Members preview day is this Saturday, March 4th from noon to 3:00 I believe. Check the time to be sure I'm correct. Yes the show is all set up and beautiful. While crowded, the crowd is much smaller and you will be able to get close to each exibit and get a good long look.

I am not a member but I've gone many times in both locations and personally I have found it to be less crowded on a monday afternoon and sunday afternoon of the closing day.

Going to the Member's Preview may sound inviting, but here are some drawbacks:
- Simply being a member DOES NOT guarantee you entrance
to the Preview; that only comes with Full Household Member-
ship or higher, and a year or two ago, that would have cost
you $60 for a single ticket. That seems pretty steep compared to the mid-week entrance price of $22.
- The Preview is relatively short,only three and a half hours this year; being a complete garden glutton, I prefer
to spend an entire ten hour day there, bringing a complete
picnic lunch, using the free Member's Lounge (big, over-
stuffed armchairs, complimentary coffee and tea), the hand-
stamping advantage which allows you to come and go from the
building all day long, taking as many breaks as you like.
- The worst crowds definitely thin out after 3:00pm; by
6:00pm, it's a completely different experience, and you can take your time re-visiting those exhibits that first caught your eye.

I joined the PHS a number of years back, and discovered that the best deal was a dual associate membership - my $55
gave me two (2) tickets to the show (a $44 value), and the
extra $11 gave me free entry throughout the year to
Chanticleer (an extraordinary garden outside Philly), free
entry to the Fall Harvest Show, where you get a free plant,
a great monthly newsletter, all kinds of discounts from
nurseries and other suppliers. A good deal all around. . .

Carl

Thanks for all the advice!

I ended up joining as Household because White Flower Farm threw in a gift certificate to sweeten the deal and this coming Saturday is probably the best day for us to go. (Sunday is out of the question, and I don't want to wait until the second weekend when everything starts to look so tired. Childcare isn't really feasible for the weekday evenings).

I thought about the time limit, but I am the type of person who gets easily overwhelmed, and I haven't been able to spend more than a few hours at the flower show in the past anyway. My friend isn't a gardener, so she won't want to stay all day either. I would love to go back on another day and poke, but as a stay-at-home mom to two very young kids with a husband who is constantly traveling, it's just not going to be in the cards this year.

But next year I will remember the dual Associate option. That sounds great, and I can't wait to visit Chanticleer. My kids will love it!

See you at Fall Harvest!