Better Homes & Gardens

Better Homes & Gardens is an American home and lifestyle brand whose best-known expression is the Better Homes & Gardens magazine. The publication was established in 1922 by Edwin T. Meredith, founder of the Meredith Corporation, as part of a publishing business focused on practical information for households and gardeners. It developed from an earlier Meredith publication, Fruit, Garden and Home, and adopted the Better Homes and Gardens name during the 1920s. The brand's editorial scope has traditionally combined home decorating, remodeling, gardening, cooking, entertaining, crafts, organization, health, and family-oriented advice. Rather than positioning itself solely as a luxury design title, it has generally emphasized accessible ideas, practical projects, seasonal inspiration, and products that can be used by ordinary households. This broad service orientation helped it become one of the most recognizable American shelter and lifestyle brands. For much of its history, the magazine was part of Meredith Corporation's national magazine portfolio. Meredith expanded the brand beyond print through books, special issues, digital publishing, television-related activity, consumer products, and licensing. A particularly important extension was its retail relationship with Walmart, which began in the late 1990s and brought Better Homes & Gardens-branded furniture, home décor, textiles, kitchenware, outdoor products, and gardening merchandise to mass-market consumers. These products are generally developed and sold through licensing arrangements rather than manufactured directly by the editorial brand. The brand's digital presence includes recipe, decorating, gardening, organizing, and home-improvement content, allowing it to serve audiences beyond the monthly magazine. Its commercial model therefore combines audience-supported media, advertising, publishing, licensing, and retail distribution. The name functions both as an editorial identity and as a consumer-products trademark. In 2021, IAC acquired Meredith Corporation's national media assets and placed them in Dotdash Meredith. Better Homes & Gardens consequently became part of the Dotdash Meredith portfolio alongside other established magazine and digital brands. The brand remains active in the United States, with its magazine, website, social channels, books, and licensed retail products continuing to use the same broad promise: practical, attractive, and approachable guidance for domestic life.

Better Homes & Gardens traces its origins to the publishing activities of Edwin T. Meredith, an Iowa publisher who founded Meredith Corporation. In 1922, Meredith launched a publication known as Fruit, Garden and Home. Its subject matter reflected the practical interests of American households: gardening, food production, domestic management, and the improvement of the home. During the 1920s, the title was renamed Better Homes and Gardens, establishing the identity that would become the company's principal consumer brand. The publication grew during a period when American magazines increasingly served as instructional guides as well as sources of entertainment. Better Homes & Gardens distinguished itself through usable advice rather than an exclusively aspirational design approach. Its pages combined decorating ideas, house plans, gardening guidance, recipes, household projects, and seasonal features. This mix enabled the brand to address homeowners, renters, gardeners, cooks, and families within one broad editorial franchise. Over subsequent decades, the brand became a cornerstone of Meredith Corporation's magazine business. Its editorial franchise expanded through cookbooks, special-interest publications, books, calendars, digital content, and other media formats. As consumer media habits changed, the brand developed an online presence covering recipes, decorating, gardening, organization, renovations, crafts, and shopping-related advice. The digital operation extended the reach of the magazine while preserving its practical, service-oriented tone. Meredith also developed Better Homes & Gardens as a licensing platform. The most consequential extension was the relationship with Walmart, established in 1998. Under this model, merchandise carrying the Better Homes & Gardens name was made available through a mass retailer, bringing branded furniture, bedding, bath, home décor, kitchen and dining goods, outdoor products, and gardening merchandise to a much wider audience. The licensing strategy made the brand visible in stores as well as on magazine pages and websites, while allowing product partners to handle manufacturing and retail operations. The brand's history therefore spans several connected businesses: periodical publishing, consumer books, digital media, advertising, brand licensing, and retail goods. Its core identity has remained relatively consistent across those formats. Better Homes & Gardens presents the home as a place for practical creativity and improvement, with an emphasis on attainable projects and everyday use rather than purely high-end design. In 2018, Meredith Corporation was acquired by Gray Television, although Meredith's national media assets were subsequently separated from the local television business. In 2021, IAC acquired the national media group and combined it with Dotdash to create Dotdash Meredith. Better Homes & Gardens became a brand within Dotdash Meredith and continued as an active editorial and licensing franchise. Its current public-facing activities include digital publishing, the Better Homes & Gardens magazine, books and special issues, and consumer products sold through licensing and retail partners.

