Garden Design

A beautiful magazine, lovely photography, useful articles that de-emphasize the LATIN names. I have found that in some serious gardening magazines, the nomenclature takes over-so that the magazine, regardless of how good it is, becomes a tedious read.

I hope the entertaining aspect is minimized. I would hate to see A “Town and Country Gardener” focus. I was almost embarrassed for the kids in a ParkLife photo in the May issue. (p. 62) Too much space was given to this article! This is a magazine of IDEAS, after all.
Rating: 4 / 5

This is the gardening magazine I reach for first. Call me shallow, but I like pictures that get my heart racing, send my mind looking for things I can do in my own garden, and make me see things in a different way. For the “how to” I might turn to other sources, but this is the one that gets me going the minute I see the gorgeous cover.
Rating: 5 / 5

Garden Design Magazine is a publication dedicated to the planting, care, and display of plants, shrubs, trees, flowers, etc. This magazine ranks as one of the best known publication about general landscaping and it offers some nice ideas for shrubbery, plants, and general enhancements that can add greatly to your home’s curb appeal.

One fact that might surprise first time readers is that Garden Design Magazine is not a magazine about gardening per se, i.e, planting vegetables and taking care of them. Rather, this is a magazine about landscaping, backyard entertainment, and related topics and even though I do not possess a green thumb, I still find Garden Design Magazine a publication to my liking. The main reason I like this publication is because I enjoy the different ideas offered and I like the fact that it talks about more than just plants. This magazine is also interested in helping you redesign your patio and look for new and fun ways to entertain guests in your backyard. This is why I tend to turn quickly to the departments and featured articles that talk about new products for enjoying the outside of your home and the different ways you can redesign or enhance your patio to make it more attractive and more guest- friendly.

Garden Design Magazine contains many attractive photos of lush garden landscapes and it is great for discovering new and better ways to select trees, shrubs, plants, and flowers for general home improvement. However, there is one fact about Garden Design Magazine that could surprise some readers: It isn’t a how- to magazine, in the usual sense. It doesn’t offer step by step instructions or charts/tables to follow. Instead, it is a visual magazine with articles that stimulate the imagination.

Garden Design Magazine is written more for the affluent homeowner who has a large yard and plenty of money to burn. It is true that most anyone can benefit from the articles in this magazine and the many design ideas. But the features, new products, landscaping designs, etc., that will stand out in your memory are usually those that feature a large, expensive home with a beautifully manicured lawn. Many of these design ideas and entertainment options are quite attractive, but the money necessary to transform one’s home in this manner could easily cost several thousand and even tens of thousands of dollars. Yes, there is some good, practical advice in Garden Design Magazine, but there is also a good deal of fantasy.

Garden Design Magazine is a good publication that I will continue to enjoy for the forseeable future. My favorite sections are those involving patio design ideas and entertainment suggestions because these are the ones I relate to best. I also like the photography and the general presentation, which is very classy and elegant. It adds up toa nice magazine with many features for all to enjoy.
Rating: 4 / 5

I’ve been a subscriber for 4 years, it was given at first as a gift ( nice idea, that).

NOT a how -to.

Not even educational about plant specifics, as Horticulture Mag. is.

But, very inspiring, and worth saving stacks of them for those dreary late winter and muddy early spring days when one is tired of looking at the drab landscape. This magazine provides stunning color and design concepts to translate into one’s own garden space.

One of the few magazines I keep on hand for bursts of motivation and ideas.

A drawback is that it is published 7 x a year, sometime in 2 month intervals, sometimes comes once a month, and it is hard to immediately know when a issue does not arrive on schedule. ( which has happened recently).
Rating: 4 / 5

Pros: It is beautiful to look at. The feel of it is nice and the photography is top notch. It showcases innovative design & people in the industry.

Cons: Not very practical in terms of instruction. It’s good for getting ideas but there isn’t much instruction on how the garden shown got to that point. It has a lot of product reviews that are, for the most part, for very expensive products.

I don’t look forward to reading it as much as say “Fine Gardening” which I read cover to cover.
Rating: 3 / 5