Review: Into Gardens

Part of a screen grab I took from the Into Gardens website's News page (click on the pic to enlarge if needed) - the picture on the left + the headings and icons above it  give you a good idea of what you see on the iPad when you first enter the App
We're well into the Autumn, so it's time to curl up in the warm with a glass or mug of something comforting and a good book or magazine. Soon, it'll be Christmas, so I'm spending the next few Sundays reviewing some of the things that have grabbed my attention this year, which might also please the gardener in your life.

First up is the newly launched Into Gardens, an App which is available on the iPad and due to become available on iPhone and Android early next year.

I don't have an iPad, but I was able to nick borrow NAH's sister-in-law's brand new one when we were 'oop north' last weekend. The chaps and chapesses at Into Gardens have cleverly put a trial issue in the Apps store, so you can 'try before you buy'.

Downloading the App

There was no problem in finding the App in the store and selecting the trial issue (Issue 00). The first issue is also there to download for £2.99 (or £9.99 if you decide to take all the first year's quarterly issues). I just looked at the trial issue as I'd borrowed the iPad I was using. One surprise (to me anyway, but it's probably normal) is that the App doesn't download onto the iPad's touch screen like others do, but is accessed via the Newsstand.

First impressions

Into Gardens gives us some real eye candy and makes full use of the latest iPad's punchy screen resolution. The photography throughout is superb. It should be, as several well-known garden photographers are listed in the line up of worthies involved (NB these and even more team members are listed on the App itself).

If this is the future of garden media, then it looks like we're in good hands. It's not just good writing and photography, video and hyperlinks are used to explain the more complicated bits. There are also 'hot spots'* on some of the pictures for the viewer to click on for more information, or even buy what's on show**.

The success of the App depends on the strength of the images. These are used as article 'headings' and often as a sequence of images forming the article's 'bones'. Tapping on these images brings up the supporting text and any accompanying hotspots. Therefore if the images aren't enticing enough, the viewer won't be tempted to find out more.

Once a particular heading is selected from the menu at the top of the screen, readers can 'swipe' through the content 'pages' just like they would in a real magazine. Text and pictures can also be enlarged or made smaller in the usual iPad way.

I liked the Scrapbook feature which allowed me to select pictures or articles I want to keep for future reference. This feature is designed to work across a number of issues and reflects exactly what I do with my current magazines.

The Content

Remember I was looking at the sample copy. Issue 01 looks like it has the same headings, but of course could be very different inside...

The App has 7 key content headings:
  • Issue Number - introductory stuff including an editorial, Help information and introducing the team involved 
  • Gardens and plants - an article about Elba with several pictures demonstrating the hotspot feature. A number of these display text with links which goes through to an option to order the plants or other items under discussion. This connects the advertisement content of a conventional magazine into the feature content in a much more relevant and targeted fashion.
  • Writing - Lettuce from America - a guest article from Jean Ann Van Krevelen
  • Eating - Cleve West on Squash which includes a short video for more detailed information
  • Doing - Ursula Cholmeley of Easton Walled Gardens on gardening tasks for Autumn. Lots of content in this area - 17 individual articles if I remember correctly
  • A wheelbarrow icon - for the stuff you want to buy (having clicked on the same icon elsewhere in the App). I only clicked on the icon to check it worked, I didn't test the buying functionality
  • A scrapbook icon - for the content you want to save and any accompanying notes
Overall, the content is good with great pictures and I learnt something new. This is an inspirational App with a touch of aspiration. Whether it can also provide really in-depth, detailed information remains to be seen. That said, I have doubts whether electronic media is best suited to that kind of content anyway. This App's strength is its use of varied visual media with some supporting text, coupled with the ability to drill down further via hyperlinks and hotspots.

I felt it wasn't until the Doing section that the App's demonstration really got going in terms of showing lots of content. I believe from the on-screen messages I saw in the other sections saying there's lots more in Issue 01, that this section is probably the nearest to what's seen in a full issue. However, there's a risk that someone working through the demo content in menu order may decide the App doesn't have enough for them and gives up before they see the section fully stuffed with goodies.

I also found a few technical niggles with navigation through the App, using the scrapbook feature, plus a couple of video problems. I'm emailing the team separately on these, though I'm happy to say what I found/share user experiences if anyone's interested.

In Conclusion

 Into Gardens sets the bar very high for anyone else considering taking gardening into electronic media. Despite its teething niggles, I liked it, and would consider taking out a subscription if I had an iPad. NB if you do decide to subscribe, your subscription is renewed automatically.

Don't have an iPad? Into Gardens has website, facebook page, pinterest and twitter accounts to explore and is currently sharing content via all of them on a regular basis.

 * = Gardenista's review shows an example of a page with hotspots from Issue 01.

** = I'd like to know whether the companies linked to have paid for their inclusion or if there's an affiliate agreement or suchlike. If there is, then how Into Gardens fits with e.g. the disclosure legislation bloggers have to adhere to is an interesting side issue.

