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... Read more..

Happy New Year. And what a chilly start. When the garden is covered with snow it looks entirely different. And it’s a great opportunity to spot the non-human visitors and residents here by their tracks. A cool, white background also highlights those plants that are in bloom now. Of these, the witch hazels... Read more..

Last year the Glasshouse team conducted an experiment on a plant in the Tropical Zone. For a while, the Tabebuia or Pau d’Arco (a flowering tree native to tropical regions of South and Central America) was left to 'rest' which really meant it looked dead, but we were actually mimicking its natural... Read more..

What wintry weather! Wisley looks wonderful with all this snow. Many of the garden staff were involved in sweeping and shovelling snow both in the car park and in the garden, and on Tuesday we succeeded in getting the site open by 12.30pm. A small number of intrepid visitors braved the weather and enjoyed... Read more..

As I write, the sun is shining at Wisley. What a pleasant change. The Garden is looking very pretty, with some outstanding witch hazels ( Hamamelis ) shining brightly in the Wild Garden and on Battleston Hill. Their fragrance carries some fair distance, and the sweet scent mingles with that of the numerous... Read more..

What a difference a week makes. This week Wisley has proved incredibly popular with happy half termers! I expect the mild weather has been something to do with it, along with the lure of the great outdoor space we have here. But I know that the Butterflies in the Glasshouse have also enticed many visitors... Read more..

Winter seems to be firmly setting in now. The Garden Teams have been hard at work and this week it was time to put the warm coats on the subtropical plants. Bananas always play a key role in our subtropical planting displays and over the last few years we have started to leave them in situ but well protected... Read more..

We had an exciting time at Wisley last week when, for the first time, we saw the spectacular sight of our iconic buildings and historic trees lit up in a range of colourful ways. Lumiere, by Creatmosphere, is lighting up Wisley from late afternoon and into the evening until the beginning of January,... Read more..

Welcome to our new Plants for Bugs blog! Plants for Bugs is a ground-breaking research project being run at Wisley Gardens. We've set out to investigate whether the origin of the plants we grow in gardens - be it British natives or introduced exotics - affects the sorts of insects that are attracted... Read more..

Unfortunately the glorious snow has turned to icy slush and we have had to take the decision to close Wisley this afternoon, Monday 21st December because of the slippery conditions. This means that the Lumiere light show will not be on tonight, and we are sorry for any inconvenience if you were planning... Read more..