The entrance to Wisley garden is just below a magnificent old Oak tree that has one of its branches growing back inside!

We followed our RHS volunteer April for a guided tour of the garden for about 1 hour. The poor Lady had much difficulty with perfumers who stopped every five minutes to smell fragrant flowers... It seemed that we'd never manage to finish the Tour on time!
 

The introductory talk was in front of the laboratory's house and the beautiful water lilies in the canal. There April explained who was the originator of the garden, the founder of Prices candles, George Fergusson Wilson, who had over 2000 plant varieties. There was a hesitation at first in accepting the garden because of the climatic conditions; it is a very windy place. But then they realised that the aim of the garden was to guide people on how to grow plants in their own gardens, and if anything could survive at Wisley then it could grow anywhere! It would have been a real shame if they didn't accept the offer because when you admire the result and the state of conservation it was worth it.

After the Water lilies we went to the formal and walled gardens. There Robin showed us a perilla plant which was the first one where perilla aldehyde was discovered: very green note a bit Styrallyl acetate like, metallic.

Then we entered the wild garden. I must admit that April was very patient because she had to wait for us at every cross road! Lots of flowers were smelt on our path and everybody had to stop! We delighted our nostrils with the powdery, sweet scent of the Lysimachia clethroides also known as Gooseneck loosestrife. We were really impressed by the massive leaves of Gunnera manicata. Then we stopped at a view point just below the Alpine Meadow. April told us that the number of volunteers working on site was over 250 people an impressive number working for Wisley to maintain and make it look nice, as well as to educate visitors. In the Alpine meadow we could smell some Geranium plants amongst others.

	Then we went between the vegetable garden and alpine houses and enjoyed the smells of lilies. Unfortunately for April we crossed Weather Hill and we stopped again at lilies, buddleia, yarrow, and so on. Finally we reached the beautiful model gardens with an amazing tree called Circidiphyllum japonicum that you can only smell from far and not at all from close to the leaves! "An elusive, sweet, candyfloss smell" said Robin. I tasted, thanks to Robin, a cuminic variety of fennel with a celery leaves smell. I had the taste in my mouth for some time but it was an experience... Robin has done many extractions on flowers and knows the composition of a lot of smelling plants. It was very interesting to talk to him.
	Our time with April reached an end and we thanked her for her explanations and went of with Robin to the glass houses. That is were we entered the glasshouses and discovered a variety of Datura, one that smells a bit like Petitgrain. We also saw some beautiful water lilies:
Stanhopea nigroviolacea	There was also a collection of exotic orchids including smelly ones such as a chocolatey one called Stanhopea nigroviolacea that was hanging out of a few baskets and that you could smell from very far and walking by, of a brownish creamy colour. Another interesting one was the Coll mooreana "Brockhurst" with a jasmine freesia light indolic character, of a white colour.
Epidendrum aromaticum	The next one I found interesting was the Epidendrum aromaticum with its very pretty small flowers and very marine character reminding me of calone.

Outside the glass houses we stopped to smell some intoxicating Heliotrope plants very dark purple flowers with a rich tobacco Heliotropin anisic note.

After that the group split and some followed Robin whilst others went to finish their own visit.

I went to the Herb Garden where a lot of thyme, sage, lavender varieties were planted. My hands were covered in all sorts of things until I couldn't really differentiate anything!
 

As we were just about to come out a few people asked us whether we have smelt the Magnolia grandiflorum! I must admit that the tree was magnificent and some flowers were still in bloom so we managed to grasp their nice delicate floral anethol fragrance.

Suddenly in the background I could hear the sound of the bell to call us out. This was a very interesting visit, and I would like to thank Shelagh for organising it and Robin for his enthusiasm and excellent knowledge on flowers.