Archive for April, 2010

Communications and Media

I have been thinking about the change in communications, (does it hurt? well a bit), the papers well certainly the Sundays are less about news and as much about froth, the colour supplements out weigh the paper itself . Weekly free papers we receive have moved considerably away from news content and are substantialy advertising vehicles.

Are we consuming our news nearly entirely away from the print media, both locally and nationally, has the print media given up on objective balanced reporting? Can this also be said for specialist magazines although my local newsagents shelves seem as full of all kinds of different specialist publications as ever, sales seem to be declining. We have discussed here, on the forum, advertising response from gardening magazines and the concensus seems to be pretty much in the don’t bother camp. How do we think, we will in the future, consume our news and follow our interests, will it be on the internet, through networking sites both social and interest based (such as the GardenNetwork), television, will there be a revival in the printed media or will there be something new perhaps blending elements of all three coherently together. I have discussed this with my daughters who  feel that a magazine is a simpler media to navigate than pages on the intenet, I find this also but assumed it may have been an age thing not so apparently, my daughters are in their twenties. 

The greatest advantage I enjoy on the internet is interactivity, I can respond to articles, seek feedback and often get sound useful advice very quickly, this is something that television doesn’t yet in my experience allow or for that matter does the print media. Do those of you who buy gardening magaazines buy less of them, feel that they are less  useful than they once were or have they improved and suit your interests better.

Wondering how the weather is going to affect sales this spring

I have managed a company manufacturing iron garden structures  (arches, arbours,gazebos,loveseats,obelisks,pergolas,etc.) for close on twenty four years and despite our products being semi permanent structures our sales are dependant to a great degree on the weather. A wet spell and a late cold spring delays fhe start of the season, although this year a promotion with Harkness roses has helped move things forward. Prolonged wet and cold weather in England also depresses sales, not just for us directly but also for our garden centre customers and other people we supply.

Paradoxically a really long period of hot sunny weather over several weeks with little rain has the same effect, only a really wet weekend interupting the hot weather helps. It seems people give the seaside a miss and go to the garden centre or look on the internet instead.

Ideally I would have liked a sunny Easter, a nice varied weather pattern in the coming weeks with decent amounts of weekend sunshine and a bit of rain then hopefully two sunny bank holiday weekends in May.

What weather suits other people for their gardens, gardening or garden business? I would be interested in their perspective.

Harkness Roses voucher offer extended on the seriousgardener.co.uk website

We have extended the Free Harkness Roses £5 gift voucher offer.

Would you like a free £5 Harkness roses gift voucher?

If you order an arch, arbour, bower, gazebo, loveseat, obelisk, pergola or tunnel for your garden from us before the 30/4/10 you will recieve a free Harkness Roses gift voucher to help you buy something great to grow up one of our products. If you are gardening in the Uk and grow roses take a look.

Click the link for details Harkness

Kim's Musings

Authors Supporting Authors

Story Empire

Exploring the World of Fiction

Gloria McBreen

Having fun with my creative writing venture!

Niche Comics Bookshop

Independent bookshop selling games, comics and new books

Love13Reading

FOR READERS AND ASPIRING WRITERS

Jill's Book Cafe

Bookish news, views and 'Five on Friday'

Victoria Weisfeld

Stories about the perils of life and the mysteries of travel

Brooke Nelson

YA suspense author of The Half Theft duology

Huntingdonshire History Festival

Discovering Huntingdonshire's Local History

Grumpy old fart!!!

"If you talk to God you're religious. If God talks to you, you're psychotic."

Marsha Ingrao - Always Write

Having fun blogging with friends

Later life

Enjoying Twilight Years

Dirty Sci-Fi Buddha

Musings and books from a grunty overthinker

Seclusion 101 with AnneMarie

Life After Retirement

CabbieBlog

Taxi Talk Without Tipping

My Life With Gracie

A Backyard Garden Is A Perfect Place For Chickens

Words and Fictions

Jessica Norrie on writing, books and language - in her own words.

Damyanti Biswas

For lovers of reading, crime writing, crime fiction

Tessa’s poems

Poetry from a Septuagenarian

Linda's Book Bag

Loving books and reading

John Ager's Home on the Web!

reflecting my eclectic (and sometimes erratic) life

Stuart Orme

Historian, Folklorist, Writer, Re-enactor, Museum Professional. Follow me on Twitter: @stuartorme

thedrabble.wordpress.com/

Shortness of Breadth

Best Dog Training Tips & Tricks

Dog Training Guidance

Fenlandphil's Blog

A blog from the low country

So You think you've got problems?

The advice columns of two eccentric agony aunts who guide the bewildered of Britain through their personal problems,

How I Killed Betty!

Mad as a box of frogs? Most probably ... but if I can’t be perfect, then I’ll happily be fabulously imperfect!

Seriousgardener's Blog

Just another WordPress.com weblog

The Incomplete Verse

Here I share words and illustrations I discover on the journey within the crevices of my mind and the outside world. 💚

Dread Poets Sobriety

Irreverence's Glittering New Low!

MovieBabble

Ramblings of the Cinema

Mistakes Writers Make ...

... and how to put them right! Advice and opportunities for new, aspiring and upcoming journalists and writers of non-fiction

Writing Wrinkles, and Random Ramblings

Smoothing the wrinkles in this wrinkly's writing

Esther Chilton

Writer, Tutor and Editor

lactosefreelovelies

Lots of lovely lactose free products.