Wisley Garden

Glasshouse Border Wisley Garden July 2009

Trough Gardens Wisley Garden July 2009

Helenium autumnale & Veronica spicata Wild Garden Wisley Garden July 2009

Kniphofia caulescens Trials Field Wisley Garden July 2009

Long Border Wisley Garden July 2009

I visited Wisley Garden on July 4, 2009. Because the climate of southern England is similar to Seattle, Portland OR or Vancouver BC, the plants in this garden appeared much as they would in the Pacific Northwest in July.  From my journal: I met Colin at Victoria Station at 17:30.  The train ride to Bromley was only 20 minutes.  We walked from Bromley Station to the house, a small 1890 duplex.  I had dinner there with Colin & Owen.  We sat in the parlor afterward & talked.  I heard several stories about men they had met online.  I wondered what my story would be.  I slept in their guest bedroom, which was much more comfortable than my hotel.  In the morning, Colin took me to Wisley Garden in his red Cooper Mini.  The garden was vast, excellent, amazing.  There was a very long border, trials field, model gardens similar to those at Strybing Arboretum in San Francisco, alpine display houses, trough gardens, a wild garden with prairie flowers from North America, borders along the Glasshouse & a lovely old manor house.  I thought Wisley Garden was one of the finest public gardens I had ever seen.