What’s looking good at RHS Wisley?

Elegant plumes of Wisteria frame many of RHS Wisley’s iconic vistas in late spring – from The Old Laboratory to the ponds at the foot of The Rock Garden, on the outer walls of The Walled Gardens, and of course, along our dedicated Wisteria Walk, where you’ll find the purple-flowered Wisteria ‘Kokuryu’, followed by the later-flowering white Wisteria ‘Kimono’. RHS Wisley has an impressive collection of wisterias grown in many different ways and is packed with inspiration for growing your own, even in small spaces.

Rhododendrons provide a dazzling hit of colour on Battleston Hill this month. RHS Wisley is home to a vast collection with hundreds of different species and cultivars to see, ranging from dwarf evergreen azaleas, including Rhododendron ‘Panda’, to large hybrids such as R. ‘Cotton Candy’. Rhododendron (Loderi Group) ‘Loderi King George’ and ‘Loderi Pink Diamond’ look fantastic in May, with their large white flowers emerging from pink buds and filling the air with wonderful scent. Seek out the magnificent Rhododendron ‘Halopeanum’ in Oakwood – one of our oldest specimens, with Champion Tree status.

Now is the time to catch our wonderful camassia meadows at their peak. From mid-April, the slopes surrounding the Bowes-Lyon Rose Garden are transformed into a sea of intense blue from masses of naturalised Camassia. Their delicate star-shaped blue flowers gently sway on lofty stems above a carpet of green leaves. Splashes of pink and white from flowering cherries are dotted throughout, and on the north side of Weather Hill, the camassia sweep through impressive collections of Cornus kousa and Wisteria, before finally breaking on the shores of the Alpine Meadow.

Alongside towering rhododendrons blooming in Oakwood, the Kurume azaleas are a real treat this month, flowering intensely in electric shades of purple, scarlet and, in the case of Rhododendron ‘Hinode-giri’, the most vivid magenta. Smyrnium perfoliatum is an opportunistic self-sowing biennial that erupts into clouds of tiny acid-yellow flowers in late May, and overhead Wisteria floribunda f. multijuga clambers through an old oak, decorating the canopy with its long lilac racemes.

The Cottage Garden is packed with familiar favourites that epitomise an English country garden. Don’t miss the lilac collection flowering here from the end of April, filling the garden with incredible colour and scent. Striking Syringa vulgaris ‘Sensation’ stands out with its unusual white margins on mauve petals creating a beautiful bi-colour effect. Tulips continue to wow in early May, with Tulipa ‘Neper’ and ‘Danceline’ blooming in soft pinks and whites, while ‘Continental’ adds a punchy contrast with its purple-black petals – the effect is quite breathtaking.

In late spring, the Rock Garden is a striking mix of acid greens and deep wine reds from Japanese maples, alongside the vibrant flowers of irises, astilbes and primulas. Low-growing rhododendrons pop with colour, and the unfurling fern fronds in the nearby fern glade are a treat. The Rock Garden is a great place to sit and relax or explore in detail, following paths around pools and sandstone rocks. You’re never far from a waterfall, with water cascading from the highest point down to the streams by Oakwood.

Head into the Glasshouse for a special display of pelargoniums to delight the senses (3 May – 1 June); a selection of species, hybrid and zonartic pelargoniums from the National Collection that RHS Wisley jointly holds with the other RHS Gardens. Look out for Pelargonium tetragonum, which with its pencil-like succulent stems is almost unrecognisable as a pelargonium until it comes into flower, and P. ionidiflorum, a small, spreading plant with incredible, vibrant-pink blooms and unusual celery-scented foliage.

Enjoy full on flower power from the Equinox Borders this month, where mass plantings of alliums grab your attention alongside flamboyant peonies. Look out for tall, white-flowered Allium ‘Mont Blanc’ and purple A. jesdianum ‘Early Emperor’. In the Mixed Borders, there is a superb display of Allium ‘Ambassador’ with its robust balls of purple flowers that can last for up to five weeks. Elsewhere, drifts of Allium ‘Beau Regard’ thread through beech columns, floating above Miscanthus ‘Starlight’ in the Glasshouse Landscape.

A quiet haven for both visitors and wildlife – and one of RHS Wisley’s best kept secrets – take a relaxing stroll around the Jubilee Arboretum. Enjoy catkins, blossom and fresh foliage at its most vibrant this month. Seek out the collection of beech trees, adorned with crinkled young leaves that glow in the sunlight. Fagus sylvatica (Atropurpurea Group) ‘Black Swan’ is a gorgeous beech cultivar with a striking weeping habit and wine-red, almost-black leaves.

Download the RHS Garden Wisley app and use as your personal tour guide. Look out for walks throughout the year, including Wisteria, Topiary and Great Trees.