Last year, G’s mum and I took a little road trip down to Surrey to visit RHS Wisley which are a beautiful set of gardens run by the Royal Horticultural Society and basically are a must see for Garden lovers.
We arrived super early and took to exploring with a map…if you can’t read a map, don’t fret you can get lost in the secret gardens which is what happened to us (don’t rely on my map reading skills if you need to get from A to B!)…
…we smelt a flower or two while we were lost…
…which isn’t a bad thing!
We may have sniffed a few roses…they smelt sooooo sweet in the warm summers morning…
…did a bit of bee watching…orange may be the new black however bee watching is the new people watching (there’s even a bee watching app!)…
…and frolicked in the gardens some more, we were pretty lost.
If you’re a bit stumped on what to introduce into your garden then RHS Wisley will give your green thumbs a helping hand…
…I want all of these…
and yes, these as well…bright colours galore…I’m a big fan of bright colours can you tell…no pastels for me!
This year our garden provided a bounty of fresh vegetables which I’ve cooked, baked, pickled, stewed and frozen…we have a very full freezer which we are eating our way through…
…I got a lot of inspiration from the RHS Wisley veggie patch, we used tall pots to plant our tomato plants in and then had them sitting inside tomato grow bags and I can’t recommend this way of growing tomatoes enough.
If you want to grow tomatoes make sure you plant marigolds around them so the aphids don’t come a knocking.
^^I wish my veggie patch looked this tidy!
RHS Wisley is broken up into little areas, showcasing different styles of gardening from the Rock Garden…
…to the calmness of the beautiful Bonsai Walk…
…just looking at that photo makes me feel calm as a clam.
We found ourselves rambling towards a rather large glasshouse in the distance…
…full of fuchsias which are becoming rather fashionable again in the gardening game…
…there were a few palms…really teeny tiny palms…
…and a few prickly cacti!
I can report that I escaped without a prickle.
I may have enjoyed a light spray from the waterfall though!
^^Found the perfect spot for a shoefie…I never go exploring without a sunhat
There is also a rather interesting little display…
…as they say, every day is a school day even for this golden oldie!
We wandered through the gardens…with our noses in the air trying to sniff out some food, as a rather big kiwi bird’s tummy was a flutter with hunger pains…
…oh look pretty flowers…had to stop to photograph said pretty flowers while the tummy rumbles got louder and louder…
…we stumbled into the cafe for lunch where there are a number of gluten free options, they even make gluten free sandwiches to order…
…or if you were well prepared then take a picnic and enjoy the gardens!
^^Grey sky optional!
After sorting out the rumbly tummy, we were off again in search of more secret gardens to explore…
…there is something special when you enter a garden that looks like it should be inside a children’s fairy tale…
…you know the ones, where you require a big sword to cut through the tangles of vines and then arrive in a beautiful garden that has had magical little gardening elves caring for it.
We sat down and just watched the world go by…had a little cry (this was a spot that G’s parents both wanted to visit and it was not long after G’s dads death that we visited…so our visit was bittersweet)…
…this is a popular area at RHS Wisley…
…and oh so photogenic!
So have you visited RHS Wisley? Are you a fan?
Travel Tips for RHS Wisley
- Arrive early as the traffic around RHS Wisley is pretty horrendous…there is ample parking onsite.
- There are a few cafes / restaurants dotted around the gardens which all offer gluten free options which is great news! If you want to, there are plenty of spots to enjoy a picnic in the gardens.
- Take comfortable shoes as RHS Wisley is spread over 240 acres…getting lost in the gardens is a must!
- An adult ticket to RHS Wisley is £15.40 pp with gift aid (£14 without gift aid) – RHS Members gain free entrance to the gardens (learn how to become a RHS member here). If you buy your tickets online here there is a 10% discount offered
- Address of RHS Wisley – Wisley Ln, Wisley, Woking GU23 6QB
xx
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