Michael, I subscribe to a lot of magazines, different subjects and for a very long time. I am used to them and the changes some for the better and others not so much.

Most of my gardening magazines are for general gardening and the only one that I have now just for Florida is what else but the Florida gardening magazine. I do miss the old writers and their articles like Bill but like anything else things are always changing and they did not ask what the gardeners are interested in but I guess they are gearing towards what sells in their eyes.

I saw the article about that lady,lol. I did not even read it, not interested but I like the one with the Brazilian Red Cloak and probably because I have it and I can relate to it.

In the style of Southern Living sometimes I see articles with wealthy people decor and gardens, I like the new issues because of the Holidays and their recipes. One magazine that I usually like Martha Stewart Living, this December issue I did not like at all, it had too many Christmas trees and white sweets.

I saw that you found at least one article that you liked about the palms, it is going to be like that some articles we will like and can learn from it and others have no substance at all...

Silvia

I like the Plant Spotlights. The Q&A section and the small News section are nice. I even wrote them a raving review of how much I liked the Small Spaces Gardens article in their first issue, but since then I have had to write two critiques on what I see as a failing quality in the meat of their articles.
When I receive a new issue, I glance through it the first day, read the articles that interest me the next day and then spend the next week reading all the articles, even the ones I had already read. I almost feel bad for critiquing the articles so hard, seeing as how they seem to only have three writers, but i don't think it is completely on the writers. I think part of the blame is on the editors. A few times I have felt that there should be more to an article, but it was edited down and left feeling chopped. But sometimes it does seem to be a matter of poor writing. By the time I finished reading the Fire and Water article in the last issue, I had a fairly good feeling the writer was a pyromaniac. "Here are lots of ways to include fire in your garden. And for water, here are all the reasons you should avoid it (unless you have space and money).

I don't know. I just hope they improve over the next year.

Michael - Last September when I went to the Home Show in Daytona I saw that Florida Gardening Magazine had a sales table. I spoke with the sales guy and he told me that the parent company owns gardening magazines for several states in the eastern part of the country. They couldn't resist buying the previously existing Florida Gardening Magazine because there were 19,000 subscribers.

Like Silvia, I do miss seeing Bill's articles. At first I felt that I wasn't going to like the new style but I have to admit that many of the photos are spectacular. Since I like to focus on edibles, I am very pleased that there is at least one article focusing on growing plants to eat in each issue. These edible spotlights often suggest suitable varieties for our area. I have been trying them with success. So, I guess it depends on what your specific interests are as to how you feel about the changes. At first I felt that I wasn't going to renew my subscription but I surely will.

Christine

So tell me about this lady's knick-knacks! OK, just kidding, lol.

+oM