Kitchen Garden Forum

I expect it can't be helped, but it is really very odd getting the March KG in January!

I do find the Jobs for the Month has useful reminders, but when the mag is two months ahead, and I can't immediately lay my hands on the Jan one, since I last saw it in early December, and the February one is still somewhere in the Jan 6th Twelfth Night clearing-up exercise, it's not so useful...

I tried the index on the Home Page, but it doesn't look as if jobs for the month is available on there.

Would it be possible to have a section on the website which has the Jobs for the Current Month as well as having the Jobs for the Month One Or Two Months Ahead Of Where We Are Now???
Alison.

Alison that is my sentiments exactly, I wonder if KG magazine would consider opting for an alternative posting option, for those of us who want to receive it in the right month, so we can receive, March's edition in about the last week of February.

One of the sales pitches for subscriptions is that you get the magazine a few days before everyone else, to me that seems like a disadvantage!!

Interesting to see if others agree, perhaps we could do a poll??

Compo

If you check - all magazines are aimed at the month ahead rather than the month they're issued, whether that's gardening, cooking, crafts, lifestyle, anything!

Tigger, that does not invalidate the point being made.

Perhaps the forum or website could be kept to calendar dates for jobs to do, rather than the publishing schedule.

Alternatively perhaps Mr PH could section the jobs to do and only delete the month after it has actually passed in the real world.

Hmmnnnn - I hear what you're saying, but it does resolve itself over a year, and we are ahead of ourselves rather than behind - if you see what I mean.

Maybe I'll butt out now and wait for Mr PH or Steve to reply.

This one might turn out to be pleasantlly controversial. Tigger everyone knows what you say is true, of course we all know that magazines come out early. HOWEVER, gardening magazines and especially VEGETABLE GARDENING MAGAZINES are very season sensitive. It will be interesting to see what the consensus is, but there is a lot to be said for purchasing power, let the punters dictate.......that's what I say.

Whilst I agree with you Compo - there is no competition 'cos all of the gardening magazines are a month ahead and I don't think they're likely to change that format.

The resolution for me lies on this Forum where we're very much in the present!

A major drawback about this trying to be up to two months ahead is that there isn't a hope in hell of being able to report accurately on the current season's weather and climate problems when it hasn't yet occurred. Even the Met Office is stretched to its limit at more than a week, let alone 2 months, and look at all their sophisticated hardware and software. So the best place is the Forum with virtually instant transmission.
Allan

I asked Captain Carrot (or Mr PH, can't remember) about this a month or two ago 'cos I found having "jobs for this month" on the site a month ahead a bit bizarre.

I was told that the plan is to have a "jobs..." archive so although the actual month would be there too. It's not happened yet but I'm sure it will soon.

I would sooner buy a magazine that is a month ahead than a magazine that is half a month behind if you were to purchase it mid month.

Surely as some of the jobs require a bit of planning and perhaps trips out to collect materials and sundries, advance notice is more beneficial than it just dropping on you with no time to prepare.

Heaven help you if you cant plan your jobs when the magazine first comes out and use it as a reference for the following month when you actually do them.

After all, most of the art of successful gardening is forward planing and preparation by acting proactively rather than reactively.

Whilst gardening is very seasonal, the same jobs are done at the same time(ish) every year so its not like they are going to be a complete suprise.

As for the weather variations, realistically even short range forcasts are only a guestimate so there is no chance that a magazine can take that into account other than to generalise, as it does with the jobs to do article.

At the risk of being contrary Piglet, and responding to your comment.

'Heaven help you if you cant plan your jobs when the magazine first comes out and use it as a reference for the following month when you actually do them'

Of course I plan, order seeds, materials, prepare the ground etc, but I see the magazine as an anlike to aide memoire, and like to read about what I am doing when I am doing it, but hey it is no big deal I just get the magazine relevant to that month out when the new one arrives and have a look at it again.

I suppose what winds me up most about our British attitude to such things is this.

Most people are simply bl...y sheep, and follow the capitalist trends no matter what they think themselves, sometimes we need to buck thre trend, after all we are the consumer and we have the power to change don't we???

Judging by the look on everyone's face..... probably not!!!

Compo

Dear Compo, me being a bit of a nonconformist keeps me out of the sheep bit, and theres a lot of things in this world that need changing.

You know OH, I always respect what you say, if I knew you I kinda know we would get on. Do you think that one day, wouldn't it be great if all these people on here who were like minded, were instrumental / successful in changing just one small thing?

Don't know what it would be or how it would happen but let's keep the idea alive eh?

Compo.

For what it's worth, I would prefer to read about what we should/could be doing round about the time we should/could be doing it. I like the jobs list just as a reminder but find that with it coming at least a month in advance plus being in Aberdeen (which I reckon is another month behind the South of England)the jobs listed in the magazine when it is published are way out of synch with my timetable. I do pull out the previous magazines to check the list but it's just not the same as reading something, getting fired with enthusiasm and getting down the plot the next weekend to carry it out.
Just my personal preference but I would like jobs to do in March to be arriving on my doorstep at the beginning of March.

Love Haggis

PS Lovely day in Aberdeen today, light frost but clear and sunny. Bulbs are through and the robins are strutting their stuff. Feels like spring is round the corner!