Latest news with #landscaping
CBS News
3 days ago
- CBS News
Man dies after being electrocuted while pruning palm tree near Tamiami, Miami-Dade deputies say
Man electrocuted while pruning palm tree near Tamiami, police say Man electrocuted while pruning palm tree near Tamiami, police say Man electrocuted while pruning palm tree near Tamiami, police say A man was electrocuted and died at the scene after accidentally striking a power line while pruning a palm tree in Southwest Miami-Dade, authorities said. The incident happened near the intersection of SW 139th Ave. and 36th St. near Tamiami, according to the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office. Officials said the adult male was trimming the tree when he made contact with the live wire. He was pronounced dead at the scene. It's unclear if the man lived at the residence or was performing landscaping work. Authorities have not released his identity.
The Guardian
4 days ago
- The Guardian
20 of the UK's best gardens to visit
In the dash for Cumbria's lakes and fells, the area's other green attractions can get missed. On Knipe Scar, at the edge of the Lake District national park, Lowther's acres sprawl around the shell of a ruined 19th-century castle. Wildflower meadows, bee-friendly tree hives and rambling woodland contrast with a parterre, sculptured hornbeams and a Sleeping Beauty-inspired rose garden designed by Dan Pearson. Bikes and ebikes can be rented for pootling around the estate's trails or perhaps a five-mile cycle to Ullswater. There is a Lost Castle adventure playground and a cafe. Before leaving, visit the west terrace for views across the Lowther valley to distant fells. Open daily, adults £15, children £10, While filming his BBC British Gardens series, Monty Don described Rousham as 'one of my favourite gardens of all and one of the truly great gardens of the world'. Rousham is the handiwork of William Kent (1685-1748), whose imaginative use of follies, mysterious 'ta-da' avenues and one of the earliest ha-has blur the line between fantasy and reality. A master of the unbroken view, Kent manipulated the landscape to create a harmonious flow between the garden, the surrounding countryside and Rousham's castellated pile. The estate's 10 hectares (25 acres) include kitchen gardens, a rill, classical statuary, cascades and a seven-arched colonnade overlooking the River Cherwell. The house is still owned by the family who employed Kent to reshape the garden centuries ago. No cafe or children under 15, but picnics are encouraged. House tours on request. Open daily, £10, Laid out in 1927, Parcevall Hall Gardens' 10 hectares surround a Grade II-listed Arts and Crafts-style house set in the Yorkshire Dales national park. The topography and aspect enhance the experience, offering visitors views over the drystone wall-draped contours of Wharfedale to distant limestone crags. Admire plants from around the world, visit the chapel garden, follow a woodland trail, the camellia walk or a cliff trail – or simply listen to the birds and bleating sheep. There are views from the cafe's terrace to the outcrop Simon's Seat, part of the adjoining Bolton Abbey estate. Open April-Oct, adults £10, seniors £9, under-12s free, On Ynys Môn (Anglesey) with views to Eryri national park (Snowdonia), Plas Cadnant feels like a portal to another world. As 70 years' worth of undergrowth was peeled away, the present owner discovered enchanting spaces, including a walled garden that dips in a graceful catenary curve and a woodland garden containing the remains of a 19th-century folly. Steps lead down to an enchanting 'valley garden' where four waterfalls splosh into the River Cadnant. Some of the outbuildings and a gardener's cottage have been converted into holiday accommodation, and guests have full access to the gardens and April-Oct, adults £11.50, concs £2.50-£10.50, The Coach House, from £720 for three nights for up to seven people This Georgian walled garden has the national snowdrop collection. Woodland walks lead to the sea, and from February to mid-March there are showstopping carpets of yellow aconites, snowdrops (and possibly snowflakes). In April, blossom and the scent of wild garlic fill the air, followed by the rich collection of alliums. In June, it is the turn of Cambo's historic roses. There are imaginative spaces for children to explore (think secret doors and fairies) and golden beaches. The Stables Cafe serves vegetarian and vegan food. If you'd like to stay longer, there are cabins to rent, including