Latest updates:
Opening our gardens
We are preparing to open our four RHS Gardens when Government advice allows. To avoid overcrowding we will be using a pre-booking system for gardens admissions. Please continue to check our website.
RHS Plant Centres open from 13 May
In response to the Government allowing the reopening of garden centres, we have reopened the RHS Plant Centres at our four RHS Gardens (Wisley, Harlow Carr, Hyde Hall and Rosemoor) from Wednesday 13 May 2020.
Our foremost priority remains the health and safety of our members, visitors and staff and we will do everything possible to ensure all Government social distancing measures are followed. The number of visitors entering the plant centres will be limited and additional safety measure include, but are not limited to:
- Access to external areas only
- Maximum of two people per household allowed in together
- Restrictions on the number of customers allowed in at any one time
- Screens at every checkout
- PPE equipment issued to all staff (including gloves, masks and goggles)
- Hand sanitiser at entry and exit points and throughout the plant centres
- Managed queuing for social distancing and separate exit and entry points
Our priority is to support the Government’s plans to control the spread of the virus and if official guidance changes, we will adjust practices immediately.
The plant centres will open from 10am to 4pm seven days a week. While RHS Gardens, Gift Shops and all our catering outlets currently remain closed, we will reopen our gardens with pre-booked timed admissions as soon as it is safe to do so and when Government advice permits. We thank you for your support.
RHS updates in summary:
- The RHS Plant Centres at Wisley, Harlow Carr, Hyde Hall and Rosemoor are open from 13 May;
- All four RHS Gardens (Wisley, Harlow Carr, Hyde Hall and Rosemoor), including the Gift Shops and all catering, are currently closed. We will reopen the gardens with pre-booked timed admissions only, as soon as it is safe to do so and when Government advice allows;
- The following RHS Flower Shows are cancelled: Flower Show Cardiff, Malvern Spring Festival, Chelsea Flower Show, Chatsworth Flower Show and Flower Show Tatton Park, as well as two RHS London shows, RHS Garden Wisley Flower Show and RHS Garden Harlow Carr Flower Show;
- The following RHS Flowers Shows are postponed: Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival will now take place 10–15 September (it was scheduled 7–12 July). RHS Garden Hyde Hall Flower Show will now take place 2–6 September (it was scheduled 5–9 August). RHS Garden Rosemoor Flower Show will now take place 18–20 September (it was scheduled 14–16 August);
- RHS Libraries are closed until further notice;
- National RHS Britain in Bloom competition finals cancelled for 2020;
- The RHS continues its charitable work, thanks to the support of its members, fellows and donors, to bring the mental and physical health benefits of gardening to everyone and, through scientific research and education, to help gardeners protect the environment;
- The RHS is actively supporting nurseries via the Ornamental Horticultural Roundtable Group to call for action from the UK Government to provide assistance to growers and retailers.
During these uncertain times, our wider work continues with our mission to inspire everyone to grow. As a charity, we rely on your membership, donations and retail purchases to fund our work – to train the next generation of horticulturists, inspire a passion for plants in schoolchildren, fund vital scientific research on the role of gardening to support health, protect the environment and help mitigate climate change, preserve and share our collections of national importance, and maintain our beautiful gardens.
Members
To help our members grow at home and enjoy the health and wellbeing benefits of gardening, we have introduced new ways for us to engage with our members. We continue to produce The Garden monthly magazine sent to all members, but have added two digital member-exclusive supplements. In addition, we have increased the number of RHS advisors who are ready to support members with one-to-one gardening advice online and over the phone. Our telephone advice service now includes weekends and Bank Holidays.
We produce weekly member-exclusive emails full of gardening inspiration, practical advice and behind the scenes access to the RHS Gardens, where our gardening teams continue to maintain our living collections. On top of this, we have increased the frequency of our Gardening with the RHS podcast, which is now available weekly, and will be hosting Virtual Chelsea on our website, 18–23 May.
We are very grateful for the positive messages and upgrades to life membership we have received. We hope our members can continue to support us, but understand that everyone has been affected by the Covid-19 crisis in different ways.
If you would like to discuss your membership or any of the above points, please contact us on 020 3176 5810. Lines are open 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday excluding Bank Holidays.
Useful links:
World Health Organisation
UK public health authorities
