Our first visit today is to Pashley Manor Gardens. I discovered Pashley quite by accident on my visit in 1997. I fell in love with its intimate scale and beautiful vegetable garden.

James and Angela Sellick have lovingly restored the garden, once the home of Anne, second wife of Henry VIII. The house is an unusual building, the front being half-timbered, Elizabethan style and the back, early Georgian brick. This is an inspirational garden, not just because of its subtle plantings and immaculate maintenance, but also for its highly effective design ideas and plant material. We have our lunch on the patio of the manor house overlooking the pond and a classic temple from Haddonstone.

Scotney Castle is considered one of the most romantic gardens in England and is an excellent example of the picturesque period of landscape gardening. In the spring, the garden is a profusion of Azalea's and Rhododendrons in full bloom. An abundance of water lilies fill the moat around the old castles and you'll also find, climbing roses, wisteria and herbaceous plants that fill the castle grounds.