Gardening is a growing hobby around the world, with many people using home gardens to improve the appearance of their yard with flowers or other plants; grow natural produce for their own consumption, or start a business selling produce or flowers. For those looking to start or improve their garden, there is a variety of gardening magazines that will provide information about new plants to diversify your garden, creative garden design ideas, and techniques to improve your garden’s yield.
Many people rely on classic gardening books, often passed down through the family, but the advantage of gardening magazines is that they are always providing new ideas to experiment with. If one isn’t for you, a new idea is only another issue or another magazine away.
Comparison Table
GARDENING MAGAZINE FAQ’S
1
I’M LOOKING TO START MY FIRST GARDEN. ARE THERE GARDENING MAGAZINES SUITED FOR ME?
Absolutely! Many popular gardening magazines, including the long-running Better Homes and Gardens, give tips for getting a garden started.
2
I’M AN EXPERIENCED GARDENER WITH A GOOD KNOWLEDGE OF PLANTS. IS THERE A GARDENING MAGAZINE THAT WILL PROVIDE ME WITH UP-TO-THE-MINUTE INFORMATION IN THIS FIELD?
You may enjoy Horticulture magazine. Straight to the point and focused on getting the most out of your plants, it’s best for the seasoned gardener who is looking to take chances.
3
NUTRITION IS IMPORTANT TO MY FAMILY AND I. IS THERE A GARDENING MAGAZINE WITH A FOCUS ON GROWING NATURAL PRODUCE?
Organic Life (Formerly Organic Living) has a specific focus on vegetable gardening and is geared towards those who value organic produce. It also includes recipes and tips on dealing with garden pests naturally.
4
I’M NOT A GARDENER MYSELF, BUT I ENJOY READING ABOUT THE HOBBY AND SEEING OTHER PEOPLE’S GARDENS. WHERE WILL I FIND THE BEST SPOTLIGHTS OF UNIQUE GARDENS?
Several gardening magazines focus on the best gardens around the world. These include The English Garden and Gardens Illustrated, both British productions.
5
WHERE CAN I FIND A SELECTION OF GARDENING MAGAZINES?
One can find most of the magazines on Amazon, or in various large retailers including Walmart, Wegman’s, and Barnes and Noble. In addition, all offer subscription options through their website.
HOW WE REVIEWED
We reviewed the gardening magazines in this article based on the following parameters – features, pros and cons, audience, price, where to buy, and the general intended audience.
OVERALL PRICE RANGE OF THIS PRODUCT
Gardening magazines vary in price. Off the shelf, a single issue will usually cost no less than $4.99 and may cost up to $9.99 for a larger magazine with more features.
Most people have yearly subscription plans, which will include anywhere from four to twelve issues based on whether the magazine is monthly, bimonthly, or quarterly. These will usually include a discount on the shelf price, and the per-issue price can vary from under $1 to $4.50 an issue. Larger quarterly digest-style magazines are outliers and can cost up to $18 an issue on the shelf or $11 per issue via subscription.
WHO WE REVIEWED
- GOOD HOUSEKEEPING
- THE ENGLISH GARDEN
- FINE GARDENING
- GARDEN DESIGN
- GARDEN GATE MAGAZINE
- HORTICULTURE
- ORGANIC LIFE (FORMERLY ORGANIC GARDENING)
- GARDENS ILLUSTRATED
- BETTER HOME AND GARDEN
- COUNTRY GARDENS
GOOD HOUSEKEEPING
Features
Good Housekeeping is a women’s magazine featuring profiles of products for gardening and homemaking, and articles relating to food, health, and literature. It is not a specialized gardening magazine but features a dedicated gardening section every month. Geared towards a casual audience, it is known for its “Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval.” It has over four million subscribers.
PRICE
Subscription – One year (12 issues) for $6 ($)
PROS
- Ideal for people making their first forays into gardening.
- Covers both gardening and recipes, for those interested in organic produce.
- Very reasonable price point.
CONS
- Not a dedicated gardening magazine
- Will not offer much for more experienced gardeners.
THE ENGLISH GARDEN
Features
The English Garden is a British gardening magazine that combines spotlights on carefully curated private gardens by experienced gardeners with tips on what’s new in the world of gardening. The gardeners profiled provide expert tips on how they created their gardens, and the magazine contains many picture spreads. It is geared towards those who are looking to garden for beauty and aesthetic.
PRICE
Subscription – One year (six issues) for $29.95 ($$)
PROS
- Lots of high-quality pictures spotlighting some of the most beautiful gardens in the United Kingdom.
- Lots of first-hand knowledge offered by experienced gardeners.
- Appeal for both professional gardeners and casual gardening enthusiasts.
CONS
- Relatively high price point.
- Little to no focus on vegetable gardening.
- Bimonthly schedule.
FINE GARDENING
Features
Fine Gardening is a specialized gardening magazine aimed at experienced gardeners. It breaks down the process of gardening to its fundamentals and shows how each element affects the final garden. Key features include articles on how to build the ideal soil, which plants are right for you, and how to manage insects both beneficial and harmful. It has regional editors that tailor the magazine’s editions to what is most useful to customers in different areas.
PRICE
Subscription – One year (six issues) for $29.95. ($$)
PROS
- Highly specialized subject matter for experienced gardeners
- Offers practical tips for first-time gardeners.
- Regional editions assure all customers will get a magazine useful to them.
CONS
- More aimed towards serious gardeners than casual hobbyists.
- Relatively high price point.
- Bimonthly schedule.
GARDEN DESIGN
Features
Garden Design is a digest-sized quarterly magazine geared towards experienced gardeners with interest in a unique design and architecture. Containing information on new plants and tools, and accessories and furniture to beautify the garden, it is highly praised by gardening enthusiasts and contains a large collection of photos of curated gardens in every issue.
