Fine Gardening is tops, great photography, well written and informative. I also like Garden Gate, has a lot of practical advice. I didn't notice Country Gardens on your list, this is also a great mag if only for the gorgeous pictures of gardens.

I like Fine Gardening as a pretty good all-around gardening magazine, Green Prints has stories about how gardening in some aspect has touched someone's life, I haven't seen Martha Stewart's magazine but I have read her articles in the local paper and thought her advice was a bit dated plus somehow I had this feeling she didn't write everything herself but farmed things out to staff? - just a feeling. You didn't mention Garden Design and they have fabulous photos and win lots of awards but in the past they referred to God as "She" and something else I can't remember that was a turn-off for me.

My top two for good articles and photos are Fine Gardening and Horticulture. Country Living Gardener has beautiful phoots but often leaves me screaming - poor photo captions and key info often missing (in my opinion, any plant touted in a national gardening magazine should always be id'd with botanic & common name and zone info. I know, I ask a lot!)

I gave up on Martha Stewart Living for several reasons, most unrelated to gardening. I would skip the subscription but pick up the annual gardening issue at the newstand - I believe it is the March issue.

Brutal personal opinion - Birds & Blooms is targeted at women over 60 who love "cute." Don't mean to offend anyone. (At least Eddie has already weighed in - I would have been worried if he picked this as his fav!)

Herb Companion is usually pretty good and a little more offbeat. I haven't read much of Mother Earth News, but if you have funds for several, I would throw one of those two into the mix for a little alternative spice.

Eddie mentioned Garden Design - after several years I let this one go. More and more emphasis is being placed on furniture, and every issue features someone who has enough money to hire a gardener who has the time to tie the miscanthus into cute little bundles with raffia. I'm not making up that last part.

Birds and Blooms I don't even consider a "gardening" magazine and they don't pay anything for articles but the photos are stunning if you're satisfied with just that.
I agree on Garden Design, it is for the "checkbook gardener" (plant this here, I'll write you a check)

Green Prints has wonderful articles on gardening- some are so funny. If you like essays on gardening, this is the magazine for you. I love to read other people's thoughts on gardening.

Lilly

Two people have mentioned a magazine here that absolutely gags me--I wrote and asked for my money back. They wrote me back and asked why, and I told them it gagged me. If you can stomach Reader's Digest, you'll probably be able to handle it, however. Isn't it strange how differently people think? Don't order the one in the middle of your list, is my advice.

I am not familiar with all the mags you listed, but here is my opinion of the ones I do know of. Horticulture, Fine Gardening,Mother Earth News, Garden Gate, Birds and Blooms,Martha and Country Living are not worth reading. Fine GArdening used to be decent, but not anymore. I agree that Garden Design is full of stuff that no one I know could afford. I find that the British mags are what I enjoy. It's true that the plants are not ones that most people in the US can grow, but good design is more important than individual plant choices. I enjoy The English Garden and Gardens Illustrated. I pick up both at Borders, one is $5.95, the other is $7.95. Maybe a little pricey for a mag, but I think they are worth it-and I'm cheap.

I appreciate all the input. In part I will be using the magazines to help me choose programming. I am charged with evaluating our county's horticulture needs. I think that the perceived needs are often colored by what we read, watch, and hear multimedia.

Paul

I'm late with this since I'm new, but for people in the south I am very fond of Carolina Gardener. I have also noticed at the book store a new set of "state" magazines. I have gotten 2 issues of Georgia Gardener. I think this publisher is trying to make a go of things since there haven't been many past issues. I sort of feel like some of their articles are generic and are used in every states' magazine but I have no way to know for sure since mine is the only state they have. Anybody else seen these and have an opinion?

I saw one issue of Georgia Gardener and I had never heard of most of their writers with the exception of the great American gardener Hal Massie who writes the closing articles. It is in competition with NEW SOUTH GARDENER but I don't think these are pertinent to Paul's original post. He is probably more interested in national magazines and those local to him. I agree with you on the generic feel of the articles in Georgia Gardener.
PS, Hal Massie is working on a book and I liken it to Henry Mitchell's works. He is a recent member of the Garden Writers Association.