THE GLORIES OF THE RHS GARDENS AT WISLEY (From St Albans & Harpenden Review)

THE GLORIES OF THE RHS GARDENS AT WISLEY

9:16am Monday 15th August 2011

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As you know I love gardening and spending time pottering amongst my plants is one of my favourite things to do. But, as I have said before, summer is also a really good time to get out and about to visit other gardens whether large or small. With the promise of reasonable weather, although we did go armed with raincoats and umbrellas just in case, we decided to go to the Royal Horticulture Society’s gardens at Wisley in Surrey, which also happens to be top of my list of gardens I love to visit. This time made even better as we were meeting my daughter and her partner there, both of whom are keen photographers.

Wisley is one of four RHS gardens, the others being Hyde Hall in Essex, Rosemoor in Devon and Harlow Carr in Yorkshire. They are all centres of excellence but very different in style and layout. Whichever garden you visit, whether RHS, National Trust, English Heritage or a local garden opening for charity there is always so much to see and admire and more than likely you will come away with some ideas for your own garden.

This year a friend has been supplying me with a variety of different squashes, all delicious. So I now want to try these for myself and have been wondering just where – should I use a large pot, a grow-bag or the grassy bank that is behind my house and if so, how would I control the grass. Having visited Wisley and seen a similar growing area being used for different squashes, I now know, some varieties have such enormous leaves nothing can survive under them. But Wisley isn’t all about vegetables and fruit, although they do occupy large areas of land. The flower gardens are a picture, some very formal others more relaxed. The new rose garden is a dream and the perfume lovely. The rock garden is always popular and currently is a blaze of colour. We spent some time near the lake watching some visitors feeding the ducks and were enchanted when two very young ducklings appeared and demanded their share of the treats on offer.

The gardens were fairly busy but it is all so quiet and peaceful. We were able to sit outside the restaurant for an excellent lunch enjoying the view across the lawns to the arboretum – a perfect day.

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