Phoenix Home & Garden

I have subscribed to 'Phoenix Home & Garden' for many years, and I look forward to every issue. There are loads of useful articles about living in Arizona (or any desert environment) including realty, water conservation, and, of course, design. The magazine has great examples of outstanding Southwest architecture and design in every issue, though I wish they would talk more about sub-$1,000,000 homes. All in all, the text and articles are well done, consistently informative, and beautifully illustrated with outstanding color photographs.

The bad news about 'Phoenix Home & Garden' is similar to that for 'Architectural Digest': too many ads. The magazine is simply gargantuan and an enormous percentage of it is taken up with advertising, some of which is only tangentially related to the focus of the magazine. While the content of the magazine is quite good, it is very annoying turning through page after page of ads to finally reach the next article. This unfortunate trend makes the magazine much less reader-friendly, and is responsible for the reduction to three stars in my rating.

Phoenix Home and Garden is easily one of the best "home and garden" type magazines currently available. I highly recommend it to anyone with a flair (or even a modicum of interest) for design and a desire to live comfortably in a low maintenance home situated in ANY desert environment. They've left nothing out!

A typical issue might include several dynamic design solutions, i.e. for custom lighting, creative storage, etc.

In depth interviews with architects and designers who bring decades of experience to the table and offer hot new ideas for age old problems. Feature stories showcasing creative renovations or simple design solutions that bring life back to tired, sun baked Arizona homes are always full of wonderful surprises that range from easy do at home to the more difficult and challanging projects for professionals.

There are still more interviews with interesting people "in the news" and terrific stories about some of AZ's more facinating historical personages and locales. You'll find a variety of miscellaneous interest stories about upcoming exciting events to attend in Arizona. In fact, the last several pages of the magazine are dedicated to hundreds of listings (and contact information) for places to go, things to do, and people to see, including (but not limited to) benifits and fund raisers, wine tastings, and tours. There are pages upon pages of listings for the various theatre groups, opera performances, symphony and ballet performances, as well as numerous listings directed towards childrens performing arts. I particularly appreciate the listings for the exhibits and shows at the many museums and cultural arts centers. There are listings for special events, fairs, dance and music concerts and cultural festivals, including the much anticipated Sadona Jazz Festival (a personal favorite)! The featured artists and magnificant art exhibitions at the numerous gallerys and museums are also listed, sometimes with showcase insets to wet your appetite.

Awards cerimonies, marketplaces, planetarium shows, expos, golf tours, the list goes on and on.

Of course no desert home and garden publication would be complete without the requisite articles about the use of outdoor architure to capture and frame the scenic desert mountains, or the fabulous landscaping ideas that include low maintainence gardening tips (that everyone can appreciate). Even several of AZ's garden societies are listed with their contact information.

I always look forward to trying any of the dozens of recipes from some of Arizona's popular restaurants and world famous chefs. Hundreds of restaurants are listed by catagory, i.e. international, continental, french, italian, mexican, southwestern, asian, etc. You will also find a few schedules for cooking classes hosted by some of AZ's most prestigeous culinary schools and/or chefs.

Special editions, including the popular Physicians issue, are practical and extremely handy to have as convenient reference guides.

All in all, this is THE magazine!

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We purchased Phoenix Home & Garden as a gift for our daughter last Christmas. Our daughter is a designer in the Phoenix area, loves the publication and uses it frequently in her work. The last purchase was a renewal for Christmas 2008.

The only problem was a coordination issue between Amazon and the publisher. After renewing I received an email stating the subscription order had been received and the first issue should be received in October. The original subscription did not expire until January. I had to make a couple call to find out the transaction would have been handled as a renewal in spite of what the email said. I think such information should be made available at the time of renewal.

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Nice magazine. A little to early to see what future magazines are going to be like. But so far, so good.

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I am restoring a 1928 Spanish Revival home in San Antonio, Texas. This magazine often features the classic adobe style and a modern interpretation of this style, but I can often find great sources for materials to be used in my house, including light fixtures, doors, windows, etc... In the end, my house will not look like these homes, but I am continuing to purchase this magazine for the rich network of sources and ideas on its pages. Highly recommended.

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