Thursday, November 27, 2008

Gardening Magazines: another great gift for the season

Gardening magazines are a great source of knowledge for all types of gardeners, from beginner to expert. Invaluable for the person new to gardening, a magazine will provide information and tutorials on everything from checking soil types to using garden tools, plant guides and much more. Even the most seasoned gardeners will have a question about their garden once in a while, and you can bet that beginners will be full of questions. Gardening magazines can help with questions that arise involving nearly every aspect of gardening. Not only will gardening magazines give instructions on gardening, they also provide readers with the latest news in the gardening world.

Gardening magazine subscribers are privy to all of the latest information regarding things such as new gardening tools, fertilizers, and pesticides that are introduced to the market. For example, there are always new programs and clubs for gardeners to join, or perhaps a local gardening class that is available. When new tools are produced, such as a new kind of blower or vacuum or new kinds of lawn mowers or tillers that are available, a gardening magazine is the best place to get all of the information. Not only will these magazines tell you about these products, they will also give you options on where to find them and for the lowest costs.

Gardening magazines offer hints and tips on how to rid your garden of those ever pesky insects. They will also discuss the many ways to recognize and fight diseases that may overtake your plants. The information you get from these magazines could be what ends up saving your garden.

Gardening magazines usually come with a gardening maintenance section that will instruct readers on things like how to prune, when to divide, which fertilizers would be better for your plants, and how much to water. They provide simple, easy to understand instructions on everything from how to deal with weeds to planting tulips.

Gardening magazines give ideas about landscaping and, if enforced, could change the entire outlook of your yard or flower garden. Gardening magazines are loaded with not only landscape ideas, but with beautifully designed living spaces that rival the most exquisite living rooms. Cozy fireplaces grace patio corners, built in grills and outdoor ovens create casual and relaxing eating atmospheres, and pools surrounded with tropical themes give an instant vacation feel to the tired worker returning home. Garden designs can be difficult at best, and magazines can supply gardeners with inspiration and ideas on what will look good and suit their area.

Garden magazines also give subscribers the chance to write questions to be published so that they can get a specific answer from a gardening professional. They also provide gardeners with the chance to share their knowledge and expertise with the public by submitting articles of their choice for publication. One of the highest honors in gardening is to have your lawn or garden displayed in a magazine for everyone to see. It is definitely the pinnacle of gardening.

Gardening magazines provide gardeners with inspiration, ideas, instruction, and even entertainment. Many times gardening magazines will also provide readers with coupons that they can use to purchase items that will either improve, enlarge, or enhance their gardens. Gardening magazines are a primary source for both beginner and experienced gardeners everywhere to get all the latest news and age old gardening traditions at the same time.

Gardening magazines are monthly garden inspiration and are a great option for thoughtful Dad, and yes, it's a gift that keeps on giving. Here is a list of gardening magazines you might want to consider getting a subscription to.

Magazines “by the yard”

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Gardening Gifts for the Season

Gardening has become one of the most popular hobbies people have these days, and you probably know a gardener or two who would love a gardening gift for their upcoming special occasion. There are hundreds of gardening gifts to buy for both the beginner and expert gardener, and the great thing about gardening gifts is they can be bought just about anywhere: online, nursery, feed store, farmer’s market, even your local department store or grocery store.

Gift for a beginner

If buying a gardening gift for a beginner, an instructional or informational book is always a good idea. Books like this will give tips on how to eliminate gardening nightmares like disease, insects, and weeds. They will tell gardeners which kind of plants thrive in different climates, as well as how much sun, water, and nutrients various types of plants require. Books like this can be purchased at nurseries, online, or at your local bookstore. If your gardening friend is a “computer nerd”, a gardening information CD might be a better gift for them than a book.

Plants are always great gardening gift
Whether giving to a novice or expert professional, a plant is always a great gardening gift.
1. Whether buying the traditional gift, like a poinsettia at Christmas, or just some random plant, a plant is sure to be greatly appreciated and enjoyed.
2. Another idea is to buy seeds or just a bulb for someone to transplant. Giving a perennial would be a gift that keeps on giving.
3. Theme gardening gifts using plants can also be loads of fun. An herb can come with an attached card including a recipe using that herb. A plant that produces nectar and will attract butterflies can be coupled with a book on butterflies.

Gardening tools

Possibly the best and most common, gardening gift is gardening tools. This can be anything as simple as a hoe or rake to something more high-tech like an electric blower or vacuum. These are good for removing debris, leaves, or grass from driveways and side walks. Other favorites are gloves, hedge trimmers, and sprinklers.

A calendar
An excellent gardening gift that is rarely thought of is a calendar. Calendar’s can serve dual purposes; it can be decorative with beautiful gardening themes, or can be used to keep up with the moon phase that affects most all plants. A farmer’s almanac is also a good idea, it is full of information regarding the weather, moon phase, when to plant, when to prune; it is the best guidebook to gardening there is.

Gift certificate
The ultimate gardening gift for any gardener is a gift certificate to a nursery or store where gardening tools or plants are available. This way, your friend can get any tool they do not have in their collection, or any kind of plant their heart desires.

Gift giving is a difficult task at best, but if you have gardeners for friends, a gardening gift is an easy way out and makes your gift buying simpler. As we have seen gardening gifts can range anywhere from tools to actual plants and with gardening gifts you have a wide range of costs to choose from as well. You can give an inexpensive pair of gloves or an expensive power tiller. So the next time you go gift shopping, think about a gardening gift for your friends with green thumbs!

Gifts “by the yard”