King and Queen

Henry Moore's visitors to the garden

Hands

Chionodoxa luciliae

The Laboratory Wisley

Knot garden variation

The Royal Horticultural Society was given Wisley in 1903, although at that time only a small part of the 24 ha (60 acre) estate was actually cultivated as a garden, the remainder being wooded farmland. The original garden was the creation of George Fergusson Wilson - businessman, scientist, inventor and keen gardener and a former Treasurer of the Society.

In 1878 he purchased the site and established the 'Oakwood experimental garden', with the idea of making 'difficult plants grow successfully'. The garden acquired a reputation for its collections of lilies, gentians, Japanese irises, primulas and water plants. The present Wild Garden at Wisley is the direct descendant of Oakwood and despite changes is still true to the original concept.

After Wilson's death in 1902, Oakwood and the adjoining Glebe Farm were bought by Sir Thomas Hanbury, a wealthy Quaker who had founded the celebrated garden of La Mortola, on the Italian Riviera. In 1903, Sir Thomas presented the Wisley estate in trust to the Society for its perpetual use.

Nothing could have been more providential in the circumstances. For at least 30 years, the Society had been seeking a larger garden 'beyond the radius of the London smoke', to replace the garden at Chiswick which it had leased since 1822. It was also committed to building a new exhibition hall and offices in Vincent Square (and the construction work had already started).  Both projects were seen as a fitting way to celebrate the Society's forthcoming centenary in 1904 but there were heated arguments among the Fellows over which should have priority for the available funds.

Sir Thomas' generous donation solved both these problems at a stroke. By May 1904, the move from Chiswick to Wisley was complete and, in July, the new headquarters at Vincent Square was officially opened by King Edward VII - both in time to mark the centenary.

Large flowered crocuses , some brighter ones from our garden

Specie narcissi in the meadow, it was too early for the fritillaries

Narcissus cyclamineus

Acer griseum

Corydalis solida var.

Pulsatilla vulgaris

in the alpine house

Fritillaria davisii

Fritillaria

Cyclamen persicum

Scented muscari

Saxifraga 'Alan Martin'

Sparaxis

Pulsatilla vulgaris

Moraea loubseri

Gladiolus usyiae

Bulbinella eburniflora

Iris reticulata 'Spot on'