RHS Wisley

Joojoo invited Erbie and I for a daytrip in her new car. I carried Erbie on my hip down to South London, carrying the child seat - (not as bad as it sounds, they’re very light and the tube is virtually door to door.), We set off early on a bright clear Autumn morning at the end of September, Erbie napping in the back to Wisley, near Woking. I can’t believe I’ve never been before. We spent the whole day there and still didn’t manage to see everything.

Wisley morning September 2009 : WEM

And of course, it being a RHS garden everything is labeled. So if you see a plant you like, such as this lovely Sedum Erbie was pulling as I took the picture, you can note it down (for when, if ever, I get a garden!).

Why WEM Why?

Our visit coincided with a sculpture trail:

Orange spots denote sold so there will be a few gardens with this foxy, I wonder if he’d work as a cat scarer?

We had a several cups of tea from accompanied by rather lovely carrot cake and a beetroot cake, Erbie tried both, well stole a lot of both actually. I especially liked the greenhouse. It started with an amazing collection of orchids and pitcher plants.

Pitcher plants are carnivorous, they entice insects with pheromones, who then fall into and their water filled cavities and drown to be ingested as soupy nutrients. Joojoo said ‘carnivorous plants always look like men’s bits – seducing innocent insects in’!

At the other side of the great glasshouse were the succulents and cacti.

I especially liked the prairie meadow behind the greenhouse.

Posting pictures of flowers makes me smile.