(6) RHS Wisley in Winter

Posted on 30 Dec, 2008 15 comments

I took my wife to Wisley last week. She enjoyed it but I sensed she was getting impatient every time I stopped to take a photo.
With a heavy frost last night and my wife away at her parents in
France the opportunity was taken to visit Wisley again today, camera in hand.

At first sight the whole place just looked plain green with a touch of frost but on closer inspection there was plenty to look at.
The first colour I came across was a Mahonia Japonica covered in frost

Less than 20 yards away was this fountain

Amongst the Rhododendrums I stumbled across this wonderful Edgeworthian Chrysantha ‘Red Dragon’

Some of the Camelias were already blooming, though those that had were mostly frost damaged

This Camelia ‘Showgirl’ was still opening and looked very much like a rose

There were a few red berries about but not as many I’d expected to see.
These are the berries of the Skimmia Japonica

I ventured through the orchard

Towards the arboratum, where I found these wonderful dogwood stems glowing in the soft winter sun

Heading back towards the glasshouse there were loads of seedheads still covered in frost even though it was now nearly 1pm

Walking back towards the exit I was fascinated by the red winter buds of the Salix Fargesii looking for all the world like deer antlers

I looked it up on the web when I returned home and found that the leaves are also very attractive. Another one for my collection..!!

Before leaving a quick visit was made to the garden shop where to my delight they had a sale on and I managed to pick up 2 Dahlias and a Epipactis Gigantea (wild orchid) for a grand total of £9…

Comments

Janey

Really enjoyed the trip Fdm........I love these places out of season. The Red Dragon is a wonderful find...will be looking for it next year.

30 Dec, 2008

Bluespruce

Superb photography

30 Dec, 2008

Bonkersbon

your photos are great.

30 Dec, 2008

Lilycoton

Yours is the expression of a true and resourceful garden and photography enthusiast! Lovely to see and read! And then too, I envy you all those magnificent English gardens you have to visit! If I didn't have 8 dogs and live in Switzerland, I would make an extended tour of them. I DID once make a pilgrimage to Sissinghurst, and I'm so glad I did. I'd read all of Vita's books, so it was wonderful to see it all in person (in May!).

31 Dec, 2008

Blodyn

Great photos. It just shows the winter is as beautiful as any other season.

31 Dec, 2008

Clarice

I really enjoyed walking round with you, great photo's.

31 Dec, 2008

Skippy5869

Wow! What a neat journey. Those dogwood stems are awesome. When I took pictures for my Cacti blog, I had to reject the company of my family (they wanted to walk with me) but I knew they would get impatient with my slow pace as I noticed cacti I wanted to photograph so I know that you need to be alone unless that person is also into photography and plants.

31 Dec, 2008

Sid

Lovely photos, thank you. And you had sun!! :-)

31 Dec, 2008

Fourseasons..

I love the Edgeworthian Chrysantha ‘Red Dragon’

I Googled it and it said it was frost tender. It also said: Plant Weaknesses: Will not tolerate exposed, cold or hot and sunny locations; Does not tolerate very dry or very wet soils.

Sounds fairly difficult to accommodate!

1 Jan, 2009

Fleurdemai

It was sat on its own, no other shrubs within about 6 feet of it and I would say it was several years old. It was about 4 feet high and the same across.
The surrounding area had a heavy frost so maybe it is only tender when young.
Being surrounded by trees and rhododendrums it is not exposed to too much summer sun.
Maybe it would sit nice amongst your acid plants or beside an acer?

2 Jan, 2009