A good day was had by all when members of the Gardening group headed off to RHS Wisley. It was early April and the gardens were filled with drifts of daffodils and blossom.
In the Glasshouse
After touring the grounds and lunch in the Glasshouse Café the group visited the Glasshouse itself. The gigantic terrarium was filled with magical plants of all sizes and descriptions and a sweet scent filled the air. There are two sections to the Glasshouse: first, the Tropical area, and then through adjacent doors into the Desert area, where an array of succulents from far-flung places show off their spikes and stunning flowers. You can take your time and have a sit-down on the benches dotted throughout. Surprises await you around every corner and a waterfall adds coolness to the atmosphere.
Groundsman cutting yellow-stemmed dogwood
On our way back to the main building we came across a groundsman cutting yellow Cornus to ground level and building stacks of sticks ready for weaving. To our delight he offered us a couple of sticks each and answered some questions. Then we were off to the shop. What felt like acres of plants were on display, carefully arranged from A to Z. After making our purchases we drove back to our group leader’s house, where we stopped for a cup of tea.
It was great to see such beauty, spend time with friends and get some fresh air. We can’t wait to see what the summer will bring.
Faith Docker