a bothy with views towards the Fife coast. Open daily, adults £7.95, under-16s free, The Bothy, sleeps four, from £550 for two nights in June Set in rolling countryside close to the Devil's Water river, Dilston is a garden that whispers 'slow down'. Over three decades, a hectare of agricultural land has been transformed into a flourishing wildlife garden filled with more than 700 flowers, herbs, vegetables and trees planted with biodiversity and natural healing in mind. A rewilding and wetland area has encouraged native flora, such as the Northumbrian bloody cranesbill, to thrive. Visit the 'spirit henge', breathe in the fragrant camomile lawn, wander the labyrinth and buy products made with ingredients from the garden in the shop (proceeds to the registered charity). Dilston is on the Corbridge Heritage Trail, and a scenic 20-minute walk along the Tyne from Corbridge station. Open Wed-Sun, April-Oct, Fri-Sun, Nov-March, adults £8, concs £4, This tranquil, Grade I-listed garden is home to redwoods, giant oaks and the renowned Loderi rhododendron hybrids. Paths meander around lakes and through sculpture-studded parkland, lawns and forests, and visitors can join daffodil, bluebell and acer walks. In the autumn, the garden is ablaze with oranges, golds and delicate pinks, while winter brings spectacular illuminations. Children will love the wallaby enclosure (introduced in 1889), doll's house museum and the new play park. You can stay overnight at Leonardslee House, where the Michelin-starred restaurant showcases garden-foraged ingredients. Open daily, adults £15.50, children £8.50, Doubles at Leonardslee House from £240 B&B Ventnor Botanic Gardens' 9 hectares luxuriate in an enviable microclimate at Ventnor Undercliff. Gardeners here use the Ventnor Method, which allows plants to grow where they sow. A vast collection of rare and subtropical species includes the national collection of half-hardy and hardy puya, the giant viper's bugloss and a renowned collection of red-hot pokers. Follow the Champion Tree Trail and head off the beaten track to find secluded seating areas and clifftop meadows with sea views. Hops grow on the clifftop to the south of the garden. Partnering with a local brewer, VBC produces a Botanic Ale, a Botanic Pale Ale and a Botanic Lager. Book an overnight stay to enjoy free access to the garden and evening walks along the coastal path; take your pick from two Victorian cottages and three cabins dotted around the grounds. Open daily, adults £11.50, children £7, Doubles at the dog-friendly Cabin from £80 (min two nights) Armed with a 19th-century Ordnance Survey map and a black-and-white photo, the owners of the Old Vicarage picked up their shovels and set about restoring the acres around their house on the north Norfolk coast. The result, 40 years on, is a practical and creative triumph featuring beautiful gardens, an enfilade of lawns and an 'apple walk'. Some of the traditional – and windproof – wildlife habitat lost to modern farming methods is now restored. The Arizona-inspired Desert Wash garden is planted with drought-tolerant plants such as South American bromeliads, agaves and aloe. The cornfield has self-seeding poppies, corn marigolds and corn camomile, and there are shelterbelts of Monterey pine, Italian alders, holm oak and eucalyptus. A meditative space contains 16 Indian bean trees. Open Wed-Sun and bank holidays, March-Oct, adults £14.50, children £2, From swept gravel and teahouses, to stone lanterns and zigzag bridges, every aspect of a Japanese garden holds meaning. At Cowden you can unpick the symbolism or simply enjoy the garden in its purest sense – as a tranquil space where everything is in its place. Cowden was inspired by the travels of a wealthy adventurer, Ella Christie, who commissioned Japanese horticulturist Taki Handa to design a garden in the boggy grounds of her home, Cowden Castle. A 10-year restoration, completed in 2023, was overseen by Chelsea flower show gold and best in show winner Prof Masao Fukuhara. The gardens undulate through woodland and over gentle hills dotted with cherry blossom, maples and acers. On the Christie Walk, you might spot Indian rhubarb, the heart-shaped leaves of the katsura tree and the petals of the Himalayan blue poppy fluttering in the breeze. Workshops include cyanotype printing and kintsugi (the art of repairing pottery). Open daily except Tue, adults £9.85, seniors £8.75, children £5.75, You may have seen this 16th-century, English Heritage-listed house and its garden 