If you read this round-up post, you’ll know we’ve visited RHS Wisley several times these past months. With each season showcasing a different look, we’ve just returned to see what Autumn had to offer.
When we arrived we discovered ‘Autumn adventure’ – an eye spy game RHS Wisley created that uses all the senses.
We had to SEE a yellow leaf, a robin, a red leaf, a gardener, some berries, a seed head, a bird hide and a spiders web. HEAR the sound of water bubbling, a tractor, footsteps on a wooden bridge and ducks quacking.
FEEL a pine cone, smooth sundial, rough bark, a green man, the wind of my face, dry, crunchy leaves, a warm hand to hold and flakey peeling bark. SMELL fallen rotting leaves, damp soil and plants, a tree and ripe fruit.
POD loved this game and we did well finding as much as we did. Not sure what she was most excited about the discovering, “escaping” or jumping in muddy puddles!
RHS Wisley showcased a completely different look to our last visit a few weeks ago. It was an explosion of colour, the leaves on the trees almost creating a warm glow. Everywhere you looked was simply beautiful.
Famously RHS Wisley is home to the local cultivar Nyssa Sylvatica ‘Wisley Bonfire’. For a few days in October this pyramidal broadleaved tree produces the most vibrant, fiery display as it’s leaves begin to fall. It’s impressive.
The Wild Garden offered hues of red, orange and gold. The Acers and Japanese Maples in particular looked amazing and it was wonderful to see the sunlight reflected on the water.
The Glasshouse was just as exciting as its been on previous visits. Offering an array of beautiful plants and flowers, the tropical zone showcased unusual species we’ve not seen before including a rather fabulous banana tree.
We were lucky the rain clouds dispersed while we were there – replaced with blue skies and glorious sunshine. Although a fleeting visit on this occasion, we left RHS Wisley tired and happy. If there was one word to describe Autumn there, it would simply be “wow”.
We’re linking this post up with Country Kids at Coombe Mill, How Does Your Garden Grow? at Mammasaurus and Celebrate Autumn with Only the Best for Baby.
what beautiful pictures of a magical place!! looks like you were in my neck of the woods a bit. with the hibiscus, orchids and air plants… lovely
Thank you Claudia, I do love The Glasshouse at Wisley. It has three climatic zones, one of which is tropical – probably not that dissimilar to your neck of the woods 🙂
Ah the beautiful reds, oranges and golds adding splashes of colour to the green – wonderful 🙂 Autumn is very quickly becoming my favourite season as I look at it differently through the lovely garden posts! As always, lovely to see POD enjoying the outdoors 🙂
It’s great to see isn’t it – I’ve been rather excited about the change this year. Perhaps it’s because POD has been so pleased to see the leaves change colour. She was disappointed there are no blues mind! It’s looking wonderful over your way too 🙂
That place looks absolutely stunning! x
Thank you Fiona, it’s a fabulous place 🙂
What a great game for a garden! I play I spy with my girls on walks everyday but for them to put that on makes it so much fun – more like a scavenger hunt. The Wisley Bonfire is a really interesting plant.
It was a fabulous game Kathleen, POD loved it. It’s really good fun going hunting for things 🙂
Ah it looks so Autumny and lovely. Neat game to play with POD too, so good to get young ones into the outdoors and enjoying garden from an early age – a whole new generations of Monty Dons we are growing ey? POD looks so happy there!
Epic display of colours – I really need to make a visit myself there soon. Thanks for joining in again, hope you are having a good week x
You really must visit at some point – you’d love it there. Amazing how much it changes too. It looked amazing with all it’s Autumn colours, POD loved foraging too – and running off!
It looks such a lovely place to visit. Stunning Autumnal display x
It’s a fabulous place – amazing it looks so different to last time too. Amazing Autumn colours 🙂
Love those air plants!
They’re great aren’t they 🙂
Wisley is such a great place to visit! Not been for a long time though. I bet it was stunning.
