With spring a reality for some and only a promise for others, gardeners' minds and imaginations are turning toward this year's better-than-ever garden. The bright covers of the garden magazines beckon from newsstand and checkout displays. Which to buy? I can get a half flat of annuals for the price of most magazines, so I want to choose carefully! And this goes double if I am considering a subscription.

[Note: There are wide differences among garden magazines in terms of editorial vs. ad content, and how much actual substance you get for the price, so I have calculated this information and added it at the end of the review.]

"Fine Gardening" is my first choice. Along with gorgeous and inspiring photographs, you get practical advice, sound horticultural information, and lists of sources. Like other Taunton publications, this is a class act, with elegant layouts and a substantial feel in your hands.

A Walk Through the Current Issue: April-May, 2001

Up Front: The handsome, uncluttered cover design and a dazzling photo of a bed of red tulips invite me right in. (Uniquely, FG also uses the back cover for a beautiful photograph, this one is of golden fountain grass against silver artemesia.) The Table of Contents is on the very first inside page – no fumbling through pages of ads to find it. Monthly departments begin on the next page. "Over the Fence," letters from readers, is followed by "Tips," also from readers. This month's tips include using old lampshades as plant covers! "The Working Garden" shows a garden house to die for, and "Container Gardening" has my fingers itching. Along with advice on choosing and using containers for roses, detailed descriptions of a number of varieties (mostly old garden roses), and suggestions for care and feeding, there is a sidebar listing "Some of the best roses for pots" and recommending sources, including URL's. The next department, "Basics," covers soil for pond plants (don't care), with sidebars on the praying mantis and "pinching." "Master Class" is an illustrated how-to for making compost tea using an aquarium pump and a 5-gallon bucket. Yummy.

The Main Event: Now we're on page 38 and the cover story, "Design for Drama with Spring Bulbs." Enjoy the pictures, resolve to come back and read every word....OH LOOK, here's a pull-out! "Top Plant Picks from America's Best Gardeners." Well, all right, I'll take a look later, but I'm not sure I care.... "Planting with a Limited Color Palette," now this looks like something I can use. My garden is tiny and shaded; maybe this can help me find ways to get more impact. There's a color wheel (ho-hum) – but wait! It has plant suggestions for each of the color families. Neat! "A Fresh Look at Junipers" – I'm looking to add some shrubs, so this is a good resource. "Drastic Pruning" – too late, I already brutalized my lilac, but this will help me refine the job. "Fascinating Foamflowers" – aren't they pretty. "Learn to Water Well" – I think I know this stuff, but will skim for new information. "Designing on an Axis" is for someone with an Estate; I like how they used pea gravel for the sitting area, though...hmmmm...."Drying Flowers in Sand" – naw, I don't do crafts. "Archetypal Spaces" is for the real landscape designer, or the dreamer; it is fascinating.

Back of the Book: Uh-oh, an ad. But here are some more departments: "Praisworthy Plants," book reviews, "Garden Architecture" (on Japanese elements), and – oh, look at this ad! It's an all-in-one tool, the Pocket Gardener, and I want it! "Garden Gear" – stuff to buy and where to buy it. "Q & A", and a bunch more small ads, and finally, "Last Word," a lovely essay on the loss of a tree and the new life that followed.... Time to go back and read that article on bulbs.

Details: "Fine Gardening" seems expensive – $5.95 on the newsstand, every other month; $29.95 for a six-month one-year subscription. For this, you get exceptionally dense content, appealing to a wide range of readers. The first and last pages are scattered with small ads, and a few full-page ones, but the entire editorial section – over 40 pages – is totally ad-free! There are the usual annoying insertions, but fewer than in most magazines. Attention to detail, along with the excellent content, makes "Fine Gardening" the cream of the crop.

Website: http://www.taunton.com/fg/

Pages: 116
Ratio of editorial to ad content: 1.34 (in favor of editorial content)
Cost of editorial pages (based on current issue and newstand price): 11 cents a page.
Number of irritating postcards: 5

Compare the Garden Magazines:

Classiest: Fine Gardening
Review: http://www.epinions.com/content_15631748740

Most Politically Correct: Organic Gardening
Review: http://www.epinions.com/content_16062910084

Best Buy, Most Basic: BH&G Flower Gardening

Best Educated: Horticulture Magazine
Review: http://www.epinions.com/content_16010612356

Best Buy, Most Colorful: Country Living Gardener
http://www.epinions.com/content_17353838212




Recommended: Yes