Undoubtedly one of the great gardens of the world, RHS Garden Wisley is home to some of the largest plant collections anywhere in the globe. Looked after by 90 staff, the garden aims to inspire and educate. For more than 100 years, when it was presented to the RHS by Sir Thomas Hanbury, Wisley has been a centre of gardening excellence, with RHS members and other visitors benefitting from the knowledge and experience of RHS experts.
It’s a centre of education for gardeners of all ages, and offers the chance to view alpine plants at close quarters in the Alpine Display Houses, and glean planting, design and cultivation ideas for smaller gardens from the demonstration and model gardens. Planting varies enormously, from the mingling of herbaceous perennials and shrubs in the famous Mixed Borders to the lower-maintenance, prairie-style planting in the Glasshouse Borders.
As the flagship garden for the Royal Horticultural Society, its beauty, size and diversity of planting provides visitors of all ages with an exceptional day out. The garden is 240 acres in size, has one of the largest plant collections in the world, with close to 30,000 plant varieties, and attracts 1 million visitors a year.
RHS Wisley has a full programme of events throughout the year, with children’s activities running in most of the school holidays. The gardens host various restaurants and eateries, but with its attached soft play area, the Glasshouse Café makes a great place to bring your family to eat.
There is a recommended wheelchair route through the garden available from the entrance. However, please note that some areas – such as the Rock Garden – have limited access to some parts due to the nature of the garden.
Please visit the website for more details about RHS Garden Wisley.
For more ideas on local places to go, please visit the Raring2go! Places2go section.