Magazines Snub Vegetable Gardens

Posted by Amy Urquhart May 22, 2008

I recently renewed my subscription to a popular national gardening magazine in the hopes it would provide me with some more inspiration. While the magazine is lovely, and contains beautiful ideas for back and front yard landscaping and flower gardening, I find that I am continually disappointed in the lack of representation of vegetable gardening ideas and articles focused on growing edibles in mainstream gardening magazines. Earlier this spring, I wrote about how happy I was to see vegetable gardening featured in Martha Stewart Living’s annual gardening issue.

I have a small prediction to make, however. With the rising costs of gasoline, food is going to become more expensive, especially things like out-of-season produce. For instance, in Ontario we all enjoy eating strawberries in January, even if that means they were trucked in from California.

The home grown food movement is quickly expanding, and as more and more back yard gardeners begin to inject a little food into their perennial gardens, the appearance of a tomato plant growing next to some daylilies will become more than trendy; it will become necessary.

Let’s jump the gun, shall we? If you’re interested in seeing more vegetable gardening resources in gardening magazines and books, there is something you can do. You can write the editor of these magazines. Tell them you want to see a greater balance between edible and flower gardening in their publications. Tell local bookstores you want to buy more books about vegetable gardening and growing food.

Click on these links to send an e-mail!

• Gardening Life Magazine
• Canadian Gardening Magazine
• Better Homes and Gardens

It’s a small effort, but one worth making.