Kitchen Garden Magazine Issues

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derekthegardener
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I'm sure someone can tell me when Kitchen Garden was first published. I have been going through my huge collection and the oldest issue I can find currently is Feb 2000, but I know I have older ones somewhere, I think back to 1998??? I have been getting the digital version now for over two years so that's easy to keep track of. Is there an index of articles going back to the first issue available?
Westi
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Blimey Derek, so loyal to the mag & just 2 postings?

With that much knowledge behind you, you could have saved me from many a mistake! Go on, keep posting & answering! It seems like we are an exclusive group but we are just trying to keep the forum alive & nothing else! It is the superior quality of the mag we like & we've got some very clever growers on here - not me obviously but got first in show for my spuds last year thanks to advice from these guys!
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retropants
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I wasn't aware that the subscription was available in digital format?? Can I just call and switch?
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Primrose
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I’m afraid I rarely log into the digital format. I,m one of those old fashioned people who like to come in from a spell working in the garden, settle down with a cup of tea and enjoy the comfortable feeling of browsing through the paper version in my hand. Somehow digital stuff of an equivalent nature doesn,t donit for me, p,us there is increasing evidence that spending too much time using a computer screen is not good for you.

I used to keep all my back magazines but am at the stage of life now when I need to stop accumulating too much clutter, somoass them on to another keen vegetable grower.

If you keep enough back copies, it would be an interesting exercise to compare, for example, March or April of every year and see how much common material there is, just rehashed or updated. . It must be quite difficult to produce magazines of this nature as so much of the activity is seasonal yet there are only so many ways of explaining how to sow tomatoes, beans etc or how to plant potatoes. It must be quite a challenge always having to come up with imaginative new articles or information to retain your readers in a circulation war!
cornlaw
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My late husband enjoyed Kitchen Garden and kept all of his back issues bound by year. Is there anyone who would be interested in having these for themselves or their gardening society. I have all years from 1997 - 2017. Anyone interested would need to arrange collection from Chatham, Kent. I am happy to donate them rather than recycle them as paper. I also have annually bound copies of Grow Your Own magazine from 2005 to 2017 which are available as well.
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oldherbaceous
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Dear Cornlaw, i'm sure someone will get as much enjoyment out of the magazines, as your late Husband did....a very kind and thoughtful offer...
Kind Regards, Old Herbaceous.

There's no fool like an old fool.
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Primrose
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Cornlaw, I pass on my Kitxhen Garden copies to another gardening acquaintance but if you have a local library, check with them whether they would welcome them. Ours accepts a variety of old gardening magazine and people enjoy either buying at reduced rate for library funds or popping in for a quiet read of back copies.
Westi
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Wow cornlaw! What an amazing gift to one of the up & coming young ones starting out on social media! I think I may know someone who would love to have them for the knowledge & history - bear with me! I will try to contact them & ask them to contact you. He has a big following on UTube & always looking to compare the past & future advice!
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PLUMPUDDING
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Sorry we've not answered your question Derek, perhaps we'll be given the correct date by Steve Ott the Editor or someone on his team.

I started taking it regularly when they took over the Organic Gardening magazine in the 1990s but can't remember the exact year.

I still enjoy reading it each month and find lots of new and interesting articles and excellent recipes to try out. The fruit cordial recipes in the latest mag are definitely on my list.
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KG Steve
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Hi Guys. Sorry I've not seen this thread before. The first issue of KG was launched in September 1997 and in fact we've highlighted on the cover the fact that the July 2018 issue (the latest one) was our 250th! We'll be 21 and get the key to the allotments this September.

Yes the digital version is still going strong although like many of you chaps, the majority still opt for the paper version. Because it's digital we are able to add a few interesting enhancements to the digital version, such as 'how to' videos.

It is a lovely offer for someone to take up cornlaw. From my experience the only difficulty in giving away so many magazines is the postal charges/collection costs, so ideally you'd want someone local, but perhaps you have already found a home for them. Social media/Freecycle or a local gardening club etc would certainly be a good route to try initially if not.
Steve Ott
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Westi
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Soz no luck contacting the individual I had in mind. Try Steve's suggestions or even the local GP surgery, they are bound so easy to wipe clean & meet the H & S requirements.
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Stephen
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Binding and keeping old magazines. I confess I do this with my Lotus 7 Club ones (but I am a member of the management team).
I tore a lot of individual articles from my collection of KG back issues before I recycled the rest. I needed to clear most of the house to put in new carpets, so a lot of old stuff went including old accounts, papers relating to my previous house and a lot of similar material, most of which had not been examined for 15 years.
Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool.
cornlaw
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I was pleased that RHS Wisley library were happy to take these magazines so they now have a new home. Thank you to all who replied.
peterwicker
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I keep copies of KG magazine for a year up to the month that we are currently in. Older issues I then put in the post box we have at the allotment site for other allotmenteers to read.
Westi
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What a great idea! I will speak to the committee about that, i would happily give them my old copies. I give a lot of the free seeds to them already as they raise 100's of seedlings for our site & the wee site nearby for those without greenhouses.
Westi
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