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RHS Garden Wisley is one of the world’s great gardens, packed with horticultural inspiration.RHS Garden Wisley is one of the world’s great gardens, packed with horticultural inspiration.
Ask any of our staff or members why they love RHS Garden Wisley and you'll get 100 different reasons. From world-class horticulture and advice to imaginative events and great shopping, Wisley has something special for every visitor
RHS Garden Wisley from the sky
George Fergusson Wilson, a keen grower of fruit and orchids, bought the site in 1878 and established his 'Oakwood experimental garden'. After Wilson's death in 1902, Sir Thomas Hanbury, founder of La Mortola garden in Italy, purchased Oakwood and adjoining Glebe Farm and donated it to the Royal Horticultural Society for its perpetual use.
Wisley is the flagship garden of the RHS and one of the UK’s most visited and best-loved gardens, attracting around one million visitors each year. Some 75 garden staff, 25 students, four apprentices and 100 volunteers help make a day at Wisley an amazing experience for our visitors. The garden has expanded hugely over the years to its current size of 97ha (240 acres). If you can't cover everything in a day, why not become a member and enjoy as many visits as you like.
Wisley is all about inspirational gardening, rather than a museum of plants and conservation. We're constantly assessing and updating our plants and planting schemes to ensure there's always something new to excite and inspire. In particular, visit our Mixed Borders or Glasshouse Borders during summer and you'll be sure to get plenty of inspiration (and maybe a little envious). And a visit wouldn't be complete without stepping inside the spectacular Glasshouse, where you can take a journey around the world in plants.
If you are an RHS member, don't forget our experts are on hand at Wisley to give you personalised advice and help you get to the bottom of your horticultural niggles. Our friendly advisers and gardeners can also be found at events such as National Gardening Week and the Wisley Flower Show, helping everyone get the best from their garden, however large or small.
The Wisley Garden Centre is the perfect place to find top-quality plants, gifts and homeware, plus great ideas for the home and garden. It is also the largest stockist of hardy plants in the country, with a huge range of plants to choose from. If you can't find what you're looking for, our dedicated retail team will do their best to source it and reserve it for you when it's available.
Not only are we a fantastic day out for walks, horticulture and picnics, we have hundreds of events all year round and there is something for everyone. Our Wisley Flower Show, Wisley Lates and the spectacular Glow are just some of the events you won't want to miss. We also run lots of courses, perfect for honing your horticultural skills, whatever your level of ability.
Our outstanding horticultural displays and advice service are backed by a world-class scientific research team who ensure everything we do is to the highest standards. We're the leaders in best practise horticulture. With all this knowledge and expertise under our belt, we're passionate about educating others. We welcome schools and community groups to learn about what we do – watch this space for our new Centre for Horticultural Science & Learning building.
Many people don't know that the RHS is a charity with the focus of spreading the word on the best in gardening. Some of our many charitable campaigns and projects are:
Discover Wisley's must-see highlights
Short on time? Here are seven key areas you won't want to miss
Find your way with our interactive map
The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.
