Membership FAQ

There are several ways to join or renew your membership:

• ONLINE: Joining or renewing online is quick and easy. CLICK HERE.
• IN THE TRILLIUM STORE: For Trillium Store hours, CLICK HERE.
• BY MAIL: Mail your payment to Bellevue Botanical Garden Society, PO Box 40536, Bellevue, WA 98015-4536. Make your check payable to Bellevue Botanical Garden Society and include this completed form in the envelope.

Yes. You can easily gift a membership to friends and family. Simply select the membership term and level, click the “This membership is a gift” box, and then enter the details about the person who will receive the gift membership. Please be sure and let us know if you should receive renewal notices or if the person who is receiving the gift membership should receive them.

Although individual and dual membership dues were previously tax-deductible, in accordance with IRS regulations, individual and dual membership dues are no longer tax deductible. Dues for higher membership levels are partially deductible. Please refer to the chart below for more information, or download this document for future reference. Please consult your tax advisor with any questions.

Yes, you can. However, per IRS regulations, if you use a Donor Advised Fund to pay for a membership, you are required by law to waive all associated benefits. These include but are not limited to Garden d’Lights tickets and events such as the Garden d’Lights Preview Party. This is because the IRS does not allow you to split (or “bifurcate”) a gift from a DAF—meaning you can’t use part of it for a charitable donation and part for personal benefits. Please consult your tax advisor with any questions.

We issue digital membership cards that can be downloaded to the wallet app on your mobile device. You will receive your digital member card by email approximately one week after you join. This email will include detailed instructions for downloading the card to your mobile device. For more information about digital cards, see our Digital Membership Cards FAQ page.

If you have not received your digital card within two weeks of your join date, please notify us by email.

Yes! We offer a limited number of complimentary individual and dual memberships to community members who may benefit from financial support. To apply, please fill out this form and a member of our team will follow up with you.

Membership dues are not refundable. Thank you for your understanding.

First, you need an online account so our system can match your member record with your registration. Our system uses your email address to identify you, so be sure to use the same email address you used to purchase your membership. If you are not sure what email address we have on file for you, email us for assistance. You can create your online account HERE.

The purchase process has a few steps, so please follow these directions:

1. Go to the event you want to register for and click the “Register Now” button.
2. At the next screen, click the green Sign In button at the top of the screen and sign in with your email address and password. You need to do this before entering the number of spots you want.
3. Once you are signed in, enter the number of spots you want, and click Register.
4. At the next screen, complete your information (name, address, email, etc.) and click “Add to Cart.”

At the next screen, the total will reflect your member discount

You can also watch our step-by-step video for instructions on how to set up an online account and register at the member price. 

Simply show your digital membership card at check-out, or mention your membership when making your appointment, to receive a 10% discount at our nursery and garden center partners.

The Bellevue Botanical Garden Society participates in the American Horticultural Society Reciprocal Admissions Program (RAP). As a BBGS member, this entitles you to special admission privileges and discounts at more than 380 gardens throughout North America. Many of the participating gardens offer free admission as part of this program.

When using this benefit, please keep the following in mind:

• Some local gardens have a local visitor exception. This means that the garden offers benefits (such as free admission) only to visitors whose address is more than 90 miles from the garden. Please refer to the individual garden directory listing to determine if the garden you plan to visit has a local visitor exception. For a complete list of gardens, see the AHS directory.
• Before heading out to the garden you plan to visit, be sure to check the garden’s listing in the AHS directory or give the garden a call. While most offer free general admission and parking to network visitors, special events like festivals or exhibits usually aren’t included.
• To use your reciprocal benefits, bring your current membership card and present it at the admissions desk. Please note that your membership card will only admit the person or people named on your card. Relatives or friends accompanying you are not entitled to free admission or other benefits unless their names are on your card. If you have a Dual membership, make sure both names are on your card.

No, we do not automatically renew memberships. You are responsible for renewing your membership. However, we will facilitate this by emailing you a notice the month before your membership will expire with a link to renew your membership online. If you do not renew, we will follow up one month later with a renewal reminder sent by US mail. If you take no action, your membership will expire.

If your email address, mailing address, or phone number changes, please email us and let us know. Make sure to include the name of the primary member.

Garden d’Lights member passes are sent out via US Mail in mid-November for that year’s event. Individual members receive a pass that admits one person for free. Dual members and above receive a pass that admits four people for free. Members can use their passes whenever they wish during regular Garden d’Lights hours. Reservations are not required. In addition, Dual and above passes are sent as four individual passes, so you are free to come on different nights, and/or give your passes to friends and family.