Frequently Asked Questions

About the Garden Collective

What/who is the Garden Collective?

Garden Collective is a collection of the most thoughtful garden writers working today. 

We have free rein to create, write, record and talk about all the things that matter to us most, and to share them directly with you.

We write to each other and for each other, and to you and for you.

Guaranteed AI free.

What do I get if I join as a member?

Members receive essays, seasonal notes, reflections and stories, all written and read aloud by the authors themselves. There are individual pieces three times a week, as well as collective pieces, where we all share our different thoughts on one topic. 

There are films and podcasts, including the Laetitia Maklouf and Ann-Marie Powell’s radical ‘What Not to Do in the Garden’ podcast.

All of them are absolutely exclusive to the Garden Collective; every piece you enjoy was created by the author, for you. 

As well as reading, watching or listening, you can choose to chat with members of the Garden Collective in the comments under our pieces or put your questions into Q & A’s for the experts.

How do I know if it is for me?

If you come to gardening looking mainly for quick fixes, rigid rules or a list of how to’s and instruction, this may not be the right place. We have answers, but this isn’t a course. We have experts who are wonderfully generous with knowledge, but there is also YouTube. 

The Garden Collective is for people who enjoy gardeners as well as gardens; who value community and connection, thoughtful voices, lived experience and conversation over certainty; and who find that gardening is as much about noticing the magical moments as it is about the pruning. 

Can I join the Garden Collective if I am not in the UK?

Absolutely. We have many members from around the world, particularly the US, Canada and Australia. You might have to set an alarm if you want to join an event live, and we might be slightly out of sync with your gardening calendar, but if you have the passion and an interest in gardening, we would be delighted to welcome you to the Garden Collective. 

Who is it not for?

We are a community based on mutual respect and consideration. This means that the online spaces we create for you (the subscribers), and for our writers are safe for discussion, debate, and the exploration of topics that we care very much about. 

We extend this respect and consideration to the nature and wildlife with whom we inevitably share our gardens and our lives. There is a general acceptance that supporting biodiversity is a good thing, that we need to adapt our gardening decisions on how the climate is changing. 

If your views are not in line with inclusivity for people, perspectives, and nature, we would suggest that the Garden Collective is not for you. 

Managing your membership

How do I log into my account?
The Garden Collective uses secure, passwordless magic links. Click Sign in on our website, enter your email address, and check your inbox for a login link. Click that link to get instant access.

How do I update my email address?
Log into your account, open the Account menu, and select your profile. Enter your new email address and save the changes. You will need to use this new email for future logins.

How can I change my credit card details?
You can update your payment method at any time. Log in, open the Account window, click Billing info, and enter your new card details securely via Stripe.

What happens if I cancel my paid subscription?
You will keep full access to all premium content and newsletters until the end of your current billing period. After that date, your account will automatically downgrade to a free membership.

Can I upgrade my plan mid-month?
Yes. If you switch from a monthly to an annual plan, or move to a higher tier, you will change over immediately. Your account will automatically apply a prorated credit for any unused time on your old plan.

How do I unsubscribe from specific newsletters?
You can choose exactly what you receive. Log into your account portal, view your email preferences, and toggle specific newsletters on or off according to your interests.

Why am I not receiving the email newsletters?
First, check your spam or promotional folders and add our sending email address to your contacts list. If you still do not see them, log into your account to confirm that your subscription status is active.

Listening to the Garden Collective

Your private podcast feed

A short guide to finding it, adding it to your app, and knowing what to expect.

As a paid member, you have access to a private podcast feed — audio that isn't available anywhere public, and is yours alone to listen to for as long as your membership is active.

It works a little differently to a normal podcast, so here's everything you need to know.

What makes it "private"

Public podcasts share one RSS feed with the world. Yours is different: you have your own personal feed link, generated just for you. No one else has this exact link, and it only works for as long as you're a member. This is what lets you listen in whichever app you already use, rather than being locked into a browser player.

Finding your feed

There are two places you'll find it:

1. Your account — log in, and under your account settings you'll see a dedicated podcast section with a direct link through to your personal feed page.
2. Your welcome email — if you're a new member, the link is already sitting in your inbox, ready to go.

Both take you to the same place: a simple page where you can add the feed to your chosen app.

Adding it to your app

On iPhone, the easiest route is Apple Podcasts — tap the link on your feed page and it'll offer to add the show directly. Overcast, Pocket Casts, Downcast, and Castro all support private feeds too, if you use one of those instead.

On Android, Pocket Casts, Podcast Addict, Podcast Republic, and Castbox all work well. Open the app, look for an option to "add by URL" or "add a private feed," and paste in your link.

On desktop, you can simply visit your feed page and listen straight from the browser — no app needed.

Once it's added, new episodes will appear in your app automatically, just like any other podcast you follow.

A couple of things worth knowing

• Your link is personal. It's tied to your membership, so please don't share it — if it's shared and used elsewhere, we may need to reset it, which means re-adding it to your app.
• If you pause or cancel your membership, your feed stops updating and access ends. If you rejoin later, you'll receive a new link.
• If you upgrade or change tiers, your access updates automatically — no need to do anything on your end.

If something's not working

• Can't find your link? Check your account settings first — it's always there, even if the welcome email has been buried in your inbox.
• Episodes not updating? Most apps check for new episodes every few hours rather than instantly — give it a little time, or manually refresh the show in your app.
• Switched phones or apps? Just go back to your feed page and add it fresh to the new app — your access itself hasn't changed.

If you're ever stuck, just get in touch and we'll sort it out.