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Some people think astroturf is a lawn. Some people think trees in cities are a nuisance. Some people don't ask to see the garden when they visit, or show any interest in how your tomatoes are getting on.

You might have them in your life. You might even have them in your house.

This is not for them. This is for you, and for everyone who understands why gardens matter.

Gardeners, together.

What is the Garden Collective?

A place for those of us who adore gardens and gardening — conversations with some of the best garden writers of the day, plus the inspiration, entertainment and company you want while you're weeding.

The Garden Collective is a place where you can talk to, read and listen to some of the most thoughtful garden writers working today. Subscribers receive essays, seasonal notes, reflections and stories, all read aloud by the authors themselves. There are spaces to add your own reflections on the topics covered, and a place to pose your most pressing gardening questions to top designers, plant experts, and specialists in houseplants and plant heritage.

Guaranteed AI free. Absolutely no ads. Everything you read, hear or watch is made by us, real people.

Is it for me?

If you come to gardening looking mainly for quick fixes, rigid rules or a list of how-to's and instructions, 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's also YouTube for that.

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.

You don't need to be in the UK to join; we have members from around the world, particularly the US, Canada and Australia. You might get us in your inbox at teatime rather than breakfast, and we might be slightly out of sync with your gardening calendar, but if you've got the passion, you're welcome here.

We're a community built on mutual respect, for each other, and for the nature and wildlife we share our gardens with. If your views aren't in line with inclusivity for people, perspectives, and nature, this probably isn't the place for you.

Free followers vs. paid subscriber: what's the difference?

As a free follower, you get one piece in your inbox a week from one of the top Garden Collective writers, and a 'Pick of the Week' email on a Saturday with all of the interesting things going on in and with the Garden Collective that week.

As a paid member, you also get:

Essays, seasonal notes, reflections and stories. Written and read aloud by the authors themselves, three times a week
Collective pieces, where several writers share their take on one topic
Exclusive films and podcasts, including Laetitia Maklouf and Ann-Marie Powell's What Not to Do in the Garden
Your own private podcast feed (see below)
Full access to comment and chat with other members, and to put questions to our experts in Q&As

We use secure, passwordless sign-in so no password to remember.

Click Sign in on the site
Enter your email address
Check your inbox for a login email

Not sure if you already have an account? Just try signing in with your email. You'll either be logged straight in, or prompted to complete a quick sign-up.

Staying signed in

A few members have found they're asked to sign in more often than they'd like. This isn't a setting we can switch on our end (it comes down to how your browser handles cookies) but a couple of things reliably help:

Use the one-time code in the sign-in email rather than clicking the link — it tends to be more reliable, especially if you switch between your phone and laptop
Avoid private/incognito browsing, which clears cookies as soon as you close the tab
On Safari, check that "Prevent Cross-Site Tracking" isn't stopping the sign-in cookie from sticking
Ad blockers can sometimes clear the same cookie — worth an exception for the site if this keeps happening

Your private podcast feed

As a paid member, you have your own personal podcast feed — audio that isn't public anywhere else, and yours for as long as you're a member.

Finding it: in your account settings, or in your welcome email if you've just joined.

Adding it to your app:

iPhone — Apple Podcasts is easiest; tap the link and it'll offer to add the show. Overcast, Pocket Casts, Downcast and Castro also work.
Android — Pocket Casts, Podcast Addict, Podcast Republic and Castbox all support private feeds; look for "add by URL."
Desktop — just listen from your feed page in the browser, no app needed.

A few things worth knowing: your link is personal, so please don't share it. If your membership pauses or ends, the feed stops updating; rejoining gets you a new link. Switching tiers or devices doesn't affect access, just add the feed fresh to a new app if needed.

Comments and community

Once you're signed in, you can comment under any piece, like other members' comments, and reply to keep threads readable. You'll get an email if someone replies to you. You can toggle this off any time from your member profile.

Comments are moderated by the Garden Collective editorial team, not by other members, so if something needs flagging, let us know rather than getting into it in the thread.

Still stuck?

Didn't get the sign-in email? Check spam first, then get in touch and we'll check your account is set up correctly.
Not receiving newsletters? Check spam/promotions and confirm your subscription is active in your account.
Want to change what you receive? Log in, open your email preferences, and toggle individual newsletters on or off.