The English Garden (1-year auto-renewal)

This bimonthly magazine is a wish book for those of us who don't have two full-time gardeners on staff, or a few acres of woods to devote to bluebells, or the ruins of an ancient abbey to train roses against. My Regency ancestors were breaking their backs on hardscrabble New England farms, rather than building follies or planting mazes, or having their grounds landscaped by Capability Brown.

Oh, but what if....

I've subscribed to "The English Garden" for many years now, and I don't think I've ever gotten anything useful out of it, but the gardens photographed within its glossy pages are to dream for: acres of blooming rhododendrons; statuesque old sequoias that were planted when Victoria was queen; lavender hedges; outdoor rooms that have been replanted to a 17th century plan; a sundial pool; and of course, a bluebell wood.

There are plenty of suggestions for the serious gardener. For example, the current issue (July 2005) features the following:

* For year round colour, buy a couple of peacocks. Their screams will also scare away the burglars

* One gentleman favors beer for slugs, "Although I don't dare use it here the gardeners would drink it!"

* Hazel twigs bent over beds and urns will deter the peacocks

* Add a touch of history to your garden with an Italian carved white marble seat. It can be picked up at Sotheby's Garden Statuary sale for a mere 25,000 40,000 pounds. (I absolutely lust for this bench, but alas my pension must be spent elsewhere)

* "Use perfumed plants in the conservatory because the warmth generated by the glass pumps fragrance through the house"

* Plant marigolds in your walled kitchen garden to keep "eelworm and whitefly at bay"

* Flank the path to the summerhouse with rhododendrons and white narcissi

* To break up a long path, use arches "lightly clothed with jasmine or clematis"

If some of the above tips are a bit too steep for your pocketbook, you can do like me and drool over the marvelous photographs of someone else's jasmine arch and Italian carved marble.

When I moved from my house with a small, elaborate and alas poorly-maintained garden in London to a house in the midwestern United States with a plot of land that would command millions were it in the centre of London, I had visions of majestic hedgerows and beds of flowers and vines and garden paths. Indeed, I have such (at a friend's house!). I have a few plots that are irregularly tended, but, over the course of the past decade, they have grown bit by bit each summer into more interesting plots. Part of what has given me inspiration is the idea of the ideal English Garden, perhaps the quintessential gardening goal.

To this end, 'The English Garden' has fueled my thoughts and my ambitions, plant-wise. I am particularly pleased with the latest issue, for they are beginning a series entitled How to create an English Garden, something that, while I have striven for aspects to match, has alluded me these past many years.

Articles in each issue are classified under the following categories: Glorious Gardens, a section that seeks out particular, interesting gardens around England, small and large, that conform to the English Garden ideal, as well as the occasional garden from abroad; Gardening Matters, in which the mechanics of gardening are explained, including design, planning, acquisition, seasonal transitions, and problems; Out and About, which looks for travel opportunities, gardening events worldwide, and product information; and Regulars, which includes letters, question and answer section (both very informative), book reviews, and a column entitled Kitchen Garden which talks about food-gardening as well as well as small, indoor garden plants. Regulars contributors include master gardeners David Manson, Rory Mower, Susan Chivers, and Helen Gunn.

The past few issues have included articles entitled In Town: An Artist's London Garden, which shows that the tradition of painting in one's garden didn't stop with Monet, and requires talent in both painting and gardening for most; Historical Perspectives: The Queen's Secret Walled Garden which has recently been opened to the public, and Opening Out: Restoration in the Wye Valley, a story on the resurrection of a garden in the west, near one of my favourite parts of Britain.

I always turn green with envy upon seeing the wonderful gardens, and it makes me wish I had a green thumb and much more time and energy to devote to cultivation of beauty. Alas, 'tis not to be in my life for the foreseeable future, but I do learn quite a bit by reading English Gardens, and it helps me maintain my sense of England.

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I've been a subscriber for a few years, and always eagerly devour the issue from cover to cover. It sends me back to England every other month, and for the hour or two that it takes me to read it, I couldn't be happier. Sometimes I find wonderful gardening information that applies to my small, urban CA garden, but the beautifully written articles and glorious color photographs would keep me enthralled anyway. Don't be put off by the review posted that said there was no way to reach anyone about a missing subscription. First, given that it is only published every other month, and the delay in getting things back and forth over the Atlantic, it isn't too surprising that there could be a few month delay in beginning a new subscription. But there IS a phone number (...) and email address (...) for their US distributor, The British Connection, which also handles their sister publication, The English Home. I started with the gardening magazine and added the home one about a year later, and I love it just as much. I feel like I've given myself a very special treat whenever one arrives in the mail box, and I've never had a problem with either subscription. Give it a try, they are very special, unique publications! What a lovely gift!

