An open letter to Amateur Gardening magazine

Today it has been brought to my attention that Amateur Gardening magazine are about to publish a piece about my previous blog post, #shoutyhalfhour. Although I am pleased that the post is out there in the public eye and that people are obviously reading it and it is a talking point, the piece is possibly the laziest piece of journalism I have seen in a while. Firstly I need to point out that they have done nothing illegal by using quotes from the piece but what they have done is remove it from its context and so it looks as though all I am doing is criticizing when in fact the point of the post was to explain why and how the #shoutyhalfhour hashtag came about in the first place and why it has carried on.
I am not going to bang on about the piece, but I do wish to make some things clear. Yes I am a self confessed plant nut, but I am also a horticultural professional with many years experience as a nurserywoman, working on many wonderful projects which, I am lucky to say, have involved growing gardens for designers at RHS Chelsea and Hampton Court as well as many large, well known projects, including providing the plants for the Royal Wedding.
Equally yes, I am a Garden Blogger, but one from a professional horticultural background, and with concern for the industry that I am writing from within. An industry that is struggling to survive and to recruit young people into it, and one which deserves recognition and help from the garden media rather than reading sensationalisation of a blog post. I wonder how many Amateur Gardening readers are aware of the struggle of the trade and the fight many nursery people have every year to keep themselves afloat, whilst passionately believing in what they do. Or are aware of the quantity of plants that are bought in every year from abroad by the DIY superstores, whos pile them high and sell them cheap policies are killing anyone who has been a bedding specialist.
And finally, the post is not a scathing attack as Amateur Gardening have said in their piece, but is a well thought out piece of writing and if Amateur Gardening magazine had really done their homework they would have seen that Monty Don has posted a comment on the blog, in which he argues several points but says it is written "elegantly and with perceptive wit". Im pretty sure the presenter would not have commented if it had just been a rant, or aimed at him.
If Amateur Gardening Magazine have anything further to add to this, my email address is on my website, which is www.thephysicgarden.co.uk, rather than here, my blog, and I look forward to hearing from them. Sadly I assume that is unlikely.
Finally a word to all garden writers out there. Whether a professional or an amateur, writing should be excited, passionate and inspiring, whatever it is you are writing about. Writing should be from the heart and every time you post or publish something you should feel that you are putting yourself out there. Never hold back because it is that kind of passionate writing, be it in blog, book or magazine form, that the horticultural industry in this country needs from you and will inspire new and old gardeners alike to rethink their own passion for gardening and plants and why they feel that way about what they do.

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The Aquaponics Monthly Magazine Educating Everyone

The Newsletter That Became A Magazine

When we started the initial newsletter back in March 2013, we thought we would just see how it went. Our community on Facebook was growing rapidly and we needed to do more than just post pictures and PDFs.

We thought that by bringing people interesting stories from regular backyard, garage, basement aquapons we could encourage more people to get involved worldwide. We ended up attracting some really big names in the aquaponic farming industry too.

Within 4 weeks after we initially set up a newsletter, we were overloaded with people on mailing list. I was totally blown away, but obviously people wanted to learn more.  This is a GOOD THING! We changed over from a newsletter to an official magazine in June because of the time constraints, commitment involved and level of work we found ourselves doing. There have been some growing pains in the process but the magazine has become a very fast and exciting ride.

For me, aquaponics should be a worldwide growing experience that people can farm easily. Whether it is around a home or a commercial farm, aquaponics can change lives forever. This kind farming education on how to set everything up, takes time. People should never be in a hurry to learn about aquaponics but rather start off small and see how it goes from there.

I encourage everyday people to write about their growing experiences to inspire others. What someone may see as a silly experience, I see it as a journey and a way to teach other people. If we are to change our world for the better we have to help each other more. That means a novice can give something of value to others who are just starting out in aquaponics. I really like that there are failures and successes mixed into the articles we have received so far from the community.

I Look At Failure As A Plan For Future Success

How will anyone know how to become a better aquapon if they never had a dead fish or experience high pH? Failures reach us on a level which prove, we can also be very successful. No-one is perfect. Perfection stresses people out but learning as you go, can be a very enlightening experience for everyone.

I certainly do not claim to be a long time guru in the aquaponics field; however I do know that people have so much to share and give back to others aspiring to learn. For me, its more about the law of giving and receiving and the magazine is absolutely, enriching lives. Education is essential and the magazine has been about the worldwide education of aquaponics.

We have had some really amazing articles from some of the best known people in the aquaponics industry and backyard hobbyists. The beneficial teaching and tips is always a great reference for people to go back and revisit at anytime from the magazine. The magazine is not something people will delete but keep it on their computer forever.

I have seen some great inventions come out from the magazine and we have been amazed. That wonderful imagination and ingenuity is still inside of us all. One article that comes to mind is the APDuino Project that is now getting a lot of attention. Back in June 2013 we highlighted this great electronic device to help people with their aquaponics systems. These guys are a very dedicated team of people and I am proud to have highlighted them in our magazine.

