We finally made it to Wisley Gardens! It was a glorious sunny Sunday. We had no plans. Teen was up to date with school work. There was no rugby on TV. Housework was up to date. Hubby wasn't on a deadline. There was absolutely no excuse NOT to go out.
After cajoling my two to be outside and vertical, we headed outside!
Wisley was founded by Victorian businessman and RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) member, George Ferguson Wilson, who purchased a mere 60-acre site in 1878. Today, Wisley covers over 240 acres, and is one of the largest most diverse public gardens in the UK (if not, the world!)
The gardens offer something for everyone - formal decorative, informal decorative, numerous glasshouses doing different things, there are teaching facilities as well has laboratories for scientific research and training. It's truly magnificent.
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| The laboratory was opened in 1907 and received Grade II Listig status in 1985. |
We opted to join the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) as members as it worked out more economical than buying 2 x adults + 1 x children's entry tickets. Even if I just come back once with a friend, we've paid for our membership - anymore than that, and we're ahead! It's always a great idea to check Membership options in the UK as they are very affordable. We joined English Heritage and National Trust for the same reasons - it's more economical, it encourages you to get out'n'about and you're supporting these great institutions. WIN. WIN. WIN.
The day we visited, the Surrey Sculpture Festival was on. It added a lovely expedition feel to the visit as we followed the events map around the gardens, looking for the various works on display. We walked and talked and stopped to comment on the artwork - we agreed on liking a few and disliking a few and other than that, we've very different taste.
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| Just a few examples of the varied work on display |
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| My favourite of the day, tucked away in a walled garden in the sunshine, |
The gardens themselves are very beautiful and diverse. We know nothing about gardening but still enjoyed waking around the various displays and checking out unusual plants. Wisley is a photographer and artists dream setting! There were several people taking full advantage the day we were there.
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| Several beautiful arched walkways lead you from one part of the gardens to another. |
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| There are so many places to sit and enjoy the gardens, from picnic under the trees, to well places seats. |
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| There's so many beautiful, calm waterways in the Gardens, offering various places to sit and relax. |
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| If you forget your picnic basket don't worry, there's lots of places to buy food and drinks. |
Definitely recommend wearing comfy walking shoes.
We thoroughly enjoyed our outing to Wisley and look forward to returning many times over the coming year. Next time, we might even take a picnic blanket.
Address: Wisley Lane, Wisely, Woking GU23 6QB
Website: www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley
With friendship
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