Update: Dawn from Into Gardens has been in touch via the Comments:

Thanks for taking a look at intoGardens. As you say this was the free issue which only gives a small taste of what the whole episode has to offer. In fact, the sample episode shows you only part of three different features or articles whereas the full issue has over 20 - many of which are packed with not just writing and photographs but also audio and video content. And as well as hearing from the delightful Cleve West we also have the the likes of Joe Swift, Nigel Colborn, Laetitia Maklouf and Mark Diacono.

She also tells me the technical niggles I've emailed about separately have been passed on to the team to investigate ready for the next issue :)

Comments

  1. Dawn (from intoGardens)15 October 2012 at 17:47

    Hi Michelle

    Thanks for taking a look at intoGardens. As you say this was the free issue which only gives a small taste of what the whole episode has to offer. In fact, the sample episode shows you only part of three different features or articles whereas the full issue has over 20 - many of which are packed with not just writing and photographs but also audio and video content. And as well as hearing from the delightful Cleve West we also have the the likes of Joe Swift, Nigel Colborn, Laetitia Maklouf and Mark Diacono.

    We would love you to have a look at the full issue in the future.

    ReplyDelete
  2. VP16 October 2012 at 15:41

    Thanks for getting in touch Dawn - I've put the bulk of this comment as a post update, so it's more prominent.

    ReplyDelete

New comments are not allowed.

Your essential reads

That blue flower: A spring spotter's guide

Image
Spring is a prime time for blue flowers and my daily walks currently have several from the same plant family* lining the local footpaths. As I walked past the Donkey Field the other day, I overheard some children ask their parents** what the pictured blue flower was. It reminded me it's often mistaken for those other familial blues and this time was no different, as they said it was forget-me-not, instead of the green alkanet it actually is. As well as similar flowers, most of these plants are hairy in their nature, flower around the same time, and favour damp, shady places. Many of them are great for pollinators too, especially bees and this week's warm weather has certainly drawn them to these flowers. This makes it even more likely for these plants to be mistaken for each other and it's a great opportunity for me to put together a spotter's guide in case you find the same flowers on your outings. Staying with green alkanet, the key features which set it ...
Read more

Jack Go To Bed At Noon

Image
Last year this rather exotic looking flower appeared on mine and several other allotments for the first time. Having been stumped (again) by Mr Allotment Warden as to its identity, I rushed home to find out what it was. It's salsify, aka the marvellous Jack Go To Bed At Noon - named as such because its flowers always close by midday. Here you can see both open and closed flowers - making it seem even more exotic and alien than in the first picture. I think this must be the cultivated version because the flower in my Francis Rose Wild Flower Key looks exactly the same in form, but is bright yellow in colour and called meadow salsify . Its other common name is Goatsbeard, which must be a nod to the fantastic dandelion-like clock which forms the seed head. With 'parachutes' like those shown above, who knows how far our plotted plants came from. I rather like the photographic dissection of the seedhead found in this link . Salsify is edible: its lateral shoots and fl...
Read more

Red Nose Day - Gardening Jokes Anyone?

Image
The nation goes ever so slightly bonkers on Red Nose Day - hurrah! Previously, it's been very easy to join in - usually via a dress down day at work plus lots of people up to mad things at the station and in the office. Everyone smiling for once - it's a real feel good day and all in a good cause. This year's different - every day's a dress down day for me now - my friend L suggested yesterday that perhaps I could have a dress up day instead and whilst that's a good idea, I confess that ballgowns and tiaras don't really feature in my wardrobe: scruffy student's always been my favourite look. So my Red Nose Day contribution for this year is to compile a list of gardening related jokes. For each one (clean ones only please) you leave in the comments below, I'll make a donation of 50p to the cause. Here's a few for starters just to get you warmed up: Q Why do potatoes make good detectives? A Because they keep their eyes peeled. Q What did the grape...
Read more

Salad Days: Mastering Lettuce

Image
I've decided one of my salad challenges for this year is to grow as many lettuce varieties as I can, ready for the publication of my planned Factsheet* later on. The idea is to grow as many of the Tried and Trusted lettuce varieties last year's Salad Challengers helped compile, then provide a visual guide and as many lettuce facts as I can muster. So far I've found around half of those listed**. Then naturally whilst I was out searching - because such is the way with seeds - a number of other varieties found their way home too ;) A couple of weeks ago I sowed 22 varieties***. Just the simple act of sowing them has me intrigued. Why are some lettuce seeds black and others white****? They split into about half white to half black in my sample and as far as I can tell it's nothing to do with whether they're a type of cos, iceberg, or whatever. I sowed them indoors and popped them into a propagator on the windowsill. The soil's too cold outside for sowing ...
Read more

