Brandywine tomatoes

[Cheryl Isaak]

American Gardener.

I had Horticulture, but dropped when they tried to be everything to everyone. Had Fine Gardening, but got bored with the uneven writing, but would take it as a gift. Dropped People, Plants and Places - they'd have been fine if they stuck to gardening, but like most organic mags, strayed in to politics once too often.

There were others, but they are mostly out of print now.

And if you, like me, like to know more about why we garden, try Green Prints on for size.

Stone does a great job as editor. Everything is well written and each issue has pure gems.

C

[JoeSpareBedroom]

I know why I garden. It's peaceful, I get vegetables out of the deal, and it gives me an honest reason to terrorize dog owners.

[mleblanca]

Cheryl proclaimed

Cheryl, please tell us ALL about MMcG's Shorts and how you know this.......

(Any sweet tea is too much ) Oh yes, have read HM several times also. Emilie

[Ann]

Cheryl Isaak expounded:

I don't get that one. Used to, but we (mom and I, we share) let it drop for some reason.

Get that one with the Mass Hort membership, so I read it. It's never all that exciting now, that's for sure.

Now this is one of my favorites, I've got every issue since #1.

I like the organic movement, just not the politics. I do get this one and enjoy it, but remember, I'm a part-time Mainer, so we go to lots of the gardens and stuff that's written up in it. I am also an attender of the Common Ground Fair - I have to bite my tongue at some of the politics (well, lots of it) but I do firmly believe in the organic food movement (local foods, too), and it's the best agricultural fair going without all the midway crap. Fryeburg is the best all around fair. But we aren't talking about fairs, are we?

I love this one, I've only been getting it for a couple years, but it's definitely a keeper. Did you read the story about the magic zinnias? I burst into tears! The loss of an old gardener, yet the saving of her heritage, and the magic of seeds. Amazing stuff.

[Cheryl Isaak]

Giggle, I don't mind the dogs or the cats. The ground hog is another story! C

[JoeSpareBedroom]

When a neighbor's dog digs right in the middle of your flowers and takes a crap where you were hoping to work, you'll mind. I've retrained most of these scumbag dog owners, though, one at a time. It's fun to see them squirm when the cops arrive, and even more fun when animal control arrives with the cage.

[Cheryl Isaak]

Mike McGrath used to edit Organic Gardening back when it spent more time talking about gardening and less about how evil (fill in the blank) was. His dismissal over disparaging a deep pockets chemical company lead to the end of the magazine I think.

His short piece in Green Prints are fluffy and generally fun. But sometimes, he's like sweet tea or cotton candy. A little is fine, but after a while, my teeth start to hurt.

[Cheryl Isaak]

To mine mind its just the best of the bunch. Even if I'm off the garden for some reason, it's still readable....

I just got bored especially when there was nothing for the northern gardener.

Used to love it, now pick up several months at the library and scan it....

I loved it when it first came out. All northern gardening, none of the this won't survive a winter plants. It was even ok when it went to the Mid Atlantic states. But some of the editor's politics and social agenda crept in and that bothered me. And I hate when he talks about his family - it's kind of twee (aka tacky). (mind you - there is some of that in Green Prints, but it lacks the pretentiousness of Mr. Tukey )

With a little luck, DD and I will make the Deerfield Fair....

Yes, it is all so very good. I'm going to figure out which back issues I'm missing and get them. It is just right for reading just before bed time or when I have a few minutes. Hmm - wonder if I still have that second issue of Chicken Soup for the Gardener's Soul. I have a signed copy from Pat. He and I have had some fun talks at renewal time - I've tried to get the longest possible renewal I can... C

[Cheryl Isaak]

Since I basically like dogs, I'll be a little calmer about it. Mind you the only dogs around either A. do it on "their lawn" B. In the woods

And the cats don't seem to use the garden...

[JoeSpareBedroom]

Who cares if dogs do it in woods??? But, I believe in respecting private property. If it's OK for someone to purposely let their dog out the front door with no concern about where it craps, then I think it should be OK for me to set their car on fire. It's the same thing, really. :-)

[Ann]

Cheryl Isaak expounded:

I dearly remember the old Organic Gardening and Farming, and miss it and Mike's writings in it. I do read him in Green Prints, but OG has never been the same. I get that now because I'm a member of the New England Wildflower Society - I'd rather they stuck to the lovely mugs they gave us each year, or the prints. OG is a waste of celluloid now.

[mleblanca]

Oh darn I thought you meant another kind of 'shorts' emilie

[Cheryl Isaak]

Well, a number of people have reported dog walkers that use our neighborhood as pooping grounds. (But not the guys that have the courtesy to at least dump into woods.) But the resident dogs are well behaved. C

[Cheryl Isaak]

Having never met the man, I have no interest in whether he wears tighty whities or boxers...

[Cheryl Isaak]

UGH - NEWS gives that as a member bonus, shudder. I tried it once after the "name change" and it was awful. The quality of writing (already sliding before MMcG left) was terrible and not even worth the compost value.

At least you could regift the mug.. C

[jangchub]

Yeah, that is a shame. I had a friend of my father's give me a huge box full of the original A4 format OGM and when I escaped from New York I got rid of them. I sure do wish I'd have thought that one through. All that information is more than likely still relavant. I also used to love the OG show on PBS. When Mike left OG the show was no longer fun. Shame.

[Cheryl Isaak]

I'd have taken those. I heard about the show and mostly good things, but with Victory Garden being the locally filmed PBS show, there was no chance of them picking it up. C

[jangchub]

...and I'd have given them to you. There must have been ten years worth, but I only took what would fit in or on top of my car and the huge animal carrier took up the wholeback seat. Oh well. Live and learn. It was neat seeing some of the really old ads, particularly the hand illustrated ones.

v

[Cheryl Isaak]

Such is life...

[jangchub]

OR, as I like to say; FEH!