It’s just fabulous Jo. Amazing how much it changes everytime we visit. Always amazes me!
Your photos are stunning. What a beautiful garden!
Thank you Carolin, always take far too many photos when I’m there!
You were at my house and you didn’t ring the door bell! I so love these posts of yours Charly, your photography is stunning, you really should be paid by these places for promotion. I have now added a Japanese Pagoda to my garden wishlist xx
Hehe and thank you, you’re too kind! Wish someone would pay me to take photos of places, wouldn’t that be wonderful 🙂
Wisley always looks so lovely on photos and on TV. I’d really like to go. Some great autumn colours in your photos.
Thanks Erica, it’s a great place – always take far too many photos there! Wonderful to go back in a different season, it had just exploded with colour!
Beautiful pictures 🙂 What a brilliant idea to visit the same place in each season too to see the changes. Might have to pinch this!
Thank you Jess. It wasn’t the intention to purposely visit each season but the change is just incredible 🙂
Loving the eye spy idea I may have to try this when we go out.
It was such a great thing to do, POD loved it. Especially when I asked her what we needed to find and she thought super hard! We did really well too although those muddy puddles were a bit of a distraction!
I’ve always wanted to visit RHS Wisley-one day we’ll get there. Sounds lovely.
You really should do, it’s a wonderful place. Definitely worthwhile seeing what’s on first and planning your visit accordingly 🙂
Such gorgeous photos, and the Autumn Adventure sounds brilliant!
Thank you Jocelyn. The Autumn Adventure was an inspired idea especially given POD was super tired when we arrived!
It is lovely visiting formal gardens at this time of year. Wisley is such a good choice. The colours are amazing.
Thank you Cheryl, it’s a wonderful place. I’ve not been in Autumn before and it was just amazing 🙂
Gorgeous photos! You do visit some really lovely places!
Thank you Laura, really kind of you. Hope you’re feeling better 🙂
Great post! We’re planning on going there at some point next month, can’t wait to see all the lovely colours 🙂 xx
You should definitely visit Charlotte, it’s just fabulous at this time of year. Take a camera!
Beautiful, beautiful photos. The great thing about visiting an outdoor location regularly is that you get to see and appreciate the change of seasons.
You’re so right Kriss and thank you, it was such a change – we weren’t even there that long ago either!
What stunning photos, it really is a feast for the senses at Wisley. What fun for you both to go on the eye spy game – I’m sure it was lots of fun and POD had a great time. Thanks for linking up and sharing your outdoor fun with Country Kids.
It really is a feast for the senses Fiona and POD loved that game! Such amazing scenery there, took way to many photos. Again!
Autumn colours are so lovely! Sometimes I wish it’s longer than winter.
I wish it lasted longer too Dean, wouldn’t that be lovely 🙂
Such a great idea having something to keep children occupied and entertained as you go around. Beautiful photos, as always!
Thank you! It was a really lovely idea – POD had a great time 🙂
Your pictures are always so beautiful! What I love about a lot of these magnificent attractions is that they now cater for children – great that they’d organised a game to encourage the little ones to enjoy the gardens.
You’re far too kind! It’s so lovely there is so much that’s appealing to children. A great surprise to find this game too, POD loved it!
Such a beautiful collection of photographs, although I have come to expect nothing less from you Charly! I love the idea of the ‘senses’ game xx
Thank you so much, really lovely of you. The senses game was just great and in such fabulous surroundings too 🙂
We love it there and have a membership for RHS gardens near us in Harrogate. We are there most weekends!
So worthwhile with membership isn’t it – we’ve gone to Wisley a lot more as we’re members. On a good day it’s only ten minutes drive away!
RHS Wisley has a stunning garden, what beautiful photographs. I love the idea for an Autumn Adventure using all of the senses. I can imagine POD had a wonderful time exploring! Thanks for linking up with Celebrate Autumn #celebrateautumn
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