RHS The Garden v Gardens Illustrated 17/12/2015

The most useful and inspiring Christmas present that I have regularly received over the past few years has been my Royal Horticultural Society annual membership - thank you very much Mother!

I have agonised this year - have I made the most of my membership? 

Answer: No. 

My weekends are mostly spent ferrying two young girls to birthday parties, clubs and activities, tending my own garden and the odd muddy stomp to the swings. If we do go garden visiting it is to local gardens open for charity. 

I do go to the Malvern Spring Festival and I long to visit Hampton Court Flower show (I will attempt Chelsea again when the girls are more independent and any spare earnings are for me again.....that will happen, won't it?) but is a discounted show ticket or two enough to warrant my membership renewal? 

I used my RHS membership most frequently for a quick trot around nearby Westonbirt Arboretum with the family but I have found that I am increasingly turned away because I have stumbled upon a peak time for visitors i.e. Autumn Colour time and my RHS membership will not allow me entry. 

So it comes down to the battle of the monthly magazine. Financially and time-wise I cannot justify more than one periodical.  

This year I have decided to give up my RHS membership in favour of receiving Gardens Illustrated magazine....thank you very much Mother! Xx

Gardens Illustrated has always appealed to my aesthetics and I often buy it when I stop to refuel the SwampDonkeyMobile. 

Dreamy side 1 - 0 Science side

Maybe I will regret giving up RHS membership ~ this could scupper my chances of receiving my medal for horticultural services when I am seventy three....it could be that I am not destined for such distinguished heights anyway. 

I have received both the December 2015 issue of The Garden (RHS magazine) and a special 'The Plants Issue' of Gardens Illustrated this month; I will be reading both with a reviewing eye. 

I suspect that I will miss the News section of The Garden the most and I am worried that Gardens Illustrated will not satisfy me on a professional level. I hope to follow this post up with a more in-depth review and, after a few months, come to some sort of a conclusion. 

Deep down I know that I need both publications in my life to grow as a well-rounded horticulturalist and feed the artist and the scientist that lurk (fairly deeply) within me. I fully intend to be an RHS member again in the near future (30+ years to work towards my medal!) so the question is will Gardens Illustrated be the monthly magazine for me? 

Well, I am already rather taken with the DIY origami seed packet feature. 

My efforts ~ 

Not bad!