The £35m RHS Hilltop – The Home of Gardening Science, at RHS Garden Wisley, represents the charity’s largest single investment in science in its history, enabling the RHS to deepen its studies into the most critical issues facing gardeners today.

The new building, designed by WilkinsonEyre and built by Osborne, is home to unparalleled collections including 25,000 entomology specimens, 90,000 dried plants in the Herbarium, and a library of more than 28,000 books, artworks and items of horticultural literature dating back 500 years. The centre also contains an exhibition space, auditorium, teaching studios, laboratories, offices and a café.

For the first time in over a century of science at RHS Wisley, visitors can discover and interact with RHS research in a new exhibition. Hands-on features explore key themes of health, biodiversity and the environment, helping gardeners understand the impact they can make through what and how they grow.

Three new ‘living laboratory’ garden spaces around the building have been designed by RHS Chelsea Flower Show gold medal winners and built by landscape consultancy Landform to complement the work taking place inside the building.

“We know that together the UK’s 30 million gardeners can play a significant role in mitigating climate change, preventing the spread of dangerous pests and diseases and understanding how gardens make us feel better,” says Sue Biggs, RHS director general.

“The opening of RHS Hilltop ushers in a new ‘golden era’ of gardening science, enabling us to better equip gardeners both now and in the future with the knowledge they need to help their gardens, and themselves, to thrive.”

The National Lottery Heritage Fund awarded £4m to support the transformation of RHS Wisley, with more than half going towards RHS Hilltop. The grant is also helping to fund a programme of educational activities and engagement to reach new audiences until 2024, as well as work on the Arts & Crafts Laboratory at RHS Wisley, which will open to the public in 2022.

The project has also been supported by the M3 Local Enterprise Partnership and a number of charitable trusts and foundations, individual donors and RHS Members. Over £1m was raised through an appeal to members.