Is RHS membership worth it?

[MotherOfGodWeeFella]

It looks to be pretty good value if you've an interest in gardening (I have) and I'm interested in visiting Bridgewater once it's opened and the inevitable rush has died down. I was once a local and remember the garden centre and the scout camp nearby.

I have been an RHS member for several years, not only do you get into their specific gardens, but also smaller partner gardens for half price.
Every month there is a magazine full of interesting articles. We take advantage of the members days at the flower shows, not only cheaper tickets, but less crowded.

I think I'm going to go for it - the smaller gardens bit interested me as we were near one on holiday in the UK last year.

I live near one of the main RHS gardens. I can literally walk to it.

We've had membership for a long time and we use it quite regularly. It's nice to just be able to pop in for an hour if we want to rather than needing to spend a whole day each time.

I haven't really used it for other gardens other than once or twice on holiday. It's being so close to our local RHS site that makes it a good membership for us.

There's a new editor of the magazine, it's a huge improvement.

I think its worth it. We once started adding up the costs of going to the rhs gardens without being members and we found that we quickly 'made' our money back. You also get the monthly magazine which is often quite good, just depends on whether you have particular interests.
We often go to Harlow Carr which is quite small compared to Wisley, but I'm looking forward to Bridgewater for a day out. They are offering bookings now to rhs members. There are lots of other smaller gardens too to visit and you get the yearly handbood, although it looked more like a brochure than a handbook this year, but costs I expect have kicked in.
Its great for holidays too.
We also have HHA which gives you access to some lovely private houses and gardens, although they have removed Castle Howard from the list which really annoyed me!

handbook

@Beebumble2

I have been an RHS member for several years, not only do you get into their specific gardens, but also smaller partner gardens for half price. Every month there is a magazine full of interesting articles. We take advantage of the members days at the flower shows, not only cheaper tickets, but less crowded.

More precisely - the membership allows free entry to an RHS garden for the member accompanied by a relative. And free entry for the member to a number of other gardens at particular times of year. So if you are a couple, effectively half price.

Other benefits: access to their plant advice service, for ids of plants and diseases, cheap seeds, up to a dozen packets for something like £8.

We calculated that our trips to Harlow Carr were enough to cover the membership, meaning the magazine was free. It was unquestionably good value when I was working in London, dropping in free to the monthly shows on my way home from work.

It’s a much better organisation now, a lot of focus on children and bringing in the new generation, and the orientation is towards sustainability and the ordinary gardener, rather than the owner of a large house and her head gardener.

I've joined - thanks for your comments.

I've considered joining for years and think I will finally do it this year

I'm in the Scotland - I joined to support the RHS and they support training and study of horticulture and I get a free magazine. But there are no gardens here

My mum joined and was a bit fed up that a lot of the gardens were only free at specific times of the year 😕

It's worth it if you have a few local gardens that are included and free all year round imo.