Joining RHS Chelsea 2013

azzabazza

My friend and I are keen to visit 2013 Chelsea Flower Show. There is an offer on for RHS membership just now. Any other RHS members on here and is it worth the membership?

McKneff

I suppose it depends on how many times you want to visit RHS places over the year.

If your interested in National Trust, there is a free voucher here.
http://www.hotukdeals.com/freebies/f...-place-1283661

Valid for a long time and you can print one off whenever you want.

azzabazza

Thanks McKneff. I was thinking that RHS membership might give more priority for tickets to Chelsea especially as it is a special year in 2013. I have a Historic Scotland membership but don't have much call to visit National Trust properties.

jojo2910

My OH used to be a member. We used it primarily to get priority tickets for Chelsea 2011. We went to Wisley free but didn't get the chance to visit any other garden in the couple of years we had membership. We stopped membership this year as we didn't feel we were getting value for money. Plus we vowed never to go back to Chelsea. We could hardly see any of the gardens from the ground and didn't realise there were no plants for sale except for the last day. We enjoyed it far more watching it on TV this year and enjoy other shows/fares like Cardiff or Malvern.

Next year is an anniversary, so it might be bigger and better, but I expect it to sell out fast and be heaving.

ampersand

I have twice used Tesco vouchers for RHS Membership.
Just checked the Tesco Rewards website and the offer is running now:

Limited Offer, RHS annual membership token code must be ordered by 24 December 2012 and redeemed with RHS by 31 December 2012.

Cost: £17 in vouchers, but no 'real' money. It suits me, suits my budget to do it this way.

A._Badger

I was a member for years until the incessant price hikes finally put me off.

I used to go to Chelsea every year, too, until that became a celebrity freak show or an afternoon off for City bankers. I wouldn't go now if you paid me. Too crowded, completely divorced from real gardening, just a part of the social calender.

Sadly, the RHS is not what it was.

blossomhill_2

I am a member and am lucky enough to live near enough to Wisley to make it worthwhile, especially as you can take a friend in for free too - when its free it's easy to pop in for the odd half hour and see it changing through the seasons

Members' day at Chelsea is what you make it - we go round all the specialists having a chat, asking about how they have been preparing for the show, about their plant recommendations and picking up growing tips and generally soaking up the love of plants, and take lovely closeups which we enjoy all year - we don't spend much (actually almost nothing, couple of cups of tea each) and just take away leaflets and photos, so it averages out as a reasonably priced day for us, which we have in lieu of a holiday

The public days are apparently very crowded but this year we were in on members' day at 8am and went straight to the artisan gardens (which can get very crowded later on) and saw them and took photos before they were too crowded - we saw the designers being awarded their medals (or not)

The trade stands are samey and we don't bother with them

An overlooked part of RHS membership is the London shows (not the garden design one for me, the plants ones) - well worth popping in say for a half day, or longer if you like the talks

My one complaint about Chelsea is "not enough places to sit down and eat your sandwich"

I shared a tea table with one of the celeb gardener's spouses this year, and we had a long chat about their work with the charity they were partnering, and I have supported it since then - so you never know what the day will bring if you go with an open mind; sitting near the bandstand and having a rest is full of atmosphere too

I keep saying I won't go the next year but actually the benefit to my gardening knowledge has been great, as I always bring away some idea I want to try, so I will be there next year too with luck

(PS Don't let the TV coverage put you off, the things they show bear little relation to the things we experience when we go!)

azzabazza

Thank you, your comments have all been very useful.

Chelsea is on my 'bucket' list and would love to visit just once. I went to Keukenhoff and the Floriade this spring (which were also on my list!).

I will mull things over for a couple of weeks and then decide. This will be a holiday for myself and a friend as coming down from Scotland will mean we want to see as much as possible.

blossomhill_2

If you could make it a couple of days' trip it would be worth visiting Wisley on the other day too then, get your money's worth from your membership by staying in Surrey or South London

azzabazza

Great suggestion Blossomhill. Will definitely think this one through too.

Thanks

jojo2910

We did Wisley the day before Chelsea and it was well worth it.