This provides access to all areas in front of and behind the scenes of the world's favourite gardening charity. From the society's aristocratic 19th-century beginnings to its four show-piece British gardens today (and a fifth one in the making), from the global success of more than 20 garden shows such as Chelsea Flower Show and Hampton Court, from the campaigning for more and better gardening at schools and in neighbourhoods, to its promotion of best practice, from its plant science and plant trials to providing some of the most popular visitor experiences in the UK. The RHS spans all horticultural activity and is a force for good in our lives.

Contents
 
6 Foreword
by Alan Titchmarsh
 
8 Introduction
by Sir Nicholas Bacon
 
12 Chapter 1: In pursuit of excellence
The story of the RHS
 
22 Chapter 2: A greener and more beautiful place
Investing in the future of horticulture
 
36 Chapter 3: Wisley
Surrey garden
 
54 Chapter 4: Gardening for all
58 Rocket science
The Campaign for School Gardening
62 Flower power
Britain in Bloom
66 Community gardening
It’s Your Neighbourhood
70 Up front with gardening
Greening Grey Britain
74 Gardening changes lives
Community garden in London
78 Seven days to celebrate
National Gardening Week
 
82 Chapter 5: Rosemoor
Devon garden
 
94 Chapter 6: Behind the scenes
98 Ask the experts
Gardening advice
102 Under the microscope
Scientific research
106 Climate change
108 Keeping gardens safe
Plant health
112 Cut and dried
Herbarium
116 It started with daffodils …
Plant registration
120 Helping hands
Volunteers
124 Chapter 7: Hyde Hall
Essex garden
 
134 Chapter 8: The shows
must go on …
138 RHS London shows
144 RHS Chelsea Flower Show
154 RHS Malvern Spring Festival
and Autumn Show
160 RHS Hampton Court Palace
Garden Festival
166 RHS Flower Show Tatton Park
172 RHS Flower Show Cardiff
176 RHS Chatsworth Flower Show
180 RHS garden flower shows
 
186 Chapter 9: Harlow Carr
North Yorkshire garden
 
198 Chapter 10: Inspiring
everyone to grow
202 Compare and contrast
Plant trials and the Award of Garden Merit
206 A global knowledge bank
Libraries
212 Teabags and bumblebees
Citizen science
214 RHS website
215 A connected society
216 Publishing across platforms
Print and digital
220 Strength in numbers
Affiliated societies
224 Giving and receiving
Partner gardens
228 Green fingers
School of Horticulture
232 A world of opportunities
Bursaries
 
234 Chapter 11: Bridgewater
Greater Manchester garden
 
242 Chapter 12: The purest
of human pleasures
The RHS vision
 
252 Index
255 Acknowledgments
255 Picture credits
 

Matthew Biggs is a well-known gardening expert and regular panellist on BBC Radio 4's Gardeners' Question Time and author of several books including RHS Lessons from the Great Gardeners and RHS Great British Village Show.