We have made the difficult decision that the new spring issue, #32: Garden Solutions, will be the last print edition of Garden Making magazine. The issue begins to mail to subscribers this week and will be on sale in stores from March to June as well as online at shop.gardenmaking.com. Print copies will be for sale at the TBG booth at Canada Blooms and at garden centres that order copies.
We appreciate the support of all the readers and the companies who marketed to gardeners through the pages of Garden Making over the past nine years. Our small team takes great pride in having been able to provide a quality magazine with a focus on home gardening and a commitment to well-researched, useful writing and photography.
However, we’ve needed to conclude that the marketplace is not robust enough to provide sufficient revenue from readers and advertisers to continue to produce a magazine of the quality and scope that we’ve provided since 2010. We commission and pay for experienced writers and photographers, as well as quality printing. In fact, we have spent more than $1 million on gardening content in 33 issues (including our container gardening special). From 2010 to 2016 we published quarterly issues before reducing to three issues in 2017 and this final issue in 2018. But the revenues we’ve received do not cover all the expenses.
We will continue to support the gardening community through the gardenmaking.com website and our email newsletters. In the online world, we try to be both national (with gardening information) and local (with events listings and reader photos).
The role of print magazines
When we made the announcement last August that we were only releasing three issues in 2017 and planned only two issues in 2018, a number of readers wrote to express their disappointment because they prefer a print magazine instead of digital delivery.
Janet in Schomberg, Ontario, told this story: “My husband and I drove to PEI this summer from Ontario so I decided I needed a garden break on the way. Using your magazine, I picked Domaine Joly-De Lotbiniere in Quebec.
“The garden was wonderful, full of perennials, annuals and flowering shrubs. The plants had a stake with a number by it and they gave us a booklet with all the numbers listed. Beside the number was the Latin name and common name of the flower, so if you saw a flower you liked and wanted to try it in your garden the information was right there. The gardens were very well maintained and the entire grounds were diverse and interesting. The visit was wonderful and we both really enjoyed our stop on the way to PEI.
“We also visited Rideau Woodland Ramble nursery. Just want you to know people do read the ads.”
In fact, a number of readers took the time to comment on how the magazine in its print format had helped them as gardeners. And happily many bought plants or visited gardens as a result of the advertising in the magazine.
Earlier today, when we sent out emails to alert advertisers, many responded with appreciative comments. John Barrett of Vesey’s Seeds gave us permission to quote his comments here:
“Let me add my voice to countless others who have appreciated the dedication and excellence that you and Beckie have provided the gardening public over your years in business. From my perspective as a purchaser of magazine space across North America, I am saddened by the decline in publications and actually believe that this sector will rebound in coming years.
“While online resources are truly an advancement within our age, the pleasure and tactile enjoyment of sitting in an armchair with tea in hand leafing through a magazine (or mail-order catalogue), cannot be replaced by the quick glance viewed on iPads and phones.
“Hats off to what I believe has been the best gardening magazine to come out of Canada in my 25 years in the business. You should both be extremely proud of what you have accomplished and the wonderful reputation you have garnered.”
Garden Making subscriber update March 2018
We now have arranged to transfer the remaining issues of subscriptions to another gardening magazine. Because of this, you do not need to claim back issues. For more info, go to Subscriber Service
Read about what’s inside issue 32
Order a copy now
it a sad day for gardeners every where! so sad you are going , I loved you magazine
winter will not be the same with out your magazine to look through and wish for spring .
the colourful flowers and gardens you showed and the how too do it yourself , I will miss
thanks for a great magazine .
I will miss my favourite garden magazine. I have all the magazines from the beginning I subscribe the Garden Making magazine. It’s the best magazine in Canada I love reading it before going to bed. So long farewell…and goodbye…love you all….
Dear Garden Making,
In my view your magazine was one of the best — if not the best — gardening magazine I have ever read. Gorgeous photos, the perfect compliment of precise, technical and detailed information about plants while not overloading, and featured garden spreads which inspired us to dream bigger. Bravo! for the excellent work you did over the years, and for showing just how good a gardening magazine can be. I will sorely miss the hard copy for reading by the fire, but look forward (reluctantly) to the online version.
We now have concluded an arrangement to transfer remaining Garden Making subscriptions to another gardening magazine in Canada called The Gardener for Canadian Climates.
Published since 1995, The Gardener magazine offers 4 issues per year (winter, spring, summer and fall). Their claim to fame, in their words, is: “The Gardener is recognized as the best horticultural magazine for hardy Canadian growing conditions. Every issue contains expert gardening information to overcome the challenges of gardening in a climate with short growing seasons, difficult winters and unpredictable precipitation.”
We are asking The Gardener to send a copy of their June 2018 issue to all subscribers who received a copy of Garden Making No. 32. More information is now on our Subscriber Service page.
I’ll miss getting a print copy of Garden Making but I am so happy you will continue with a digital edition. I’m not sure my garden could survive without a reliable Canadian source of inspiration and advice.
Very disappointed.
It was so nice to read a Canadian magazine suitable to our growing conditions, and the availability of new plants suitable to our growing zones.
Always anxious to get the next issue.
