RHS Wisley
Gardening on a Grand Scale
If you think a garden is somewhere you mow the lawn, attack the weeds and occasionally wonder why the roses have died, then RHS Wisley in Surrey may come as something of a shock.
This isn't a garden.
This is gardening on an industrial scale.
Set in more than 200 acres, Wisley is one of the Royal Horticultural Society's flagship gardens and one of the finest horticultural attractions in Britain. It combines spectacular formal gardens with woodland, glasshouses, experimental plantings and some wonderfully peaceful places to simply wander around and enjoy the scenery.
And you certainly don't need to be a gardening expert to appreciate it.
The Gardens
Wisley is enormous, and one of the pleasures is that there is no single route you have to follow.There are formal borders bursting with colour, woodland gardens, lawns, ponds, streams and areas devoted to particular types of plants. Depending on the season, something will be flowering somewhere.
The Rock Garden is one of the highlights, with plants growing amongst rocks and carefully designed landscapes that make you wonder how anybody manages to keep it all looking so immaculate.
Then there are the Mixed Borders, where plants are combined for colour and interest throughout the growing season.
If you're the sort of person who likes wandering around gardens without necessarily knowing the name of everything you're looking at, Wisley is ideal.
You can simply enjoy it.
The Glasshouse
One of Wisley's great attractions is its enormous Glasshouse.It is divided into different climatic zones, allowing plants from tropical, subtropical and temperate regions to grow under one roof.
Walk inside and you can go from something resembling a British spring day to a humid tropical jungle within minutes.
There are exotic flowers, giant leaves, palms, water plants and all sorts of things that would last approximately five minutes in the average British garden.
The Glasshouse is particularly impressive when the weather outside is doing what British weather does best. You can be standing in cold drizzle outside and, five minutes later, find yourself surrounded by tropical vegetation.
It's practically a holiday.
The Laboratory and Science
Wisley isn't just about making things look pretty.
The RHS has a long history of horticultural research, and Wisley plays an important role in studying plants, pests, diseases and cultivation.
This scientific side is easily overlooked by visitors who are concentrating on the flowers, but it is an important part of what makes Wisley more than simply a very large public garden.
There is a serious amount of knowledge behind what you see.
Every apparently perfect border has probably involved considerably more thought than most of us give to our entire gardens.
Seasonal Spectacles
The great thing about Wisley is that it changes dramatically throughout the year.Spring brings bulbs, blossom and early flowers, while summer produces the great explosion of colour for which gardens like this are famous.
Autumn is particularly beautiful, with trees and shrubs putting on their own display, while winter has a quieter charm.
And then there are the special seasonal events and displays which mean that a return visit can reveal something completely different.
You could visit in May, return in September and quite reasonably wonder whether you're in the same place.
A Garden for Everybody
One of the things Wisley does particularly well is cater for people who aren't dedicated gardeners.
There are plenty of places to sit, attractive walks, cafés and areas where you can simply enjoy being outdoors.
Families are catered for too, and there are areas designed to encourage children to take an interest in plants and the natural world.
For serious gardeners, meanwhile, there is enough here to keep you occupied for days.
You can spend half an hour admiring a border or half a day studying one.
Nobody will judge you.
Well, perhaps the gardening experts will.
The Plant Centre
And then there is the plant centre.This is where the carefully laid plans can start to go horribly wrong.
You arrive telling yourself that you are only going to look.
Then you see a plant you have never heard of.
Then another.
Then you discover that they have a rather good selection of roses.
Before you know it, you're carrying half the contents of Wisley towards the car and wondering whether you really need another plant that requires "a sheltered position."
You probably don't.
But you'll buy it anyway.
The Verdict
RHS Wisley is a superb day out, whether you're a dedicated gardener, an enthusiastic amateur or simply somebody who enjoys beautiful surroundings.
The scale is impressive, the gardens are beautifully maintained, the Glasshouse is spectacular and the variety means there is always something different to discover.
What makes it particularly enjoyable is that it doesn't feel like a museum where you're constantly being told not to touch anything.
It is a living garden.
Plants grow, seasons change, borders are redesigned and new ideas are constantly being tested.
And while the serious horticulturalists can happily disappear into the scientific and specialist side of things, the rest of us can wander around, enjoy the flowers, have a cup of tea and pretend that our own gardens look remotely like this.
They don't.
Mine certainly doesn't.
But that's rather the point.
If you're anywhere near Surrey and enjoy gardens, nature or simply a good walk, Wisley is well worth a visit.
Just leave enough room in the car for the plants you swear you aren't going to buy.
You know you will.
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