'rooms' on screen in Disney's Christopher Robin, ITV's Agatha Christie's Poirot or the BBC's 2017 adaptation of EM Forster's Howards End. A Gertrude Jekyll-designed water garden is a highlight of the 2 hectares. Crossed by bridges and stone paths, the water garden contains 1,500 plants nurtured at Jekyll's Munstead Wood nursery. Traditional rose varieties bloom in the Old Garden, and an orchard leads to a yew walk where pears fruit on a crinkle crankle wall and ferns sprout from Bargate stone – the medieval quarries that provided it can still be seen in the surrounding hills. Open April to the first week in July, £10 (cash only), On National Garden Scheme days, tickets must be booked in advance Sign up to Inside Saturday The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend. after newsletter promotion Stockton Bury is part of a working farm that once belonged to Leominster Priory. Gardens sprawl around medieval buildings including a pigeon house, hop kiln and tithe barn (now a cafe). There is also a glasshouse, water garden and cider orchard. May brings drifts of the rare, goblet-shape Sprenger's tulip, and the delicate tea rose blooms from early summer into autumn. Garden-grown damsons, plums, apples and raspberries make their way on to the cafe's menu, and the 'secret garden' rewards explorers with views to the Black Mountains across the Welsh border. Gardener Tamsin Westhorpe runs bespoke tours, and there are botanical painting workshops during the summer. Open Wed-Sun, April-Sept, adults £9, children £5, At Logan, on Scotland's south-western tip, Gulf Stream currents nurture exotics from five continents. Giant palms, eucalyptus and luxuriant tree ferns tower over Brazilian gunneras and other non-natives, such as angel's fishing rods, which dangle their bell-like heads over the pond. Sit here with your phone switched off and watch damselflies skit (Logan has subscribed to the Silent Space scheme). The conservatory, which houses South African tree heathers and a pelargonium collection, was the first public glasshouse in the UK to be heated entirely by green energy sources. Look out for guided walks and have a peep down a microscope in the Discovery Centre. There's a cafe on March-Oct, adults £9, concs £7.80, under-16s free, A visit to Felley Priory could be one of the best motorway breaks you make. Set in rolling countryside a mile from the M1, this all-season garden delights with fiery autumn colours, flower-draped pergolas, traditional roses and 60 varieties of snowdrops. Spring brings woodland bluebells and a daffodil soup of yellows, apricots, oranges and whites, as rare daff varieties light up the orchard. Take advantage of the plant nursery and tearoom, which has gluten-free menu options. The 12th-century house is Tue-Fri, plus the first and third Sun of each month from March-Sept, adults £8.50, seniors £7.50, under-16s free, Donated to the public by the soap magnate Lord Leverhulme in 1902, Rivington sits within Lever Park on the edge of the West Pennine Moors. Leverhulme went all out by commissioning an unusual seven-arched bridge based on one he had seen in Nigeria, a sitting room at the top of a four-storey pigeon tower, five summer houses set on lawns and a replica of Liverpool Castle. In all, there are 11 Grade-II listed structures to explore (suffragette Edith Rigby burned down Lever's original house) along with rock gardens and grottoes, a wide variety of fungi, a Japanese garden and an Italian lake, where Leverhulme took daily dips. Open daily, free entry, With its small beach, ancient Cornish orchard and pontoon on the River Fal, the National Trust's Trelissick isn't your average garden. Paths wind through Brobdingnagian sub-tropical gardens, and dawn-till-dusk woodland walks bring snapshots of the river. Spring delivers magnolias, camellias, rhododendrons and fountains of wisteria; later in the year, it's the turn of ginger lilies, dahlias and bananas. The King Harry Ferry departs from Trelissick to St Mawes and Falmouth, and there is a lovely walk around Restronguet Creek to the thatched-roofed Pandora Inn (allow three hours for the walk) for a creekside afternoon tea. The orchard's restored screw-turn apple press will be in action over Apple Weekend in October. Stay the night in Trelissick Tower, or the restored Trelissick Engine House, and enjoy access to the garden. Open daily, adults £17, children £8.50, Two nights at the Trelissick Engine House, sleeps three, from £439 Former US president Franklin D Roosevelt visited Easton with his