Membership · Three tiers
The Planters' Guild is free to read. Members and Founding Members are how a smaller group helps fund the work and gets a few extras in return.
How membership works
Most people who follow the publication will be Readers, and the work is built for them. Plant Profiles, Substrate Library entries, Field Manual procedures, Garden Forecasts, and Grow Guides are all freely readable without paywalls or ads. That's the point.
Members and Founding Members are the smaller group who decide to fund the work. They get printable bench-notes formatted for the workshop, the Founder's biweekly note, and (for Founding Members) lifetime status and a place at the future physical Guild.
Reader
Free, forever
Or get The Window Box by email — subscribe here.
Member
$5 / month or $50 / year
Launches alongside Founding Member. Until then, the Reader tier is free and the Founding tier is open.
Founding Member
$200 once · Capped at 1,000
1,000 lifetime spots. Then the tier closes for good.
Common questions
What does the Reader tier actually include?
Everything published on the site. Plant Profiles, Substrate Library entries, Field Manual procedures, Garden Forecast weather columns, Grow Guides, and the Journal — all freely readable, no account, no payment. The Window Box newsletter (biweekly) and the Forecast subscription are both free too. There is no paywalled editorial content; the publication is free by design.
What's the difference between Member and Founding Member?
Member is the ongoing way to support the work — $5/month or $50/year, cancel anytime. Founding Member is a one-time $200 payment that locks in lifetime access to every Member benefit, plus your name at the future physical Guild and founding privileges there. Founding Membership is capped at the first 1,000 supporters, then closes permanently.
Why is there a Member tier at all if the publication is free?
Because publishing costs money — hosting, photography, the eventual physical site, the working capital reserve. The Member and Founding Member tiers are how the publication funds itself without venture money, ads, or paywalls. The bench-notes PDFs and Founder's note are real perks for paying members, but the core editorial stays free because that's what The Planters' Guild is for.
When does Member checkout open?
Alongside Founding Member checkout, once payment processing is set up — typically within five business days of this page going live. If you want to be notified, the Founding Member page has an email signup that captures interest for both tiers.
Can I switch from Member to Founding Member later?
Yes, as long as Founding Member spots are still available. If you join as a Member and decide to upgrade, the $200 Founding payment converts you and any unused Member subscription credit applies. Once Founding closes (cap or June 2027), the tier is gone permanently.
Is membership tax-deductible?
No. The Planters' Guild LLC is a for-profit publication and membership is a paid product, not a donation. If you'd like to support garden access and horticulture education in your area, look up local nonprofits doing that work — most counties have one.
