Grow Your Own Magazine

There's recently been a lot of sticky's on various boards from GYO asking for hints and tips on various subjects for a forthcoming edition of the mag.....it says that the best tips might be used and you may even get a name mention.

Now - as these threads are always interesting i read them and or add to them if i have any view/relevant experience to share, and there has been some extremely helpful advice given by various vine members.

When my GYO mag arrived last week i immediately skipped to the salads feature as that was one of the 'GYO wants your advice' threads recently....only to find not a mention of the vine anywhere!

While i give my info and advice freely to anyone and everyone (as i'm sure everyone else does), if there are relevant tips that come from the vine and appear in the articles, surely the author of those tips could be given credit - or at least a 'from the forum' section....? I seem to remember the green manures article was one of the first 'wants your advice' threads and there was a little box with comments from vine members in the report - i thought this was a good way to do it, but have rarely if ever seen it since.

Surely the grapevine isn't being used to replace good 'ole fashioned investigative journalism??
(it's my sceptical mind you see! )

i should just add that i haven't had any good tips recently so its got nothing to do with me

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There's vegetable growing in the family, but I must be adopted
Happy Gardening!

I will pass this post over to the editor.

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It's the first thing I did too!
Maybe we're more useless than we thought??

I dont know if they always use the advice, or whather after finishing the writing they find that they havent enough room for the quotes, or whether we are all giving such poor advice that they dont want to print it (joking!), Bu I do know I was mentioned in the Strawberry Item a couple of issues back, it really made my day to open the mag and see Mrs Dobby quoted there! Keep posting the advice tho folks, even if it doesnt make it into the mag, its still useful for us all to read!

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Blessings
Suzanne (aka Mrs Dobby)

'Garden naked - get some colour in your cheeks'!

The Dobby's Pumpkin Patch - a blogspot work in progress!
Last updated 5th November2008 - new piccies!

I quite agree Mrs D.! Spot on advice!!

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Having had a couple of articles accepted by gardening magazines (I got paid too) I know only too well that its the magazines layout and indeed space (or lack of it) that cause items like the "GYO Wants" to be pushed to one side to make room for more topical or in depth articles.

Little segments like the "GYO Wants" are ideal space fillers and we may well find our hints and tips used in future editions. Dont forget the Editor and the team are not just working on next months magazine but have probably roughed out their requirements for the next 6-7 editions. Keep on posting, there is always something in them for us to learn from or bear in mind for the future. Also I am sure that the Editorial team are mindful of our contributions and wish to use them where possible.

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Kindest regards, David.

http://pigletsplots.blogspot.com/
updated - Sunday 19th at 2100hrs

oh absolutely - please don't think i was having a dig - just a ponder really.

I know all the GYO team do a fab job with the mag and i love it. I'll keep posting advice (or lack of it!!) regardless i love talking about growing, particularly veggies - so much so that my friends have learnt to 'switch off' when i go off on one about my pottoes chitting, or how much manure i need this year

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There's vegetable growing in the family, but I must be adopted
Happy Gardening!

Has GYO considered a dedicated feature about the vine? I love to see the integration between the magazine and its readership (letters/queries etc) and this would be an extension of that... ?

Perhaps a selection of our threads (which may not be STRICTLY on topic)?
A note about our reach, and relevence of growing in the WHOLE UK and other areas?
Our global reach?

Just a thought.......?

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Hazel
www.hazelandjanesallotment.blogspot.com
update Sat 15/11/2008......there's gold in them thar...compost bins!......

I have nagged all three editors of GYO to involve the Grapevine more in the magazine. Craig is doing an excellent job.

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I know that! So much to squash into so little space!

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Hazel
www.hazelandjanesallotment.blogspot.com
update Sat 15/11/2008......there's gold in them thar...compost bins!......

Hi I'm new to the grapevine and its facinating reading - when I should be doing my work!!

Can we assume that the other two will soon be introduced to your peastick LJ?
After all LJ gets what LJ wants

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Et tū, quis es?

