I celebrated the start of a new year by visiting RHS Wisley. It was a lovely way to end my holiday, as I walked round the winter garden, knot garden, herbaceous borders, Enchanted Botanical Christmas in The Glasshouse and the evening event Glow 2019.
The Winter garden was full of life, colour and perfume. Some plants I noticed were:
– Helleborus Walberton’s Rosemary = ‘Walhero’
– Helleborus ‘Verboom Beauty’
– Edgeworthia chrysantha ‘Red Dragon’
– Cornus sanguinea ‘Anny’s Winter Orange’
– Hamamelis × intermedia ‘Harry’
– Pinus mugo ‘Winter Gold’
– Iris lazica
– Galanthus ‘Magnet’
– Daphne bholua ‘Hazel Edwards’
–Viburnum × bodnantense ‘Charles Lamont’
– Erica carnea
Along with plants, there were some birds in the garden too. I saw Robins (Erithacus rubecula)
and a couple of Pied Wagtails (Motacilla alba).
Between the winter garden and herbaceous borders is the knot garden containing evergreen and deciduous shrubs as possible replacements for Buxus as topiary and small hedges (see below). The RHS are investigating alternatives to box because of the loss of Buxus through Box blight and Box tree Caterpillar.
I was also interested in seeing the herbaceous borders at RHS Wisley. Obviously the Perennials have died back by winters arrival but I was glad to see that they hadn’t been tidied or ‘put to bed’ . Instead, the perennials had been left for the insects and birds; to be cut back in spring. I think the borders looked beautiful and the seedheads very architectural.
Lastly I have included a couple of highlights from the glasshouse and glow exhibits.
Bee in the Moment 