A Meredith Corp. special publication telling readers how to turn their backyard gardens into peaceful sanctuaries was so successful the Des Moines, Iowa-based media company decided to clone it.

        The Better Homes and Gardens and Ladies Home Journal publisher reprinted Garden Rooms in January, unchanged from the original except for the “Back by popular demand” sticker on the cover.

        “This is a good example of how a magazine can spring from a thought,” said Doug Jimerson, editor of the garden group in Meredith's special interest publications division.

        The division has become the second-largest profit center for Meredith during the past five years, behind only flagship Better Homes and Gardens, said Bill Reed, Meredith vice president and publishing director. Meredith declined to provide specific sales information for the division.

        Higher cover prices (the special publications average $5 a copy compared with $2.99 for Better Homes and Gardens), no mailing costs (the majority are sold on the newsstand) and some repackaged editorial content combine to make the division a profitable and growing part of the company's media empire.

        All of the company's 77 special-interest magazines carry the Better Homes and Garden brand, enabling the company to cash in on the well-known popular title. Meredith will publish 141 issues this year on home building and remodeling, decorating and gardening that rely heavily on photographs, graphics and how-to instructions.

        The publications' circulation has increased steadily in the last five years, as has the number of magazines published, Mr. Reed said.

        Ten years ago, Meredith published 33 special-interest magazines with 56 issues. The number of issues nearly tripled this year.

        Meredith research shows that most of its special-interest magazine readers are homeowners in their mid-40s, who are married with children at home and have a median income of $78,900. They are often either thinking about a remodeling, decorating or gardening project or are in the planning or production phase, Mr. Reed said.

        The magazines, published one to six times a year, are packed into high visibility racks in supermarkets, drugstores, bookstores, airports and home centers.

        “Our best chance for a sale is impulse buying if the magazine is at the checkout stand,” Mr. Reed said. “We own this market. I don't mean to sound arrogant, but we have clout and exposure at the newsstand.”

        A third edition of Garden Rooms is in production and will contain new stories and photographs. Company executives will look at reader interest to determine whether Garden Rooms will become part of the regular special interest lineup.

Impressive numbers

        While Better Homes and Gardens had a circulation of 7.6 million last year, the special-interest publications log some impressive numbers, according to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, a national nonprofit group that tracks media circulation. For example, the Holiday Food special-interest collection sold 978,000 copies and Window and Wall Ideas sold 250,000.

        Meredith appears to be king in special-interest publications, said Steven Cohn, editor of “Weekly Media Industry Newsletter” in New York.

        “Meredith is one of the biggies,” Mr. Cohn said. “They've been a part of American publishing for the biggest part of the 20th century. Better Homes and Gardens is a wonderful brand, and special-interest magazines is one way to extend the brand.”

        Other formidable competitors include Woman's Day magazine, which publishes about 35 special-interest issues a year, and Hearst Corp., publisher of Good Housekeeping, Country Living and House Beautiful.

Fast reacting

        Part of Meredith's success in such publications is reacting quickly to trends and being well-versed with what readers want, Mr. Reed said. That is done in part with extensive market research, including focus groups and a panel of consumers and readers who are tapped for their ideas and interests.

        The company launched its first special-interest publications in 1937 with Building Your Home. That was followed in 1941 by Decorating, in 1946 by Garden Ideas and Outdoor Living and in 1956 with Kitchen and Bath Ideas.

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