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The magazine is aptly titled and the pictures are beautiful. This will be one of those magazines that friends dropping by will pick up and browse through, gardeners will be inspired and probably, those blasted subscription cards will be put into use. It certainly is a quality production and the text that accompanies the stories is informative as well.

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photos are so good I look at these mags over and over and use them as coffee table books!!

The information contained in them has great value when considering what kinds of plants to choose.

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Coin World Special Edition

I used to enjoy the worldwide coins issue from this company who discontinued the product and "included" the content in the special edition along with paper money. Every month they kept reducing the world coins section. I purchased the product for that section. I won't be renewing. The American coins section seems fine but the paper money and world coins are too little, and seem to be an afterthought.

Coin Prices (1-year)

Coin Prices is the most comprehensive, up-to-date, value guide, aside from CDN Greysheet, for the numismatic hobbiest. It is much easier to use than the Greysheet, more economical, and has listings occasionally for Mexican coins, Canadian coins, and U.S. Currency. The values listed are far more realistic than the values listed in Coin World's Coin Values publication. I would recommend this magazine to anyone in the hobby, whether they be a collector, investor, or dealer, Coin Prices is, by far, the best.

I have subscribed to Coin Prices on and off for at least 20 years. With the price of silver going up so fast as the dollar crashes the silver coin prices are out of date, but other than that the magazine is wonderful.

If you have an interest in coin prices this is an excellent magazine.

The primary purpose of the magazine is to give current coin prices 6 times a year. If you are interested in coin collecting itself Coins magazine is good as it deals more with collecting.

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This magazine basically only gives current values of coins, etc. I thought it would give ideas on how to get started, where to look for information on collecting or where to order things like coin folders, etc. The prices in this magazine were very different from the the red book and blue book. Who is right?

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I renewed this publication for my husband. He just received notice that it will be replaced with a different magazine. Hopefully he will enjoy the new one as much or more than the one ordered. Color us both surprised.

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I have been having to look through a lot of sources to find current coin prices(especially silver stuff). Just got my first "Coin Prices" magazine and right away it was very useful!

France Amerique

..then this is a great magazine. Well written articles from current news to history, stories you won't find elsewhere. Great for practicing comprehension and pronunciation, good for classes. If you subscribe to TV5, there is a great pullout for next month's programs. Note: all of this magazine is in French.

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Texas Gardener

It's hard to find good information that really applies to Texas gardening. I enjoy lots of gardening magazines, but most of them are East-coast centric and simply don't apply to our state's unique gardening requirements. This magazine is excellent and just what I was looking for. I would recommend it to beginning or experienced gardeners alike.

I love this magazine. It's been a real help with my vegetable garden, giving a nice timeline of what and when to plant. The plant suggestions and advice, esp as regards to fruits and vegs, have been wonderful. It's pretty costly IMHO but on the plus side, there are very few ads, unlike Mother Earth News or BHG. All in all, a great magazine for the Texas gardener.

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I have subscribed to Texas Gardener for many, many years. It has timely articles, gives common sense advice and is entertaining all at the same time. I've kept all my issues and refer back to them any time I have a question. I got a good price on Amazon.

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This magazine is a wonderful resource for anyone attempting to garden in Texas' diverse and sometimes challenging climate and soils. Well worth the price.

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This magazine is so helpful, provides detailed lists of what to do for the month or two ahead. Covers this diverse state well. I've picked it up from time to time on the newsstand but never subscribed. Now I won't be without it!

Bike : Britains Biggest Motorcycle Magazine

After you get a load of Bike the USA magazines will read like advertising slicks. It is the real deal for riding enthusiasts, written by riders for riders. They do excellent equipment and bike reviews, but the best articles are about the local heroes playing motorcycle in England and the continent. These guys aren't trying to get a job on a high paying car magazine, they are telling their friends, and you are privileged to be among them if you are a reader, about what's happening on the scene. The language is raw and so are the opinions. It is unpretentious British "working class" writing about a "working class" experience. It is the best general motorcycle riding magazine for the money, even though it costs two to three times more than American magazines. These guys are real, not a lot of posers, and they know what they're talking about.

WHY ISN'T THIS MAG ON KINDLE? IT SEEMS THAT NONE OF MY FAVORITES, EX. TOP GEAR ARE ON THE KINDLE. BIKE IS A GREAT MAGAZINE. BETTER THAN A LOT OF THE OTHER CRAP YOU FIND OUT THERE!

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Brit Mag never short on laffs, great pics and interesting, substantive articles. Definitely not PC, rude, literate humor is the norm. Not a candy rag that just prints the publicity from the MC corporations either. Hands out criticism equally w/just praise. Sport bike centric, faired & unfaired, other bikes are given articles but they aren't the focus here. With that said, they try to convey the feeling of riding and living w/all bikes. Always have one or more articles about interesting travel or bike event, so if you don't have the time or resources you can at least read about it. Loads of good, critical gear reviews. Well put together and good looking. Not cheap, but worth it.

