words by: Jessica Jeffreys
What better way to celebrate the emergence of spring—finally—than by heading to somewhere green and filled with blossom? We hopped in the car and took the A3 to Wisley last weekend—just 45 minutes’ drive from Shepherd’s Bush. There’s ample parking but the earlier you get there, the closer to the entrance you’ll be. Wisley is free for Royal Horticultural Society members plus an adult and any under fives. The RHS flagship gardens are beautifully laid out but a visit there offers so much more than manicured lawns and clever planting.
We’ve been escaping to Wisley’s green open spaces since our little girl was first born. Now an energetic two-year-old, there’s plenty to occupy her in the garden’s more than 200 acres. The RHS offer trails for older children but she was keen to head to the lake to see the koi carp, before moving on to spot some frogs floating and spawning on the streams that meander along one of the main paths.
Although some of the lawns were waterlogged, and so out of bounds, the wilder wooded areas were accessible and she loved pushing through the foliage and climbing some of the low branches. As a country girl, I’m always pleased to see my urban daughter clambering amongst trees.
Of course, all paths lead to a cafe—there are three, each with a good choice of sandwiches, cakes, hot food and kids’ meals. With all the tempting food on offer, it can get expensive, so we always try to get ourselves organised by taking a picnic.
The Butterfly Exhibition was on but we hadn’t pre-booked a slot (and queues can be big) so instead we skirted around the edge of the imposing glasshouse towards the playground, fully constructed from wood and a popular spot for children of all ages. Whilst our little one hopped from tree stump to tree stump, larger children were enjoying assault course-style climbing frames. Next to them were the wooden dens, with children encouraged to build their own shelter.
We spread out our rug and had a nice al fresco lunch in the meadow below the fruit orchards, one of two designated picnic spots. Later we walked off our meal by heading uphill to see the rows and rows of apple and pear trees on the cusp of coming into flower. In a couple of weeks the few acres on the top of the hill will be bursting with fresh white blossom. And hopefully we’ll be back again to see them.
Always inventive with their family activities, Wisley’s programme of upcoming events are worth checking out.
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About the author:
Jessica is a new-ish mum living in and loving west London. She’s likely to be seen drinking coffee in Chiswick or on the Askew Road and most places in between. She also relishes escaping when she can – particularly to her native Cornwall. She lives with her husband and, as of March 2012, little girl ‘Scrip’ (not her real name, they’re not that cruel). Find her on newmumblings.com or @newmumblings or instagram: newmumblings
