Cool Gardens: The charity’s flagship garden is well worth a visit
Although a magnet for garden lovers in south-east England, RHS Garden Wisley isn’t the easiest place to get to if you live 300 miles away like me! Pictures by Gary Welford
However, a holiday based around a trip to Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival makes it easy (read more about the 2023 show). Wisley is a few miles away, near Guildford and Woking in Surrey – but both need a full day.
As ever, accessibility issues were high up on the agenda for me. The garden has marked accessible paths, plus wheelchairs and mobility scooters, but you need to book ahead for the latter. As part of my physio’s instructions, I’m using Nordic walking poles to improve balance, build up shoulder muscles and as good low-impact exercise. RHS Garden Wisley is the perfect environment for learning how to use them. There are plenty of benches to rest and take in the views, too.
The Glasshouse
I love tropical plants, so the famous Glasshouse was top of the list for me. Covering the area of 10 tennis courts and 12m high. There are three climatic zones to explore: tropical, moist temperate and dry temperate. The shadier, humid east side with its waterfall is heated to 8-12°C. Look out for ferns, epiphytes, tree ferns, pitcher plants, South African lilies and Asian gingers. My favourites were the big-leaved beauties Ensete ventricosum Maurelii (Ethiopian black/red banana) and Alocasia macrorrhiza (giant taro).
The tropical zone is hot and steamy, with bananas, bromeliads, palms, and climbers, plus a huge Swiss cheese plant (Monstera deliciosa) and fiddle-leaf fig (Ficus lyrata). The viewing platform gives a spectacular view up in the canopy. Water lilies, papyrus and other aquatic plants thrive in the pool.
Have a rest outside on the patio in the rocking chairs overlooking the Glasshouse Borders and landscape – lovely. For a comparison, read my review of Birmingham Botanical Gardens’ Subtropical House.
The Exotic Garden
Opened in 2017, the Exotic Garden has to be my favourite outdoor part of the garden. It shows what can be achieved with tropical-style planting that will flourish in a UK summer. Surrounding the central fountain are beds packed with your usual hardy bananas (Musa basjoo) and palms (Trachycarpus), plus cannas, dahlias and gingers, all of which I grow.
However, there are more unusual plants here. Hardy palm Rhapidophyllum hystrix, the bronze loquat, Eucalyptus Snow Cream (variegated), Zantedeschia White Giant.
RHS Garden Wisley – The Cottage Garden
Coming a close second outside is the Cottage Garden. It’s ordered chaos, like all the best cottage gardens, finished off superbly by the centrepiece sculpture over the water feature, Diva by Mark Swan.
The garden was created by Penelope Hobhouse in the early 1990s. Key plants include rose Wild Thing, geranium Rozanne and Stipa gigantea. There’s also a collection of lilacs, alliums and lavender. The whole place buzzes with bees and a heady scent.
Other worthy mentions…
Seven Acres, the Herbaceous Borders, the Jellicoe Canal, the Rock Garden, the Walled Garden and the Pinetum. RHS Garden Wisley is so big we didn’t make it all the way around. We’ll save that for the next time we’re in the south!
RHS Garden Wisley – Eating out
There are plenty places to eat or get a drink. We had lunch at the Glasshouse Cafe, a simple sandwich and cake, but you can dine more formally at the Terrace Restaurant.
The Garden Centre
It is huge and very impressive. I thought prices might be prohibitive but they weren’t. In fact, I found some white thrift (Armeria) I’d been searching for at the very reasonable price of three for £12. If I hadn’t been limited by the fact we were on holiday and I’d already bought plants at Hampton Court, I would have splashed out on more.
RHS Garden Wisley information
- Address: Woking, Surrey GU23 6QB.
- Opening hours: Monday-Friday, 10am-6pm; Saturday-Sunday, 9am-6pm. Last entry to garden 5pm. Open daily except Christmas Day.
- Garden Centre: Monday-Saturday, 9am-6pm; Sunday (closed Easter Sunday and Christmas Day), 11am-5pm (browsing from 10.30am).
- Telephone: 01483 224234.
- Website: www.rhs.org.uk.
