Covering 130 acres of lush planting, Wisley is the flagship garden of the RHS, capturing the imagination of all who wander through the colourful borders, neat parterres, fragrant rose gardens, cloistered walled gardens, orchards, rock gardens and one of the best glasshouses anywhere in the world.
Gifted to the Society in 1903, Wisley has evolved over time into a world-class garden attracting over a million visitors a year - satisfying both the intensely botanically orientated and the everyday gardener alike. It is both beautiful and practically informative while also offering plenty of open space for family picnics and relaxation.
One of the most impressive features are the Mixed Borders, which at 128m in length are packed with bulbs, colourful annuals and perennials as well as shrubs and small trees that make a fabulous display. The plantsmanship is superb and all specimens are all in vibrant, prime condition.
Alongside are the Rose Gardens that are jam packed with a wide range of species and hybrids to delight through most seasons. Its difficult to find a more floriferous experience than wandering through the archway of white climbers into the neatly prepared beds that burst with colour and vigour.
Battlestone Hill is a beautiful woodland garden area that is famed for its rich displays of Rhododendron and Dogwoods while older exotics like giant Sequoias add a stately touch and some welcome shade in summer.
The Rock Garden is very extensive with the sounds of trickling streams providing a gentle soundtrack to your explorations that come alive in autumn as the Acers turn to gold.
Vegetables and Fruit get plenty of space at Wisley with some excellent espalliered miniature apple and pear along with figs, caged currants of many colours and a huge orchard to the rear.
The Glasshouse dominates the top end of the gardens, soaring to 12 metres and covering the equivalent of ten tennis courts. Three climate zones are presented here, tropical, moist and dry temperate. There are over 5,000 plants to be seen, with some, like the giant Musa Sikkimensis (Bannana) almost touching the highest glass panes.
There are also various special displays at different times of year featuring Fuchsia or Begonia, amongst others, that will amaze even the specialist grower.
Heading back towards the entrance there are some lovely Wild Gardens featuring a good collection of Deutzia and the popular Seven Acres incorporates a pretty lake with Japanese pagoda and plenty of space to find shade under the many mature trees for your family picnic.
All the hero photos of Wisley tend to feature the Long Canal dotted with hardy nymphaea, with the quaint half-timbered main building as a backdrop - its not difficult to see why this scene is so captivating.
There is a lot to see at Wisley, we have covered just a few of the excellent features in this review, in fact you'd be hard pressed to cover it all in two or three days, so come back, if you can and see how it changes over the seasons.
There are 90 RHS staff employed here and their work is of the highest standards you will see anywhere in the world. Wisley really is one of the world's greatest gardens.
Author: Bob Saunders.
The Wisley Plant Centre is one of the country’s leading nurseries, stocking an extensive range of trees, shrubs, herbaceous perennials and bulbs.
The Wisley Gift Shop hosts one of the most comprehensive gardening book selections in the world, as well as jewellery, stationery, gifts and housewares.
Refreshments: There are plenty of options for refreshments at Wisley, from a full three-course lunch in the Conservatory Dining Room to an ice cream from the Orchard café.
Disabled Visitors Wheelchairs are available free of change. They also have a few electric scooters available, also free of charge, but booking of these is essential in the summer months you may have to book two weeks in advance.
Most of the grounds are accessible by wheelchair. There are a couple of steep paths which require quite a bit of strength to push the chair up and even more to stop it running back down the hill! There is wheelchair access to each of the restaurants each of which have disabled toilets.
By Road:The garden lies between Cobham and Ripley in Surrey, off the main London to Portsmouth road (A3) south of Junction 10 of the M25. Follow the brown tourist flower signs on the A3 and M25 to RHS Garden. Car parking is free.
By rail: Closest stations are West Byfleet (3 miles) or Woking (4 miles) There are no taxis on standby at West Byfleet. Visitors who produce their train or bus ticket on the day of their visit will gain entry for £8.69.
By Bus:515 Kingston to Guildford.
Hilton Cobham
Seven Hills Road South, Cobham, Surrey
hilton@cobham.com.au
cobhamhilton.co.uk
Phone: 07412 34567
Fax:
Set in 27 acres of peaceful grounds and woodland, the Hilton Cobham is within easy reach of central London which is just a 30-minute train ride away.