Urbs in Horto - the City in a Garden
Written: Aug 28 '02 (Updated Aug 28 '02)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Great photography; useful articles
Cons: It's a little on the thin side; I wish there were more!
The Bottom Line: "Chicago Gardening" shows that the Chicago area really can be a land of beautiful gardens.
|
|
|
| gracef's Full Review: Chicagoland Gardening Magazine |
There is a line that alleges there are only two seasons in Chicago - You know, the one about winter and road repair.**
When most people outside the Chicago area think of the Windy City, they think of a sprawling metropolis, a sea of concrete, towering buildings, and snarled traffic. Most people don't even think of the Chicago area as having room to grow a plant, let alone an entire garden. But as William Burger points out in the January/February 2002 issue of Chicagoland Gardening, early Chicagoans called the area Urbs in Horto or "the City in a Garden". While the reputation for terrible traffic (and road repair) is richly deserved, Chicagoland Gardening helps keep the idea of Urbs in Horto alive.
Chicagoland Gardening is a bimonthly magazine published by Growit Communications. While many gardening magazines show the avid gardener a mouthwatering variety of plants and techniques that could only be used by a small number of readers, Chicagoland Gardening concentrates on plants and techniques that can easily be used in the greater Chicago area.
The regulars
For a magazine that averages around 60 pages, Chicagoland Gardening packs in lots of information and features.
The Beginner's Garden provides ideas and information for those who likely don't even know one end of a trowel from the other. Sometimes, it will talk about the tools of the trade or it will talk about why a certain variety of plants is desired. It commonly discusses how certain plants should be cared for. This section frequently includes diagrams to improve the likelihood that the novice gardener will understand. Even though I'm a somewhat experienced gardener, I still learn things from this section.
In Ask our expert, Adele Kleine answers questions from readers about the care of indoor or outdoor plants. In many cases, she does not rely on her own expertise but rather cites information from experts from the Chicago Botanic Garden, the Morton Arboretum, or local garden centers. Though some of these experts work for advertisers of the magazine, the ads from these companies rarely appear on the pages of this section. This is nice because it leaves me with the feeling that these experts are truly being objective rather than trying to drum up business for their employers.
The Indoor Garden gives tips and ideas for indoor plants. I'm the type of person that automatically thinks "spider plants" when asked about indoor plants. But this section frequently shows more impressive options like orchids, gloxinia, abutilon, and others. This section also provides information for how to better care for any indoor plant (even the boring spider plants).
The Man's Garden is a joy to read. In this column, William Alderich gives some insight into what interests a man about gardening. As Alderich points out, it's not usually the same thing as women. For men, it isn't about making things look nice. Rather, it's about having the biggest and the best. It's about winning contests for the biggest flower, men's exclusive garden clubs, and racing mowers. Alderich may be simplifying things a bit, but he writes well and in a manner that is sure to amuse women, especially ones with significant others who are constantly trying to make the lawn look better than Mr. Next Door's.
Chicagoland Natives gives some insights into what is happening with plants and animals native to the Chicago area. I especially find this column appealing because so many of the native plants are disappearing. This column occasionally provides a history lesson and describes when certain plants can be seen or it might contain information on how to attract local native birds.
Another of my favorite columns is Wildlife Watch. Here, different birds common to the area are discussed. I was happy with the September/October issue because it discussed American Kestrels. My complaint with this section is that it is often too short to get anything other than the basics about the birds. But it's still a nice feature.
Another great column is the Notes from the Chicago Botanic Garden. The Chicago Botanic Garden has been conducting trials to see which varieties of plants grow best in the Chicago area. The results for each of the tests are published in full evaluation reports. The full reports are available for $3 each from the Chicago Botanic Garden. But Chicagoland Gardening contains a shorter version of one of the reports every month. Typically, these discuss things like the type of plant being discussed, the kind of soil that worked best, and the varieties that were tested. The result is a column that tells the reader the best varieties and provides a short list of local nurseries that carry them.
There are some smaller columns that also add some great information. What's New tells about the latest and greatest gardening gadgets, fertilizers, and plants for young and old alike. The Water Garden is a newer column about building and care of water gardens. (This column is just a couple issues old, so it's rather hard to tell where they're going with it.) The Hands-On Gardener features some projects for do-it-yourself types, like how to make window boxes, painted flower pots, and raised beds. Potpourri contains several paragraph or two long news features on new books, plants, and events.
The most useful column, bar none, is the Calendar of Garden Events. The front cover of the magazine boasts "Region's Most Complete Calendar of Gardening Events", and it isn't lying! This column makes Chicagoland Gardening valuable to both gardeners and tourists, as it features all the happenings in and around Chicago related to gardens. Everything from garden walks to bird watching events to festivals are included in lists sorted by the region (North, West, South, Indiana, and Wisconsin) and date. In addition, special portions feature events occurring at the Morton Arboretum and a few of the larger area nurseries. All event listings seem to include price, hours, fees, and contact phone number. I have yet to see any magazine (or even newspaper) in the Chicago area with as comprehensive a list.
Other stuff
The articles of Chicagoland Gardening are just tremendous. Regardless of the topic, they are worth reading. Most are accompanied with tables and related items. Typically the articles relate to a certain issue or variety of gardening. One article might address growing grapes (and what to do with them once you have them). Another might address backyard ponds in a good amount of detail. Some show ideas for gardening in small spaces. Still other articles talk about local gardening attractions that would be of interest to any gardener. Whatever the purpose, the articles are well written. One thing that I really like about the articles is that they aren't split up in a manner that forces the reader to flip all over the magazine in order to finish the article.
Another thing that I have noticed about Chicagoland Gardening is that the photography is knock-dead gorgeous! Articles and columns are accompanied by tons of photos that really show off plants and gardens in all their glory. As someone who appreciates a good picture (even when I'm too lazy to do the work of growing the plants myself), I frequently find myself drooling over stunning flowers with exotic names and marveling that something so beautiful can be grown in the Midwest. If you want to see that Chicago really can be a place for thriving gardens and happy wildlife, you have to see Chicagoland Gardening!
The advertisements in Chicagoland Gardening are plentiful but rarely intrusive. The majority of the ads are placed around the regular columns rather than in the articles. Most are for nurseries in the area. Unlike most of the magazines that I read, I find myself reading the ads in Chicagoland Gardening and wondering if I can somehow squeeze in trips to these places along with the rest of my errands.
As someone who normally won't bother picking up a print magazine, I have to say that I really like Chicagoland Gardening. I would recommend it for anyone who likes gardening, especially gardening in the greater Chicago region. Those who are interested in traveling to the Chicago area might also be interested in reading this magazine, as the Calendar of Events will offer enough activities to keep a person busy for weeks. Overall, it's well worth the $18 yearly subscription price. If you love gardening or just the Chicago area in general, you'll like this magazine!
Notes:
** from William Aldreich
"Procrastinator's Delight"
Chicagoland Gardening, Sept/Oct 2002
This is an entry in the Home & Garden Magazine Writeoff hosted by pogomom, Ladysmom, and gracef. Please enjoy these reviews of magazines related to things you can do in, to, or with your home or garden (or even with your pets in your home or garden).
Participants are:
emeleel, GuisBuild, ifif1938, jdhauer, marytara, mind-full, MumMumMum, patriciak, Prepoia, psychovant, and quasar.
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
gracef
|
 - Top 500 |
|
Location: Lost in Texas
Reviews written: 206
Trusted by: 312 members
About Me:
Well, bless your heart!
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.