September 4, 2017 – This is your last issue - Subscription notice

        It never fails.   I toss pending magazine subscription notices into the ‘circular file’ as the current issue often disheartens me.  Half the year I open the glossy gardening magazines and simply yawn at what I see.  I find more articles on exotics, cactus, and xeriscaping than I will ever be interested in.  I ask myself, “Why am I continuing to fork out money for a subscription to this magazine?”  Then, after a once through flipping the glossy, picture-filled pages, I sigh and toss the offending magazine into the shredding basket.

        Just yesterday, I tossed the renewal notice away for the third time and now this months’ issue arrives and there are three – yes – three “on-point” articles in this issue and it is my last issue.

1.  The publisher profiles Plectranthus ‘Mona Lavender’ which catches my attention because it has a purple tinge to the leaves and the flowers are a long tubular shape that I am certain my hummingbirds will love.  That piques my interest and I will have to research it more.

2.  There is an easy to grow Shallots article, which includes what type of soil amendments I should use.  I am planting both garlic and shallots this fall.    The soil amendment list is timely and extremely useful. I will scrounge around in my shed to see what I have to fit the nutrient requirements listed.

3.  Another article, about being a Show-off and preparing your garden for your very first garden tour makes me stop, prop my feet up, and read the article thoroughly. Yes, I am a personal garden show-off and give private tours to anyone who visits.  Just this morning I was opening windows to let in the cool morning air and I stopped to admire my various vistas. For instance, the view of the front walk from the master bedroom with the Stachys looking gorgeous bordering the tall blue ageratums.    From another window, the huge pot of “extreme” orange impatients turned out to be a perfect counterpoint in the deep shade and few visitors actually get to see it. Yes, an extremely useful article – even if I am not going to show my gardens to the public - I can present my gardens better to the casual visitors that come to my gardens.   The article confirmed what my Daddy used to say. “Just pull every weed and edge your garden.”   Yet, it pointed out the intrusive watering cans and hoses that I take for granted but are disconcerting to visitors.

Now, I cannot see myself dropping this garden magazine subscription when I have gotten two top-notch issues this year. 

I think the magazine executives actually plan it that way – Don’t you? They prime you with your last issue being exceptional thereby enticing you to renew at the last minute.

Maybe I do not need to “weed” out my garden magazine subscriptions. Maybe I need to re-think how I look at them by considering the not so helpful issues are like ‘self-sowing volunteer plants’ that I should pass along to new gardening friends.