In the build up to Christmas it’s been busy here at Wisley. Father Christmas in the Glasshouse has been inundated with visitors. And the festive displays continue to look excellent. We are looking forward, too, to the next event here, Butterflies in the Glasshouse.
http://www.rhs.org.uk/whatson/gardens/wisley/butterflies-glasshouse.html
It’s a quiet time in the Garden, although the hedge regeneration program is carrying on, opening up new views and providing easier hedge management for the future. (See my previous blog entry for more information on this).
But did you realise there are some wonderful plants to see in the Garden at the moment? The winter flowering shrubs are performing beautifully, some with an intoxicating, lingering fragrance that carries for a long way.
Winter stem colour, too, is quite astonishing. Around the lake on Seven Acres there is a rainbow of colours from the white Rubus, and yellow, red, purple, russet and almost black Cornus and Salix. The Arboretum is another good place to spot these.
Hellebores are starting to flower as well, and in the Alpine House there is always a lot on display, including hoop petticoat daffodils at the moment. There is so much to see.
So over Christmas and New Year, when you have the urge for some fresh air and gentle exercise, come and explore the beauty of Wisley in winter.
Merry Christmas, and a happy and prosperous new year.