Keeping your eyes peeled on paper

Lately we have received a lot of positive feedback about Hort Journal and our articles, via both email and text messages, and also during discussions. I want to thank those people as it gives me enormous pleasure to pass the feedback on to the contributors of the magazine, and as we are a small team, every cog in the wheel is crucial to a successful outcome.

We have a very quick turnaround time to actually produce the magazine once the information is all in. We don’t have a big corporation behind us with a big team of people, so it makes receiving your messages all the more special. It makes all of us feel that we are on the right track with what we present in Hort Journal. When people take time out of their busy day to send a message, it says a lot. They must really have enjoyed the read to take the time to actually write the message.

We go through our daily work probably not thinking much about praising people. I try, when I get good service, to pay a compliment or give a complimentary review for a business, and it’s nice to see people’s reactions to kindness. Too often people will make the effort when they want to write a negative review about a product or service they have received, probably because they feel cheated or cheesed off, however they may not think to put the same effort into giving praise for good service. From our little team of industrious people we all say thank you so very much.

Okay, now that I have opened my heart up and let all that spill out, let me share with you some other interesting news!

Last month I shared some information with you about the increase in print media and how many people still prefer, in fact most of our readers, to read a hard copy. This month you may have heard in the news about the benefits of reading paper. According to the latest research, students who read text on paper performed better on comprehension tests than students who read the same text on a screen. They believe that when reading on paper we process things differently than when reading on a screen. Apparently reading on paper requires more attention and focus, and as a result of that we retain the information better and for longer.

“There is a physicality to reading” according to Cognitive Therapist Maryanne Wolf.

Our attention is more easily distracted when reading from a screen as it allows us to multitask and therefore takes our attention away from what we are reading. You are also more inclined to look for a place to sit and read that is relaxing when you pick up a book or magazine. Often, when we read on screens, we are sitting at our computer in our office, when we could be sitting in our gardens or at a park.

So, I hope you are all focusing when you read Hort Journal. Sit in a quiet place, have a drink and relax, and you may very well take it all in and remember it longer.

Enjoy the read

Karen and my small but wonderful, hardworking team at Hort Journal Australia