The magazine is also inspiring people by challenging them to write, it provokes their imagination and what each of us are capable of. I have been very proud to present some of the people in our magazine because whether they realize it or not they are making a difference in the lives of others.

We allow small business to boast about what they are doing too. All that we ask in return; is for the business to help promote the magazine by sending a link out to their subscribers or post a link on their websites. This is a win - win for everyone. Our magazine gets to continue the education and businesses get to showcase their business. If you would like to contribute an article then please visit our website here: Click this link. 

We release our magazine every month on the 10th and this month (August) we will mark six months of great articles, interesting ideas and people connecting to others.

This is our link if you would like to subscribe: http://aquaponics-how-to-guide.info/aquanewsletter/

Thank you everyone for the continued support

Victoria Kelley
Editor-In-Chief
ASC Magazine 

Aquaponics Survival Communities On Facebook  

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A Positive Revolution

There has been much talk recently of the gardening world becoming stagnant, dreary and dull. Of the need for a call to arms, a messiah, as discussed by Lucy Masters in her thinkinGardens piece http://thinkingardens.co.uk/articles/gardening-in-the-wilderness-do-we-need-a-revolution-in-the-garden-by-lucy-masters/. There is fear that garden writing in book form is struggling with Mr Hessayon announcing his probable retirement at the Garden Media Guild Awards, claiming that the internet would be the end of the garden D.I.Y book, and there is the constant fear that with so few young people coming into the horticultural industry as a serious career choice, that soon we will have no trained plantsmen or scientists to carry on the tradition that is horticulture in the U.K.
All this got me thinking. Thinking very seriously about the world that I am immensely proud to be a part of. An industry that is full of people who work ridiculously hard, in all weathers, to keep the British tradition of horticulture alive. These people are all full of passion and excitement for what they do, excited by new plants they have bred, new nutrient sources they are working on or new gardens they are designing and creating, and it is that passion that keeps them forging forwards in times of hardship.
It is very interesting when talking to people about gardening, just what an emotive subject it is, and why it is that emotive. For many, professional or amateur(and I use amateur very loosely as there are some incredible gardens out there that are not made by professionals but are just as great, if not better than a garden designed by a professional)gardening is their reason for being. Watching the progression of the seasons, planting a seed and watching it grow, creating a wonderful space grow, bloom and die back again in readiness for the following season, brings an awareness of time and seasonality that many struggle to see in their busy 21st century lives. Growing food, allotments and the whole Growing Your Own movement, pulls people back and slows them down. Planting a seed in February and waiting until Christmas for a harvest, as with sprouts, is a real shock for an new allotment holder who is used to just going out and buying what he wants, but it is also a huge learning experience that can be quite humbling. People garden, work with plants, grow or whatever term you want to use, because it is a basic need for them, rather than a choice, and we in the industry are just lucky enough to call our passion our job!
So is there a crisis in gardening? Yes of course there is. D.I.Y stores bringing stock in cheaply from abroad are forcing our nurserymen and women to really struggle and there is a lack of horticultural training available to younsters entering the industry. There is not a single straight botany course left in a U.K university and Garden History courses have all gone too, despite the huge wealth that British planthunters have brought to the table since the 18th century. Our industry has no subsidies unlike some European countries and the Garden Centre chains are all about profit rather than about plants.
But, instead of looking for the negative, lets concentrate on the positive. The age of the D.I.Y gardening book may be over but embrace the knowledge that is available on the internet. There are inspirational blogs out there as well as great videos and films on You Tube and gardening apps that mean with a smart phone you have a huge wealth of knowledge in your pocket, for whenever you need it. There is an amazing Twitter community of gardeners, constantly talking about what is going right and wrong for them and learning from each other, as well as some incredible Facebook groups where people are constantly posting about their achievements as well as the occassional failure.
But also, people are out there, doing it, every day, come rain or shine. Community gardens are popping up all over our cities driven by their communitys need to garden, guerilla gardening is seen as a real positive and groups such as Incredible Edible Todmorden are spreading and reaching a neighbourhood near you! Schools are starting to see the need for gardening and it will soon, if it isnt already, be a part of the national curriculum. The RHS Britain in Bloom and similar campaigns, continue to inspire people to look after and care for the green spaces in their areas and although they are scorned by some, they give people the power to garden and grow. Gardening professionals continue to be busy and the small nurseries continue with their struggle to survive by creating mail order options and ensuring their plants are of such great quality who could refuse them garden space?
So heres a thought. If there is to be a call to arms, let it be from all of us, from anyone who gardens and for whatever reason, to be positive, upbeat and excited about what we do. Lets offer true inspiration, share knowledge, give advice but  most of all get out there and do it and shout out loud about it. Lets make 2014 the year the Gardening Community shouted with one voice and made itself be heard.

Winter colour at RHS Wisley

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