PRICE
Subscription – One year (four issues) – $45; two years (eight issues) – $84; three years (twelve issues) – $119 ($$$)
PROS
- Equal focus on technical gardening questions and style/fashion.
- Highly detailed photo collection in every issue.
- Extensive content makes it worth it to save back issues.
CONS
- The highest price point on the market
- Quarterly schedule.
- Little focus on organic gardening or produce.
GARDEN GATE MAGAZINE
Features
Garden Gate Magazine is a dedicated gardening magazine focusing on technique and aesthetic. It is advertisement free and is heavy on pictures and regular features that include Before & After, Design Challenge, Container Recipe, and Weed Watch. With tips for both newcomers and experts, it is considered a top magazine for first-time gardeners.
PRICE
Subscription – One year (six issues) – $27 ($$)
PROS
- Full of content for both experts and first-timers
- Lots of pictures illustrating the techniques and designs showed in the articles.
- A wide variety of features.
CONS
- Bimonthly schedule
- A relatively high price point
HORTICULTURE
Features
Horticulture is a gardening magazine focused on those with a deep interest in plant life and how to use it to cultivate the ideal garden. Articles are informative and to the point, with a focus on teaching serious gardeners how to take their craft to the next level. Subjects may include new varieties of plants or the ideal plants for an environment or season. It includes a variety of pictures to illustrate the themes of each article.
PRICE
Subscription – One year (six issues) – $27 ($$)
PROS
- Detailed information on plant varieties and gardening techniques
- The subject matter is well researched by an expert editorial staff.
- Reasonable price point.
CONS
- Bimonthly schedule.
- Not ideal for hobbyists or beginner gardeners.
- Little to no focus on accessories or non-plant elements.
ORGANIC LIFE (FORMERLY ORGANIC GARDENING)
Features
Organic Life, formerly Organic Gardening, is a magazine from Rodale Institute with a focus on organic gardening and vegetable gardening. With recipes for using your homegrown produce and tips for natural alternatives to pesticides, it is primarily geared towards families. Features not found in other magazines of its type include how to get your children interested in gardening and how to detox from a typical diet.
PRICE
The print magazine has been discontinued, and it has been converted to an online-only publication that can be read for free.
PROS
- Specialty content not found in any other magazine of its type.
- Light, humorous tone appeals to casual gardeners
- Lots of tips on how to start your first organic garden.
- Currently a free, online-only publication
CONS
- Strictly organic, which excludes a large percentage of gardeners.
- Digital-only
GARDENS ILLUSTRATED
Features
Gardens Illustrated is a British gardening magazine that is also distributed in the United States and Canada. It has a focus on large British estate gardens (including those belonging to celebrities) and is known for its vivid photographs. It includes articles focusing on an assortment of planting styles and on gardening in countries around Europe. It will occasionally feature how-to guides on subjects including children’s play areas.
PRICE
Subscription – One year (thirteen issues) – $49.99 ($$)
PROS
- Expert photography brings some of Great Britain’s best gardens to life
- Monthly issues plus an oversized annual each year.
- Covers a wide variety of gardening styles.
CONS
- A relatively high price point
- More focused on famous gardens than on teaching people to create their own.
BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS
Features
The most widely read gardening magazine in the world, Better Homes and Gardens reaches over seven million readers each month. Geared towards homemakers and casual gardeners, it is a general-interest magazine with a focus on recipes, design, and tips for keeping a small garden up and running. Every guide in the magazine can be attempted easily by a first-time gardener.
PRICE
Subscription – One year (Twelve issues) – $12 ($)
PROS
- A wide variety of subjects means almost everyone should find someone to try.
- Monthly issues with a highly reasonable price point.
- Easy-to-follow instructions make it ideal for someone’s first gardening magazine.
CONS
- Veteran gardeners will probably find it far too basic.
- Not a dedicated gardening magazine, with much of the magazine devoted to recipes and household decor.
COUNTRY GARDENS
Features
A special publication from the Better Homes and Gardens publishing house, Country Gardens is a magazine geared towards American gardeners with a lot of space to work with. It focuses on profiles of successful gardeners in small towns, featuring planting diagrams and designs for unique garden crafts. A more whimsical approach to gardening magazines, it has a smaller circulation than its larger sibling but a deeply loyal audience of over a million and a half readers.
PRICE
Subscription – One year (four issues) – $14.97 ($$)
PROS
- Detailed photographs and diagrams illustrate a variety of gardens.
- Dedicated garden magazine for rural gardeners with a lot of space.
- Lighthearted tone and personal accounts of gardening success.
CONS
- Quarterly schedule.
- Relatively high price point.
THE VERDICT
The best choice in gardening magazines will be different for everyone, based on their specific needs, experience, and goals for their garden. A casual gardener looking for tips on starting their first garden will be happy with Better Homes and Gardens. An experienced gardener looking for tips to expand their garden and improve the health of their plants will probably get the most value out of Fine Gardening or Horticulture.
Someone more interested in aesthetic design and beautifying their garden will appreciate the focus of Country Gardens or Garden Gate Magazine. Someone looking to find inspiration in other people’s gardens will find their ideal magazine in the detailed pictures of The English Garden or Gardens Illustrated.
Based on overall value and subject matter, this reviewer’s pick for the best magazine in the low-cost ($) range is Better Homes and Gardens, which provides a solid introduction to gardening at an entry-level price. The best magazine in the mid-cost ($$) range is Fine Gardening, an expert-level tutorial in advanced gardening techniques with activities and challenges to motivate gardeners to take the next step.