VPs VIPs: Derry Watkins of Special Plants

Image
Last week I had the pleasure of visiting Derry Watkins at her home, garden and nursery - the acclaimed Special Plants - just a few miles along the road from me. I first met Derry at one of her open garden days last year and was keen to find out more about her wonderful garden and running an independent nursery. She specialises in tender perennials and regularly goes on plant hunting trips to find new treasures, particularly in South Africa. As well as running Special Plants and opening her garden under the NGS scheme , Derry holds day courses at her nursery, hosts Special Tuesdays from April until September, lectures and has written a couple of books. How did you find your way from Connecticut to the UK? I'd started a biodynamic vegetable garden in Connecticut and we used to have people come along at weekends to help out. A particular young man turned up: he returned many times and at the end of the summer I married him. So it was all down to love? Isn't that the...
Read more

#mygardenrightnow: heading into summer with the Chelsea Fringe

Image
Ahhhhhh, that's better! I love walking through dewy grass in bare feet, not that there's much in the way of grass on my back lawn this weekend. My wild and woolly lawn has morphed into meadow of sorts this month, which even NAH admits looks attractive*. It's also proved a great source for my Flowers for mum project so far, yielding self-sown perennial cornflowers, lamb's ears, and lemon balm in addition to the blooms you can see. These originated from elsewhere in the garden, the ox-eye daisies must have blown in from the A350 nearby. * = he got very stroppy about the weeds aka self-sown foxgloves in the lawn one year, so he's come along a bit since then. Skimble's demanding to say hello to you too. He does enjoy the patio when it warms up. If the embedded video doesn't work try this link instead. The Nectaroscordum are a revelation. I planted the bulbs around 2 years ago, but it's only this year they've bloomed properly. The bee...
Read more

Make Use of Mildew

Image
On my garden patrol this morning I spotted some powdery mildew on a couple of my new Verbena bonariensis plants. I suppose it was almost inevitable as I prefer to grow my plants hard - this means no water for them unless they look absolutely desperate. This approach means plants root themselves more deeply and have a better chance of survival during spells of dry weather like we've had lately. However, it also means I run the risk of problems like today's, especially with any garden newbies planted late in the season. We've had a good drop of rain overnight, so this should help my plants survive. I'll mulch them later today to help lock in the moisture as it's water stress which encourages the mildew to take hold. I've also removed the infected leaves and sprayed the rest with a milky drink.* I'm also pleased to find there's a use for my infected leaves. Oliver Ellingham at Reading University has started a PhD - sponsored by the RHS - researchi...
Read more

The Resilient Garden

Image
  Part of Tom Massey's Resilient Garden at RHS Hampton Court I've been pondering VP Gardens a lot lately. Last year's drought conditions set me off initially, then our harsher than usual winter combined with this summer's flip and flop weather means the thinking continues. It's a huge topic which I freely admit I'm struggling to get my head around. Tom Massey's Resilient Garden  at Hampton Court recently  tackled this topic brilliantly and was a timely interlude which gave me much food for thought. There he encapsulated the detailed research he'd found which informed both his show garden and book of the same name. I think it's one of the most important show gardens I've ever seen. It's clear the way I garden needs to change so that I have my own resilient garden. I haven't worked out the exact details yet, but Tom's book plus a couple of others (see below), alongside the rainwater management handout from the show garden's  sponso...
Read more

Chelsea Fringe 2014: Shows of Hands - Episode I

Image
The gloves NAH used to build the raised bed . The effects are L to R, top to bottom:  Original photo, Warhol, HDR, Green tint, B&W, Posterize, Boost, Cross process and Sepia Welcome to Shows of Hands - my Chelsea Fringe project for 2014! As you can see I've been having a bit of a play around in Pic Monkey for my first contribution. You're welcome to join in between now and 8th June 2014. The idea behind this year's project is to highlight the tool most precious to a gardener: their hands. How do I take part? It's simple. All you need to do is take a photo of hand(s) in a gardening context and then share it via your blog or other social media (such as Twitter or Facebook), then make sure I know you've done so. I've set up Mr Linky below for your blog contributions. The Chelsea Fringe photo on the right sidebar links to this post, so you can easily find it again when you're ready to add your contribution. If you share your photo on Twitter, ...
Read more

Testing Times: Tomatoes

Image
  I've run a couple of tomato trials this year. The first is a revisit of the biochar trial with Oxford University I attempted some years ago (with a different organisation this time), and the second is a trial of a water gadget called Plantsurge which I was given to try at Malvern Spring Show earlier this year. Most of you have probably heard of biochar already and the claim that this inert, carbon-rich material can help soil fertility and plant health. The RHS information in the above link says results can be mixed, with reduced effects found in alkaline soils. This may help to explain the lack of difference I found in my previous trial as VP Gardens is on a lime-rich soil. Plantsurge is a different beast altogether. It's a strong magnet which is attached to a hosepipe as shown in the photo above. It's claimed that it softens water, with the result more like watering with rainwater. The higher nitrogen found in rainwater is thought to be beneficial to plants. Gardener...
Read more