RHS Wisley

After an unforgettable few weeks in Scotland, it was time to return to England for my next assignment at RHS Wisley. The RHS Wisley is one of the largest and most important gardens in the UK. Wisley maintains a plant collection of about 30,000 taxa (one of the largest in the world) including a comprehensive fruit collection, as well as vegetable, alpine, bulb, herbaceous, and woody collections. Wisley’s new glasshouse is a welcomed addition bringing many new visitors to the desert, rainforest, and tropical plant collections.

Upon arriving at Wisley, I met with Marjorie Noel in the Education Department to receive my amazing itinerary. I was only at Wisley for about two and a half weeks, but I feel I must have rotated through almost every department in the garden.

My main focus at Wisley was Education. During my first week, I was able to assist with guided walks, teaching sessions, and school visits where children were taught about plants and gardening. The entire Education staff had such a passion for teaching; it was quite inspirational to observe them at work. I also had the opportunity to work in many areas of the garden, assisting on the perennial border, the rock garden, “seven acres,” and the pinetum. While not in the gardens, I was able to spend several days working in the plant pathology labs, entomology labs, and the herbarium.

Many thanks to Jim Bliss, Vivian Lee, and Judy Moss for opening up their homes to me during my stay at Wisley. And a special thanks to Marjorie Noel for creating such an amazing itinerary for me.