RHS Wisley
RHS Garden Wisley, Wisley Lane, Woking, Surrey, GU23 6QB
The Royal Horticultural Society's flagship garden in Surrey, with 240 acres of glasshouses, trial grounds, model borders and fruit collections that show what grows well in British gardens.
Visit information checked 22 October 2026
Garden UK guide
Why visit RHS Wisley?
RHS Garden Wisley is the place to go when you want to see how plants actually perform before you buy them. It covers 240 acres and mixes formal and informal gardens with glasshouses, an arboretum, a fruit field and a trials field where new cultivars are assessed, some going on to earn the Award of Garden Merit. Few gardens anywhere let you compare so many varieties side by side.
Most visitors head first for the Glasshouse, which sits beside a lake and is split into desert, tropical and temperate zones. Around it are the Glasshouse borders, redeveloped by Piet Oudolf in 2024 in a looser, more natural style. From there you can work round to the rock garden and alpine meadow on their sloping site, the Jellicoe Canal with its water lilies in season, the walled garden, the wild garden and the rose and mixed borders. Battleston Hill is the spot for rhododendrons and azaleas, while the Jubilee arboretum, the pinetum and the National heather collection give structure through the colder months.
For practical ideas, spend time at RHS Hilltop, where the World Food Garden, Wildlife Garden and Wellbeing Garden sit beside the laboratory and library building. The fruit field is full of apples, pears and other fruit trained in different forms, which is useful if you are deciding between a cordon, an espalier or a free-standing tree at home. The trials field is worth a look whatever the season, and the plant centre means you can take home the plants you have just seen growing. Allow a full day if you want to see most of it, and wear comfortable shoes, as the site is large.
What to see
- The Glasshouse, with desert, tropical and temperate zones overlooking its lake.
- The Piet Oudolf borders beside the Glasshouse, replanted in 2024 in a naturalistic style.
- The rock garden and alpine meadow, laid out on a sloping site.
- Battleston Hill, planted with many rhododendrons and azaleas.
- The fruit field, with apples, pears and other fruit grown in many trained forms.
- RHS Hilltop, with the World Food Garden, Wildlife Garden and Wellbeing Garden.
RHS Wisley through the year
- spring
- Battleston Hill fills with rhododendrons and azaleas, and the alpine meadow and rock garden come into their own.
- summer
- The rose and mixed borders peak, the Jellicoe Canal has water lilies, and the trials field shows new varieties in flower.
- autumn
- The fruit field is heavy with apples and pears, and the arboretum and Oudolf borders turn to seedheads and autumn colour.
- winter
- The Glasshouse offers warmth and colour on cold days, while the pinetum and National heather collection keep the garden interesting outside.
The story behind the garden
Wisley began with George Fergusson Wilson, a Victorian businessman and RHS member who bought Glebe Farm, a sixty-acre site, in 1878. With help from Gertrude Jekyll he set up the Oakwood Experimental Garden there, trying to make difficult plants grow well. After Wilson died in 1902, Oakwood was bought by Sir Thomas Hanbury, creator of La Mortola on the Italian Riviera, who gave the site to the RHS in 1903. The society left its Chiswick garden and moved to Wisley that spring.
The original laboratory opened in 1907 and was enlarged and refronted during the First World War. Storms in 1987 and 1990 took much of the old woodland, leaving a few mature oaks. The Bicentenary Glasshouse opened in 2007, a new Welcome Building with a restaurant and cafe followed in 2019, and Piet Oudolf reworked his Glasshouse borders in 2024. The gardens are now Grade II* listed.
Plan your visit
- Best for
- Keen gardeners who want to compare plants, fruit forms and border styles in one place, and anyone choosing plants for their own garden.
- Getting there
- Wisley is reached from Wisley Lane, which joins the A3 just south of junction 10 of the M25, south-west of London and north-east of Guildford.
- Before you go
- The site is big, so plan a route round the areas that interest you most and leave time for the plant centre. Check the RHS website for current opening times, tickets and member entry.
Source: Wikipedia: RHS Garden Wisley
Questions about visiting RHS Wisley
How long do you need at RHS Wisley?
Most people need a full day to see the main areas. With 240 acres, glasshouses, trials and a plant centre, a short visit of two or three hours will only cover a few sections, so pick priorities in advance.
What is there to see in the Wisley Glasshouse?
The Glasshouse is split into desert, tropical and temperate climate zones. It opened in 2007, covers about three-quarters of an acre and overlooks a lake built at the same time, so it is a good choice on a cold or wet day.
Is RHS Wisley free to enter?
No, Wisley is a paid-entry garden, although RHS members get access as part of their membership. Check the RHS website for current ticket options before travelling.
Who founded RHS Wisley?
The garden started as the Oakwood Experimental Garden of George Fergusson Wilson, who bought the site in 1878. Sir Thomas Hanbury later bought it and gave it to the Royal Horticultural Society in 1903.
When is the best time to visit RHS Wisley?
Late spring is excellent for rhododendrons and azaleas on Battleston Hill, while summer brings the borders and trials to their peak. Autumn is good for the fruit field, and the Glasshouse makes winter visits worthwhile.
Garden features
Location
RHS Garden Wisley, Wisley Lane, Woking, Surrey, GU23 6QB
Nearby gardens
Gardens within 40 miles, sorted by distance.
Similar gardens
Gardens with similar features.