Gardener

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            My son gets me GW every Christmas. It is an interesting read but very formal. My wife buys me Kitchen Garden which I find more informal and a better interesting read.
             
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            • simone_in_wiltshire

              simone_in_wiltshire Total Gardener

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              I had it for 3 years to find out that I had hardly read it in year 2, and couldn't find the articles between the advertisements in year 3. Was more than happy to cancel my loyalty subscription when the company stopped the GW forum.
               
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              • orbitingstar

                orbitingstar Gardener

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                Worth knowing that if you want to read Gardeners World magazine and you’re a member of your local library, it’s worth checking if they give you access to it through an ebook app. My local library lets me log in to the BorrowBox app and GW magazine is on there.
                 
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                • Allotment Boy

                  Allotment Boy Lifelong Allotmenteer

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                  I still get GW but only because my SD gave me a lifetime subscription. I Admit I wouldn't buy it regularly if not. It's bound to be repetitive, as gardening is seasonal, and jobs, processes are repeated each year and they can't assume you read it last year. I pass them on to the apprentices at the college where I volunteer. I also get the RHS magazine, though I preferred it when it was the "journal of horticulture " , as with everything these days it's been dumbed down a little.
                   
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                  • GreenFingeredPete

                    GreenFingeredPete Gardener

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                    Well this is only my second thread I have posted on, on here - so a newbie.

                    I have been subscribing to GW fo about 4 years now, mainly because of Monty Don, I keep every issue for a reference, so if I want to go back in something like my pruning month, with so many back issues I do what everyone else does and Google it.
                     
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                    • shiney

                      shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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                      I've never seen or read GW but used to get RHS magazine when we were members. We found that mag was not worth it nor the membership as we rarely went to their gardens. We used to go every year to Chelsea, it used to be free entry on members' day, but it started to get so crowded we had trouble seeing everything.
                       
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                      • Busy-Lizzie

                        Busy-Lizzie Total Gardener

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                        OH gives me the RHS subscription. I read most of the magazine and we visit gardens. Some years it has more than paid for itself. I also use the 2 for 1 GW card.
                         
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                        • waterbut

                          waterbut Gardener

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                          My Grandmother was very naughty. She used to visit all these very large gardens carrying a very large handbag and a pair of very sharp scissors. She had very green fingers and could stick anything in a pot and it would grow.
                           
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                          • Logan

                            Logan Total Gardener

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                            I watch the programme when it's on, i used to subscribe to the magazine but like all of them they become repetitive and expensive over the years. I used to use the forums but found some better but they've closed.
                             
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