I am truly saddened by this news. Over the years I found your magazine to be the best published for my needs. Bravo to you both for years of so much gardening information well and interestingly presented!
Such sad news. The arrival of my Garden Making issue in the mailbox has given me a leap of joy every time since you first started. I keep all the copies, refer back to them over and over for a lift in spirit or new idea . I designed my front yard garden years ago with several cultivars specifically due to the articles from Garden Making. I do hope Vesey’s belief that print will have a resurgence is accurate. Wandering on line just doesn’t engage my imagination and joy like the paper of your magazine has. thank you for persisting as long as you have . I will so miss it.
I very much want to thank you for all your efforts in producing an outstanding Canadian gardening magazine. I do aprreciate how difficult it is to produce and fund a magazine of this quality. We are all the poorer for the lack of such an informative, and might I add, mood brightening, resource. I look forward to this last issue and will keep it for reference with the rest. All the best.
Michael & Beckie
I am heartbroken to hear that the printed magazine will stop. I always looked forward to seeing a copy in my mailbox. Before I sold my landscaping business my clients would receive a subscription at Christmas as a thank you for their continued business. They also were appreciative of the quality of the publication and a number of their gardens were changed to emulate those that were seen in the magazine. Thank you for the years of pleasure that you have provided and best of luck in the future.
I look forward to hearing how we can use the balance of our subscriptions for past issues as I only discovered you in your 3rd year.
Really sorry to hear that Garden Making will no longer publish a print copy. It was the BEST Canadian garden magazine, and worth every penny. I will miss it! Just this past week I took a back issue to a housebound friend (recovering from a hospital stay, after flu) and she & I had a great discussion over one of the articles. It was a great way to spend a February afternoon.
I am so sorry that you are unable to continue with the print magazine. I spoke to you Michael when I called to start a subscription when you first began. I was so excited to finally have a Canadian magazine. I reread them, back to #1 enjoying the information and the photography.
Thank you for the enjoyment over these years and I wish you and Becky all best wishes for the future.
Will truly miss having this wonderful magazine in my hands. Enjoy print so much more than online. Your magazines are great resource manuals and I keep all my copies to uses over and over.
I still remember signing up for my 5 year subscription at the Gardening Show at the International Centre when you first came out. I was so thrilled to see such a high quality gardening magazine coming out of Canada and have always been eager to support you. While I am so very disappointed at not being able to hold in my hands and page through such a beautiful and well thought out publication, I completely understand your position.
I will miss this magazine so very much and thank all of you who made it the best gardening magazine.
The website is great, but I will truly miss the print edition of GardenMaking. Thank you for creating and producing a beautiful Canadian magazine!
I look forward to your last print copy as I have to all that came before. Truly this gardening magazine is the best I have ever subscribed to. I always read it cover to cover and have kept every copy as I refer to them periodically, and often times during long winter months, to enjoy photos, and to get inspiration for the following growing season.
I do appreciate your circumstances and will miss this magazine. Thank you, I will continue to enjoy online.
Thank-you for having produced such a wonderful high-quality gardening magazine these past 8 years. I have so appreciated many hours relaxing in my garden reading through so much inspiration and information. While sad to see the print editions ending I appreciate the challenging environment now for print. Thanks for your great contribution to gardening in Canada!
What will happen with my subscription when you stop publishing print magazines. I have been a subscriber since your first issue and will miss having your colourful magazine around. I really do think that we need a Canadian Garden Magazine and will miss yours.
Hello Eliza,
Thank you for your comments about the magazine.
For subscriptions with issues remaining, our preference is to offer a selection of Garden Making back issues: 1 back issue for every issue remaining in the subscription. As an alternative, because people signed up for a gardening magazine, we also are in discussions with other gardening magazines about the possibility of transferring subscriptions. We will be able to provide details the week of March 5. Of course, if people insist on a refund for issues remaining, we will arrange that. We appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding. We are a small company.
Michael Fox, Publisher
What a great loss this will be. Sitting on ky porvh, thumbing through back issues, planning changes to my garfens, was a lovely way to spens a summer’s afternoon
This was by far the very best gardening magazine for Canadian garfens, both in its content and in its high wuality format. Thank you for your years of hard work and defication. Barb Ridley, Dundas
How unfortunate. I enjoyed sitting down & reading your magazine and looking for new ideas.
Not big on reading articles on line.
So very sad. GardenMaking is an exceptional gardening magazine, the best I’ve ever read. I agree whole heartedly with John Barrett’s comments.
Thank you for all your work on this wonderful magazine.
i will greatly missed seeing your lovely, informative magazine in my mailbox!
Thank you!
I will miss receiving a truly Canadian gardening magazine of good quality for sure. I do enjoy the pleasure of sitting at my kitchen table with a cup of tea and initially browsing through a new copy and then reading it thoroughly. Thank you for your work trying to keep it coming as long as possible.
I’m very sorry to hear this news. I thoroughly enjoyed your magazine and know many other gardeners (including my father, who received a subscription as a gift from his favourite/only daughter). Thank you Garden Making team for your great work–you produced a stellar magazine and you will be missed!
Thank you for what has been a terrific gardening magazine.
I’ll mostly miss my lift in spirit, so needed in our Canadian winters.