RHS membership

RHS Gardening Advice

The RHS Membership includes free personalised advice, with gardening advisors ready to help with all types of gardening questions

The RHS advice pages hold a wealth of information for everyone, including resources like podcasts and videos to learn more about growing.

Starting 4 November 2024, RHS members can contact gardening advisors Monday–Friday, 10am–1pm at 01483 479700, or submit questions anytime by logging on to My RHS. Closed from 23 December 2024–3 January 2025.

RHS Members receive additional one-to-one support, with gardening advisors backed by in-house experts in plant identification, plant pests and diseases, providing tailored assitance for each garden.

RHS Gardening Advice desk
RHS Members visit on of the RHS Gardening Advice desks

Please note: For the best assistance, plant samples are processed upon request. Start by sharing photographs through the My RHS online service or call the telephone service. If a sample is needed, detailed instructions will be provided to ensure helpful and efficient support.

Ask your gardening question online

Log in to My RHS and select My Advice to enter the details of the enquiry and upload any relevant photos. An email will be sent within 10 working days when the answer is ready to view online.

Already have a My RHS account?

Ready to go – simply log in, select My Advice, and follow the steps to submit the enquiry.

Log into My RHS 

Not used My RHS before?

Register with the membership number to activate the membership benefits on the My RHS account.

Register now 

NEW ChatBotanist

If you need to answer a question about gardening why not ask our new ChatBotanist, your friendly gardening AI assistant. Using over 100 years of knowledge from botanists, scientists, fruit and veg experts and RHS specialist advisors, we've began teaching ChatBotanist to help answer any gardening related questions you have.

Try ChatBotanist now

For RHS Members with a My RHS account who can’t access My Advice, this can be activated by selecting the ‘Link your membership’ option in the My Details section.

Other ways to get advice

By post

Send enquiries to:

RHS Gardening Advice,
RHS Garden Wisley, Woking,
Surrey GU23 6QB

Postal enquiries are typically answered within 10 working days.

For a quicker answer, RHS Members can use the online service via My RHS to send photographs, where advice staff and scientists are available online to help with questions.

By phone

Call 01483 479700

  • From 4 November 2024: Lines are open Monday–Friday, 10am–1pm
  • 23 December 2024–3 January 2025: Closed

Please note: Lines can be very busy so calls are limited to one per day per member.

In person

The Advice Desks at RHS Gardens are open. Please do not bring plant samples – photographs (including on phones) are preferred.

RHS Garden Wisley

Location

Opening hours

  • 4 November 2024–28 February 2025: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 10am to 1pm
  • 23 December 2024–3 January 2025: Closed

Please note: This excludes all Bank Holidays and also RHS Chelsea Flower Show week, RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival week and RHS Wisley Flower Show week

RHS Garden Harlow Carr

Location

Opening hours

  • 4 November 2024–28 February 2025: Thursdays, 10am to 1pm
  • 23 December 2024–3 January 2025: Closed

RHS Garden Hyde Hall

Location

Opening hours

  • 4 November 2024–28 February 2025: Wednesdays, 10am to 1pm
  • 23 December 2024–3 January 2025: Closed

RHS Garden Rosemoor

Location

Opening hours

  • From 4 November 2024: Closed until March 2025

RHS Garden Bridgewater

Location

Opening hours

  • 4 November 2024–28 February 2025: Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10am to 1pm
  • 23 December 2024–3 January 2025: Closed
Limits of the service

Helping RHS Members with their gardening questions is a priority, though there are some limits on available services:

  • Identification is limited to five plants samples at a time
  • Cultivar-level identification isn’t available
  • Wildflowers from the countryside (i.e. outside gardens) or those photographed in overseas locations can’t be identified
  • Seeds collected abroad that contravene quarantine restrictions or CITES can’t be indentified
  • Fruit identification isn’t provided (but see public fruit identification days)
  • Seeds, roots, bark, wood samples or non-pathogenic mushrooms can’t be indentfied
  • Assitance with legal or neighbour disputes is not offered
  • Only one phone call per RHS Member is available per day

Additional services for all

Soil analysis service

Learn more about your garden soil's texture, pH & major nutrients.

Soil analysis

Fruit identification days

Jim Arbury, RHS fruit specialist, travels to the RHS Gardens.

Fruit identification days

Poisoning

In case of suspected poisoning by a plant, seek medical advice from your GP or vet.

Fungi

For non-urgent fungi enquiries contact Royal Botanic Gardens Kew: [email protected].

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.