Giant fruit and fungi weave magic at Wisley

Visual artist Tom Hare, known for his fantastic greenwood creative woven willow sculptures, will be weaving his magic at Wisley this spring with his introduction of a 6ft high pear, giant apple and a 7ft tall mushroom along with two 10ft high 'flying helicopter' maple (acer) seeds to the garden.

All made of different willows the semi permanent structures will arrive partially completed and be located throughout the garden in the Fruit Mount, Arboretum and Pinetum. The fun and magic comes with visitors being shown how they can help weave them to completion be they young or young at heart.

What fun to see a gigantic apple sliced in two to show the seeds inside whilst running through the pear will be a tunnel for children to enjoy. The 7ft high mushroom will be part of a larger 'fairy ring' where younger visitors will be able to enjoy storytelling in August during the family activities planned by the RHS.

In keeping with its ever popular theme of growing your own three of the entrances to the Model Vegetable garden will be enhanced by sculptured archways around 10 ft in height. Each will come to the garden already woven designed to represent a root system, inverted showing what is happening underneath the ground, with roots twisting and turning and arching over the entrance.

The sculptures are arriving in the garden Wednesday 2 April (except the seeds which are arriving towards the end of April). Visitors wishing to join in the weaving are advised that this will take place during the Easter school holidays each weekday from 7 April until the 18 April from 11am until 3pm.

Following its continuing role of introducing children to the joys of gardens and gardening the sculptures being introduced at Wisley will not only offer a touch of whimsy to this beautiful garden but a chance for all members of the family to become hands on willow weavers.