The RHS has been supporting horticultural clubs and societies for over 100 years. The idea of a ‘union’ between the Horticultural Society of London and the various provincial societies of the day first emerged in1858. By 1877, 55 societies had joined the scheme, each paying five guineas a year in order to receive show medals and horticultural advice.
Today there are nearly 3,000 gardening clubs and horticultural societies affiliated to the RHS, making it the largest network of gardening clubs in the UK. The scheme represents an enormously diverse mix of groups including specialist plant societies, allotment groups, community gardening initiatives, school gardening clubs and overseas gardening groups among many others.