• 2021

  Brand joins Dotdash Meredith

  [2]IAC completes acquisition of Meredith's national media groupiac.com

  IAC acquired Meredith's national media assets and combined them with Dotdash, placing Better Homes & Gardens within Dotdash Meredith.

• 2018

  Meredith acquired by Gray Television

  [5]Meredith acquired by Gray Televisionen.wikipedia.org

  Gray Television acquired Meredith Corporation, including its media operations before the later separation and sale of the national media group.

• 1998

  Walmart licensing relationship begins

  [1]Better Homes and Gardensen.wikipedia.org

  Better Homes & Gardens entered a major retail licensing relationship with Walmart, extending the brand into home and garden merchandise.

• 1924

  Better Homes and Gardens name adopted

  [1]Better Homes and Gardensen.wikipedia.org

  The publication adopted the Better Homes and Gardens title during the 1920s, creating the enduring brand identity.

• 1922

  Publication launched

  [1]Better Homes and Gardensen.wikipedia.org

  Edwin T. Meredith launched Fruit, Garden and Home, the publication that developed into Better Homes and Gardens.

Accessible, practical, and mainstream home-and-lifestyle inspiration spanning decorating, gardening, food, do-it-yourself projects, and everyday household life.

• Print media · 1922

  Better Homes & Gardens magazine

  The flagship periodical covers decorating, remodeling, gardening, recipes, entertaining, crafts, organization, and family-oriented lifestyle topics. Its editorial approach emphasizes practical ideas, seasonal projects, and accessible solutions for ordinary households.

• Digital media

  BetterHomesandGardens.com

  The brand's digital publishing platform provides recipes, home and garden guidance, decorating inspiration, do-it-yourself projects, organization advice, and lifestyle content. It extends the magazine franchise into searchable and continuously updated online formats.

• Home furnishings and décor · 1998

  Better Homes & Gardens licensed home collection

  A broad licensed merchandise program sold through Walmart and associated retail channels. Product categories have included furniture, décor, bedding, bath goods, kitchen and dining items, seasonal products, and outdoor living merchandise.

• Gardening and outdoor

  Better Homes & Gardens gardening products

  The brand name is used across gardening and outdoor-living merchandise, complementing the publication's longstanding editorial coverage of plants, landscaping, yards, patios, and seasonal garden projects.

• Books and publishing

  Better Homes & Gardens books and special issues

  Cookbooks, decorating books, gardening guides, craft titles, calendars, and special-interest issues extend the editorial franchise into durable reference and gift formats.

• 2021

  Transfer to Dotdash MeredithM&A

  Background

  IAC acquired Meredith Corporation's national media group as part of a broader digital-media consolidation.

  Action taken

  The national media assets were combined with Dotdash to form Dotdash Meredith, bringing Better Homes & Gardens into the new portfolio.

  Aftermath

  The brand continued under new corporate ownership as an active magazine, digital, and licensing franchise.

  Source

• 1998

  Expansion into mass-market retail licensingStrategy

  Background

  Meredith sought to extend Better Homes & Gardens beyond magazine publishing and make the brand available through everyday retail channels.

  Action taken

  The brand entered a licensing relationship with Walmart covering home, garden, kitchen, textile, and outdoor merchandise.

  Aftermath

  The arrangement established Better Homes & Gardens as both a media property and a widely distributed consumer-products brand.

  Source

1. 1Better Homes and Gardensen.wikipedia.org
2. 2IAC completes acquisition of Meredith's national media groupiac.com
3. 3Dotdash Meredithdotdashmeredith.com
4. 4Better Homes & Gardensbhg.com
5. 5Meredith acquired by Gray Televisionen.wikipedia.org