The weekly market at Kotpad, which takes place on Tuesdays Odisha is billed as one of India's best-kept secrets, but in reality, it is one of the nation's most under-developed states and therefore relatively inaccessible in terms of facilities for tourists. But if you're prepared to take the rough with the smooth, this beautiful state is well worth visiting because of its rich history and culture…
Mexico City has long been loved for its sense of green, so if you get the chance to visit after these troubled times of Covid-19, try to include Javier Senosiain's extraordinary Casa Organica (Organic House) at Naucalpan in the hills to the north of the city. You will never forget this property, designed in the shape of a shark (above) and surrounded by a garden filled with seasonal flowers. But…
Beth Chatto Gardens in springtime It's always a pleasure to visit the Beth Chatto Gardens in Essex - a green oasis near Colchester, created from a once-neglected hollow between two farms, where owner and creator, Beth Chatto worked wonders in her lifetime. This garden is unique and has inspired visitors since it first opened in 1973, largely because of the late owner's expertise in placing plants…
Cawdor is a small castle near Inverness, with well-established gardens Castles are synonymous with Scotland, but few have gardens like Cawdor (above), within a stone's throw of Inverness. This is less imposing than Dunrobin , considerably smaller and has a colourful, well-kept garden and a well-publicised association with Shakespeare's 'Macbeth', in which the principle character is made 'Thane of…
Levens Hall in Cumbria is one of my favourite gardens - set against the backdrop of an imposing, but extraordinarily well-preserved Elizabethan house, which is still privately owned - sitting at the heart of 10 acres of gardens and boasting the oldest topiary garden in the world. It is well worth going into this beautifully maintained house, which is open to the public, to see its lavish interior…
Sri Lanka is a plantsman's paradise. Located at the tip of India and hanging like a tear drop from the mainland, it offers lush green landscapes, leafy vistas and acres of forest where elephants roam free. The whole country is a garden, fringed with perfect beaches and populated by smiling locals. Foreigners have formed an integral part of its long history and it was variously colonised by the…
Interesting winter gardens are hard to find at this time of year, but the Sir Harold Hillier Garden near Romsey in Hampshire is an exception. And, if you visit this week, you'll be able to catch the "100 Years Remembering" exhibition of sugarpaste poppies in Jermyn House - all hand-crafted by Lyn Pearce and her students - to coincide with Remembrance Sunday. Lyn Pearce and her students have…
Completion of a five-year restoration project, costing £41million, heralded the re-opening of the Temperate House at Kew Gardens at the beginning of May. Sir David Attenborough described it as a "breathtakingly beautiful space" and others have likened it to a 'botanical' cathedral in terms of its grandeur. But it's also an architectural masterpiece; an extraordinary engineering feat; a sight that…
It's been too many years since I last visited West Green House garden in Hampshire, but a quick sprint around the property in the sunshine this week was sufficient to remind me just how special this garden is, with its magnificent moongate (above) and exceptional walled garden. Click here to read more about it from a previous posting. All pictures here were taken on my visit this week. West Green…
In a new series, highlighting seasonal gardens, I shall be posting pictures of some of the best gardens to see throughout the season. Parham House in West Sussex has exceptional walled gardens and extensive parkland, surrounding an Elizabethan house, which is also open to the public. Definitely one to visit if you can get there! And the nursery is exceptional. Open Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays,…
