Founded in London in May 1884 by Shirley Hibberd, making it one of the oldest gardening titles in the world. Famously, through the World War II, even though paper restrictions dramatically limited the size of the magazine, the Amateur Gardening put its full weight behind the national Dig for Victory campaign, which encouraged everyone to grow their own fruits and vegetables to combat the wartime shortages. Notable writers for the magazine have included Alan Titchmarsh, who also served as deputy editor, Monty Don, Charlie Dimmock, Bob Flowerdew, Anne Swithinbank, Percy Thrower and Peter Seabrook.

Sadly, nostalgia doesn’t sell magazines. The magazine’s demise is down to ever-rising costs of paper (20% increase since 2022) and printing. Paired with lower advertising revenues and circulation battles, the writing was on the wall.

Former news editor Marc Rosenberg said: “After 139 years of hitting the newsstands, AG will be sorely missed, especially by elderly readers who looked forward to the magazine every week, and novice gardeners who took up the nation’s greatest hobby during the pandemic”.

Fledgling garden writers, generations of gardeners and the industry that supported their green passion, owe Amateur Gardening Magazine a debt of gratitude.