RHS Wisley’s exotic touch
Subtropical-themed garden gets go-ahead
Wisley Garden, the flagship venue of the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), is to install a new subtropical-theme garden, showcasing a diverse range of tender and half-hardy plants with giant leaves and brightly coloured flowers.
Located adjacent to the Bowes-Lyon Rose Garden and Cottage Garden, the exuberant planting will feature more than 100 different species, and familiar plants such as dahlias, cannas and gazanias will flow around larger specimens, such as palm trees and bananas. The hardiest specimens will remain outdoors to create a year-round feature.
Visitors will be able to explore the tropical jungle via circular and angular stone pathways leading to a hideaway featuring a fountain and stone benches. This is Wisley’s first permanent garden of this type, although it has experimented with temporary subtropicalstyle plantings for many years.
“The garden will demonstrate the range of plants that can thrive in English gardens, and we hope to inspire others to be bold and more adventurous with their choice of plants,” said curator Matthew Pottage.