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despite the fact they drive on the wrong side of the road and you have to convert kg to lbs these folks do a fine job passing along useful information

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In December 2007 my brother purchased a gift subscription for this magazine for me. I filled in and send off the activation code required and have received nothing a year later! I have emailed and telephoned Bauer Media trading as greatmagazines.co.uk and they have simply refused to do anything, saying "You must provide evidence of the address you sent it to etc." DO NOT BUY THIS!

Discover Britain

This magazine DISCOVER BRITAIN used to be called REALM. It is large format, slick, good photographs and stories but a bit slimmer (by about 20%) than a similar publication, BRITAIN "The official magazine" which used to be "IN BRITAIN". However! DISCOVER BRITAIN (REALM) has as much content and less advertisement than IN BRITAIN & may also be less pricey depending on what offer you can find.

Houses : Ah

This magazine has some wonderful architecture and modern design. If you like modernism or are planning to build a modern style home, this is the magazine for you. It has floorplans and square footage of the featured homes. In many instances, it also tells what the homes cost to build.

I get these for $9.95 from my local bookstores. They don't cost anywhere near the price quoted here.

I bought this magazine at a local bookstore in California, and I found it very well edited and designed. The articles have the all the most important information about each project (which many house design magazines lack), and it displays a variety of contemporary modern designs and techniques that can inspire those looking for liveability with style. Highly recommended even if you do not live in Australia, where it is published.

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I'm not sure why I got this magazine but I really wish I hadn't. I've gotten three issues now and each one has been nothing but 1950's style modernism. I would hate to live in any of the houses they review. I find them all cold, miserable and most uncomfortable.

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Aviation Week & Space Technology

'Aviation Week & Space Technology' is the touchstone for quality technical periodicals the world over. The breadth and depth of knowledge in the 'Aviation Week & Space Technology' editorial staff and reporters is unparalleled and results in the most up to date and expert articles on aerospace in the world.

Although written mostly for industry professionals, individual articles can be grasped readily by fairly well versed laymen. The scope of the publication is a bit daunting, though, with complete coverage of military and civilian aviation, to include pilot reports, weapons assessments, and governmental and budgetary issues of relevance, as well as space launches and satellites and the allied technologies intrinsic to those disciplines. The coverage of significant aerospace events, such as an airline accident, the loss of 'Columbia', or the events of September 11, 2001 is much better detailed than in the mainstream media, for a couple of reasons: first, 'Aviation Week & Space Technology' does not sensationalize the news, they only care about factual accountings of events; second, the reporting staff is much more technically knowledgeable than anyone in the mass media or on the television networks; and, third, the expectation of readers is so high that reporters are very cognizant that misreporting, incorrect statements, or over-simplification will result in a deluge of e-mail from annoyed technical professionals.

If you are interested in the world of aerospace, particularly if you are a professional in the field, get this magazine: it will put you far ahead of the pack in general industry knowledge. I highly recommend 'Aviation Week & Space Technology' for all your aerospace news.

After placing an order for this subscription at $103, the Amazon confirming e-mail arrived, stating that the order was to be filled by CheapMagDepot. I Googled CheapMagDepot and found the same 1-year AW subscription on their site for $63! Needless to say, I cancelled the Amazon order and placed it with CheapMagDepot direct.

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I have been subscribed to AW&ST for almost two full years, and have to say the magazine is great. The content is both varied and informative, and the whole world is covered fairly well. I am currently trying to figure out how I am going to scrounge up the money to renew my subscription for another year.

The only real complaint that I have had with the magazine is the poor editing. I don't expect a perfect magazine, but the frequency of simple spelling mistakes and occasional grammatical errors is astounding.

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If you are interested in aviation or space, then this is the magazine for you. I have received about 4 issues so far and I haven't had an article I didn't find interesting yet.

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I have read it at the library before orderring the subscription, so I know it is very informative, authoritative and, when it covers a subject which interests me, I especially like it. The magazine has dozens of articles each week across the whole expanse of aviation and space related subjects with journalists who know the areas, that they cover, very well. I look for major breakthroughs in technologies, which might have something to do with space travel. I don't always see it there, but when I do it is all worthwhile.

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Weekly Standard

I've been a subscriber to this magazine for close to a decade now, and it's one that I'm loathe to be without. The articles are short, pithy, and are just about always written in a single block no "continued on p. 34."

I don't always agree with every article or opinion, and I know the magazine has the reputation of being a neo-conservative publication, but for keeping up with current events from the point of view of conservatives (and often Christians)it beats the rest.

My favorite features are "The Scrapbook" and Casual both usually very funny. I also enjoy the "Books & Arts" section it makes holding onto each issue worthwhile, as the reviews are so good that they're usually re-readable.

