RHS Wisley is 'hopeful' visitors will increase

RHS Wisley is encouraging amateur gardeners to bring unused seeds to their swap event

RHS Garden Wisley in Surrey said it is hopeful visitors are returning after roadworks led to 350,000 fewer guests a year.

Works to the A3/M25, which are part of a three-year £317m scheme, have caused planned closures off the motorways intermittently.

The attraction is now encouraging amateur gardeners to bring their unused seeds to a swapping event on Saturday.

RHS Wisley's Vanessa Penn said: "The benefits to everybody of getting outside is invaluable so hopefully we'll get the visitors coming back again."

"Hopefully with the improvements that have been going on in the recent months, people can see that actually the route into Wisley is improved," she added.

The Great Seed Swap takes place on Saturday, in which amateur gardeners are encouraged to bring in unused seeds.

Ms Penn said: "Wisley is a beautiful garden but it's not just for people to visit a garden - it's for people to come, get information, get involved."

Attendees are asked not to bring seeds from abroad, collected from the wild or have a packet date of older than 2022.

Ms Penn said: "It's really just seeds collected from your garden and allotment that we are looking for."

Growing experts will be on hand to give advise on the best conditions to grow seeds and when to plant them.

Ms Penn said: "It's a really exciting and inexpensive way to fill your garden with annuals and just possibly try something different or grow something edible at the moment.

"If you like it and you want to eat it, you can try growing it."

The event is in the Hilltop Building between 10:00 and 15:00 GMT and and is free for members. Non-members will have to pay the usual garden entrance fee.