Kensington Roof Gardens

Whilst walking down Kensington High Street you could be completely unaware of a 1.5 acre garden suspended high above the street. This was the largest roof garden in Europe for the whole of the 20th century.

The gardens are remarkable for the reason that you are transformed to an eccentric early 20th century country garden, complete with large oak trees, brick walls with Tudor arches and even a river via an lift from a Mansion Block foyer.

The garden is a haven for wildlife, I saw a blackbird singing in a tree and thought to myself "you must have the most desirable home of all the blackbirds in London". This garden however is not just content with your everyday wildlife; this is a glamorous garden boasting a flock of flamingos and some rather unusual waterfowl as it's residence.

There are usually three main gardens, the Spanish garden, Tudor garden and Water gardens. Unfortunately on my visit the Tudor garden was being prepared for a wedding so was not accessible but the Water gardens and Spanish gardens brought a smile to an overcast day.

The gardens are now owned by Richard Branson and are part of Virgin Limited Edition, which run an exclusive collection of luxury locations. It is the prefect place for a Lady that lunches or a Romantic Dinner.

Borde Hill Garden - West Sussex

On an unseasonably warm autumnal day, with a few friends and Charlie the dog we enjoyed the beautiful russet tones and floral surprises of this Edwardian garden.

The strong reds and yellows of autumn appeared even brighter against the grey backdrop of a misty day.

Due to the lack of any really cold weather so far this year there were still some remnants of summer lingering in the rose garden and herbaceous borders, a slightly faded memory of the blue skies and bright colours that had been there before.

As the plants recede into a mass of russet colours and the flowers fade, the structure of the garden begins to reveal itself. This garden was set out as a collection of "garden rooms" a phrase that is now fashionable in garden design. It means as you walk around the space you find surprises around every corner.

Voewood House - Norfolk

I was in my home county of Norfolk last weekend for a beautiful wedding in the Arts and Crafts setting of Voewood House. Although I had been told that this house was a great example of the period (dating from 1903) I was excited to find the gardens were similarly special.

The gardens are still set out in a typical fashion of the Edwardian era and reflect the gentler, more 'hand-made' approach of this movement against the brashness and industrialisation of the Victorians.

The Edwardian garden often had a strong geometric layout, which was then softened by planting. A look back at older styles of garden was interpreted by a using a central feature, often a bird bath or water of some sort with the paths and borders laid out around.

The Arts and Crafts elements of this garden result in some unusual and quirky features.