Takes all sorts though L.J.
I wondered why only a few tips were mentioned on one subject the other month & none on the others we'd been asked about but I supposed it was down to space & timing. I was once asked by another gardening mag. to expand on an idea about keeping cats off your plants & they sent a photographer round to snap me demonstrating various methods all round the garden. He was here ages & was lovely but I was a bit disappointed when only one pic. was used from the dozens he took!(And I didn't get paid Piglet!)

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Into every life a little rain must fall.

Lack of space my A**s.

Don’t get me wrong I love GYO and will continue to buy the mags but why cant you reduce the picture sizes from a full page to a half page picture (I appreciate that you can not do this on the advertising pages as you are paid to have them in their but do we really need to see a full page picture of a carrot when we can still see it just a clear in a half page picture).

It would free up half a page to do whatever you want with. More information and advise is great after all isn’t that what we buy the mag for in the first place?

Simple things that you always find people ask for on the grapevine like a season chart (when you should grow things), or a chart on what seeds need what temps, or a chart on the yields of each crop.

I know that the mags are always a month ahead but so are people who come on the vine most of the time. If you notice lots of the questions are always about what they need to do for the future.

Sorry for my rant but I sometimes hate paying a lot of money (and it is a lot of money out of my budget) to see wasted space on a picture When I know that image will go in and out where as info will go in and I can use it to my advantage.

I was so excited on Wednesday after weeks of trying to buy gyo for the first time I found one, looked through it twice trying to find a mention of grapevine and highlights of some of the best threads, couldn't find anything. Is there anything I missed? Don't want to read it thoroughly until April when the growing articles what to plant etc will be more relevant.

GYO is still my fave magazine - I get really excited the week before the latest copy is due to drop through my letterbox! Also, I thoroughly enjoy logging onto the Vine for everyones ideas, advice and tips - and the answer to any specific queries I may have - everyone keep up the good work! Even if we don't get a mention in the mag, we now have, how many members of the Vine is it? so everyones knowledge doesn't go to waste! DDL

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Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

Interesting this, was flicking through the new mag last night and was slightly confused as to why the format had been changed, ie the short quotes atributed to Mrs D etc were pretty good and it's nice to get advice from normal people as well as the resident experts. Not a complaint, more an observation / comment.

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Some of us live in the past, always talking about back then. Some of us live in the future, always planning what we are going to do. And, then there are those, who neither look behind or ahead, but just enjoy the moment of right now.

Which one are you and is it how you want to be?

As Lesley says, Craig and the Editorial Team are doing a great job, but sometimes when deadlines are tight and room is running short, it is not always possible.

Even if it has not been possible to use the posts in the magazine, the threads themselves are a great resource on the Grapevine in their own right.

I agree with what you say Jennie and understand the deadline issue - perhpas if it's something that has been discussed a lot on the vine then a simple reference for people reading the magazine, pointing them this way would be good - the more the merrier here etc. Just an idea, won't be offended if it's not a goer.

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Some of us live in the past, always talking about back then. Some of us live in the future, always planning what we are going to do. And, then there are those, who neither look behind or ahead, but just enjoy the moment of right now.

Which one are you and is it how you want to be?

Just found this thread - the late Mrs Flummery - story of my life! I think magazines and forums like this serve slightly different purposes. The grapevine is such a success becasue you can ask a question and get loads of advice from experienced growers, often the same day. It's brilliant! I'm sure that a mention - of the vine if not the individual - would hearten and encourage posters but that's not what we do it for is it? We just like to share our obsession with people whose eyes don't immediately glaze over!

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Earth laughs in flowers. Ralph Waldo Emerson

www.vegheaven.blogspot.com

Updated November 17th - The Big Dig

i agree with silverfox about the pitcures most peolpe know s, what a carrot, cauily, snips look like yes if it,s an rarer veg that most of us would not know what they look like yes by all means show us a picture, but i think we would all like to hear more tips and projects from the vine.

Members of the editorial team visit the Grapevine regularly so they will read your post Murfe. Thanks.

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