RHS Wisley

A gardening friend of mine told me that RHS Wisley was her favorite English garden. I can see why.

Somehow they manage to include 'everything' anyone could want in a garden-- interesting plants (especially species, not cultivars), fabulous design, huge old trees in a beautiful landscape, demonstration vegetable gardens, fantastic borders, etc. set in a backdrop of lovely old buildings.

It helps that it must be at least 800 acres, plus some huge amount of backup greenhouses & nursery beds. I was thankful that I took a couple of extra memory cards with me -- and was glad that I have a new 4 GB card, too. I had thought I might visit another garden or two, but spent the entire day at Wisley. Here are just a few images until I get them sorted out.

Their 'plant centre' for sales was truly amazing -- just imagine the most comprehensive and fascinating nursery you've ever been in, and multiply it by two. It was full of all sorts of interesting plants, including vegetables, and also included seeds. It was a good thing that I'm a traveler.

What was especially fun was running across so many of 'our' North American plants tucked in various places. There was an oakleaf hydrangea out in full sun in a border, a coral honeysuckle planted on a building wall, Yucca filamentosa, agaves, an unusual dwarf Juniperus virginiana labelled 'Grey owl' and a cultivar of Magnolia grandiflora called 'Charles Dickens' among many others.