The Worshipful Company of Gardeners is a friendly and active organisation. We are open to new members, and we encourage applications from the widest range of people.
Many of us are professional horticulturists, and the Company is always looking to increase the number and range of its members from within the horticulture industry. But anyone who cares for plants, gardens, green spaces and the environment is welcome here.
If you have questions, please get in touch with our Membership Secretary, Lucy Van Liew, by email here. She will be happy to talk you through the categories of membership and how to submit your application.
What we offer
The Company puts on a varied programme of functions and events. Some are open only to Liverymen and their guests, but many are open to all members.
We enjoy lectures, talks and presentations by eminent horticulturists, writers and thinkers. Some of these take place in person, and others are held online.
Each year the Company organises a number of day trips and longer visits. We explore beautiful gardens and landscapes, and witness innovative developments from practitioners working in various aspects of horticulture. There are normally two multi-day trips a year: one in the UK, and one overseas. In recent years the Company has visited Slovenia, Italy, Galicia, Holland, and the USA.
And we gather together for formal dinners and lunches at historic City of London venues, many of which are not normally open to the public. These are always happy and celebratory occasions – a chance to enjoy excellent food and wine and the company of fellow members and their guests.
You can read more about our events, and see the full programme, by looking at a recent edition of our magazine.
How you can contribute
Every member pays a subscription to the Company. This income helps us to sustain and grow our work, ensuring we continue to promote, celebrate and champion contemporary horticulture, in all its rich and varied forms.
Members support our work in many other ways too. You might sit on a committee or give some time to support one of our initiatives. You could serve as a judge for our Flowers in the City campaign, or support our Schools Outreach programme, which nurtures the next generation of horticulturists.
Many of our members bring deep experience and a wide network of contacts from within the world of horticulture. If that's you, you might end up working with fellow members on new initiatives to support the industry. In recent years for instance, we've helped to incubate up a horticultural training programme (Future Gardeners), and the habitat-development and advocacy work of Pollinating London Together.
Or you might support the Gardeners' Company in its work to bring about a coordinated response to challenges facing the horticulture sector. We want to act as a convenor and catalyst for change, bringing key players together for a much-needed national conversation. With our unique position – spanning horticulture, the City, the charity sector, and a wide range of other disciplines – we believe we are well-placed to play this role, and over the coming years, our efforts will increasingly focus on this important area of work.