Witch hazel in full bloom at RHS Wisley in February.

Even on the wettest and chilliest of grey winter days, Wisley is a wonder. Granted, just about anything green and blossoming in the dead of February would seem like a minor miracle to this Southern Ontarian’s snow-wearied eyes. But this garden isn’t a jewel in the Royal Horticulural Society’s collection just because it so effectively reaps the benefits of southern England’s temperate climate. You can meander down any given path at Wisley, as I did two weeks ago, and find yourself, regardless of where your own garden is located, thinking “I can do this. I want to do this!” Though elegant and exotic, grandly scaled and beautifully kept, Wisley is most of all a teaching garden filled with ideas for gardeners of every stripe. Here’s what I learned. Scroll down the page to see all the images. Click on any image to start each slideshow and get the full story.

This water feature mimics a stream tumbling down a rocky slope. I love how a very large rock has been positioned so that the water barely skims over it’s surface–a perfect landing spot for thirsty birds.

Even if your garden bears the brunt of polar vortexes, you can still take ideas from this lush garden “room”: 1) The more textures, the better. Colour is sometimes beside the point. 2) Views to other parts of your garden, framed with trees and shrubs, adds mystery and drama.

You don’t need height, colour or variety to make an impact. This formal parterre (a level, symmetrical garden design) uses just grass and white gravel. You could use fake turf for low maintenance.

For some reason, I always thought a water feature involving pouring water always had to include a pond of some sort. Now I see the light. Or rather, the K.I.S.S. approach.

The coloured branches of various dogwoods (Cornus species) can light up a garden in winter. Even grasses in their dormancy can create a rich tapestry when more than one variety is used.

Dogwood branches with bright blue raspberry canes in the background.

Golden dogwood stems glow regardless of sunlight.

Why do we have lawns created from just one species of grass when a mixture is so much more interesting?

The Wisley rock garden alone is worth a visit to this part of the world. And, at this time of year, it’s a pleasure to see so many tiny, brilliant blooms. But there are plenty of ideas to take away, too, like using slabs of rock vertically, rather than horizontally, to create more natural (and sheltering) nooks for plants, and fun ways to turn pipe into pots.

An alpine planting using slabs of stone buried vertically into the soil.

Pipes upcycled into pots add height to spotlight tiny plants.

Slabs placed vertically into the soil create mini shelters and lots of interest.