A subscription to this magazine is a treat!

Along with National Review, the Weekly Standard is one of the most popular and influential conservative magazines out there. While it tends to promote the same issues of NR (and even uses many of the same writers), the Weekly Standard tends to be the more partisan of the two. While NR often takes the more intellectual approach to the modern day issues, the Weekly Standard has always tended to go more for the gut. Both magazines, however, do an outstanding job promoting and defending conservative positions and, as a bonus, both can be wickedly funny. I especially enjoy the Weekly Standard's Scrapbook, a regular column where some of the more bizarre and inane actions of the left are given proper exposure. As well, the Weekly Standard's book and movie reviews are, at times, superior even to National Review's. As a magazine, the Weekly Standard is a must for conservatives and will probably be enjoyed by moderates (and perhaps even open-minded liberals) with a sense of humor. As for those you who are still bemoaning the results of the Florida recount and wishing Clinton could have had a third term -well, I think Mother Jones is still looking for subscribers...

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The Weekly Standard is not as strong as the National Review. That being said, it's tough to find much wrong with this magazine. Furthermore, as it is published about twice as often as NR, comparisons between the two are not just. As for editors, Fred Barnes is about as good as they get. He's a spotlight of cheer on Foxnews, and he is on these pages as well. Their book reviews are great and their parodies are the first thing you should turn to when you receive a copy (they're found on the last page). As for reporting, I can say without reservation that Matt Labash is the most entertaining investigative journalist in America today! I love his stuff and it's hard to resist telling your friends about all the things he observes while he's in the field. His, "Among the Puppeteers," was one of my favorites back in 2000. They have digital access for subscribers only and on Saturday mornings their site is the first thing I check for newsworthy articles.

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Sorry, but I have to chime in, since actual conservatives don't seem to review this magazine. I'd hate for the Standard to become the "Conservative magazine for the thinking leftist."

This magazine is a taste of the conservative movement. It's a good way to ease into conservatism (and yes, they did comment on that whole Lewinski/purgery/obstructing justice "nonsense")

The first thing you'll notice about the Standard (and indeed most conservative publications) is how bare-bones it is. Very few full page photographs with two words ever grace it's pages. The pages contain plain text, thoughtful opinions from various authors. (The website even features Larry Miller-among the funniest comediens who doesn't need the "f" word)

Conservatives and liberals alike will find enough to disagree with in this one (though the latter will have a harder time with it). I recommend getting the National Review/Weekly Standard bundle just to balance out the McCain worship from the Standard.

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The Weekly Standard clearly has a conservatinve "bent." However, it is not the sort that screams, "This is the ONLY way to think about this topic." It is thoughtful commentary, delivered with well crafted writing. I come away from reading an issue thinking that I have been well informed.

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Fruits - Japan

Don't purchase subscriptions from Amazon or Magazine Express.

The following are my experiences with a subscription to Hiragana Times from Amazon.

This page doesn't tell you is that the Japanese magazines subscribed to on Amazon and filled by a company called Magazine Express are shipped SEAMAIL from Japan which mean you'll recieve every issue 8 to 10 after it's released.

I placed my order in January and it to date have not recieved a single issue. After several phone calls, the Magazine Express people (who fill the Amazon subscriptions) said they had to restart my subscription for the May issues which will take 8-10 weeks due to shipping issues. So after ordering in January, I will not receive a single issue of this uncancelable magazine until possibly in late July. Very poor service.

This is unacceptable for a magazine that most US Japanese bookstores can get within a week or that you can order directly from the publisher for ony a few dollars more. If I had known the shipping policy I would not have ordered and the magazine supplier, Magazine Express will not cancel the subscrition.

I advise avoiding ALL Amazon magazine subsriptions due to their poorly stated policies.

**Update, I wrote this review in June. It is now July 8th and I've just been informed I must wait until August 15th to see if an issue arrives. I ordered the magazine on January 9th and I have had no resolution from either Magazine Express or Amazon who provides no way to contact anyone within Amazon about magazine orders. I reiterate, buying magazines from Amazon if a poor idea.

This is a great magazine---to get once. Maybe twice. Each page features 1-2 people in their hip fashions. But the stuff...it isn't that spectacular. After so many pages of the same type of fashion, involving long jackets and clothes-over-clothes, high boots or knee-high socks, you feel that it doesn't really matter anymore.

If you are REALLY into fashion, and the punk style in particular, then this is fitting. If you want it because you have a love for Japan or fashion is just a thing that you do, then it isn't worth the price for all of them.

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Get STREET, FRUiTS, or TUNE mag at www.fruits-mg.cit

Shipped to your door super fast for $120, that's $60 less than they sell it here.

http://www.fruits-mg.com/xnew/e/index.html

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