wife, Eleanor, in 1905, as part of their honeymoon, and described the gardens, now 464 years old, as 'A dream of Nirvana … almost too good to be true'. Gardener Ursula Cholmeley began a large-scale restoration in 2001. Now the gardens brim with snowdrops, flower-filled meadows and David Austin roses. In season, 50 varieties of sweet pea flourish. Look out for 'purple pimpernel', 'clotted cream', 'watermelon' and 'Albutt Blue'. There is a pub on the estate, with real fires and a suntrap garden, and guests staying at Easton's lodge or loft apartments have free access to the gardens. There are EV charge points, too. Open Wed-Sun and bank holiday Mon, 12 Feb-21 Dec, adults £12 (half price Nov and Dec), children £5, Loft apartments from £160 a night The restored 18th-century walled garden at Hillsborough is a gem. Walking around the beds you will see heritage varieties such as golden beetroot mixed with modern ones such as par-cel (which looks like parsley but tastes like celery). Visit the cafe for garden-to-plate 'walled garden scallion potato bread' and an afternoon tea featuring a 'garden beetroot brownie' and 'walled garden raspberry posset with thyme shortbread'. The rest of the garden is full of interest. The lake is fed by a stream which meanders through the gardens, and a pinetum contains a stand of giant sequoias planted in the 1870s. In the grotto, a statue of the Irish warrior poet Ossian and an accompanying bench and stones tell his story and explain the castle's links to the romantic movement and the Gaelic revival. Open daily, gardens £10.30, children £5.20, castle and garden adults £20.80, children £10.40, The Arts and Crafts Manor House at Upton Grey is striking in its own right, but laid around it is a garden with a rare boast: it is believed to be the most complete and authentic existing example of a Gertrude Jekyll-designed garden. When owners John and Rosamund Wallinger purchased the 2‑hectare site in 1984, it was nearly derelict, but after they discovered the eminent garden designer's original plans for the garden, they embarked upon a remarkable journey of faithful restoration. Situated east of Basingstoke, Upton Grey features wild, kitchen and rose gardens, the nuttery, and a yew-hedged formal garden filled with the hallmarks of Jekyll planting design: lofty hollyhocks and azure delphiniums, billowing phlox, poppies and Mon-Fri, May-July, entry £7, One of Britain's premier romantic gardens, Iford Manor meets formality with enrapturing naturalism: euphorbia and catmint soften the stone terraces, roses clamber up the columns; a 200-year-old wisteria romps in unbridled profusion. Located on the edge of the Cotswolds, beside the River Frome in Wiltshire, Iford was the home in the early 20th century of influential architect and garden designer Harold Peto, who augmented its Georgian roots with Italianate flare and finesse. There are intimate cloisters and grand steps, a tranquil Japanese garden, and masterfully positioned statues and architectural fragments, while more modern additions include an award-winning restaurant and bakery. For the last half-century, Iford has been under the stewardship of the Cartwright-Hignett family who, with current head gardener Steve Lannin, are continuing the garden's expressive legacy. Book in advance to ensure Wed-Sun, 2 April-Sept, adults £10, children £9, under-10s not permitted, Additional reporting by Matt Collins
ABC News
5 days ago
- General
- ABC News
Urge to Verge
Among a sea of suburban streets in northern Brisbane, Jerry meets a passionate gardener who sees potential for growth in our roadside verges. Gayle Dallaston had removed all the grass from the rest of her property and was fed up with mowing her nature strip, so she decided to convert the grass to garden instead. She asked the council for a street tree and was given a Queensland Brush Box, which she underplanted with midyim berries, westringia, and some native groundcovers – dichondra, mazus and violets. The mazus is usually found in swampy areas but despite the dryness, it does well in heavy shade and Gayle's clay soil. Gaps in the plantings were filled with paper daisies ( Xerochrysum bracteatum cv.). Gayle considered the safely aspect of every plant and the overall design: Strappy dianellas were positioned away from the footpath to avoid their long leaves becoming a tripping hazard. Nothing spikey has been planted. Strappy dianellas were positioned away from the footpath to avoid their long leaves becoming a tripping hazard. Nothing spikey has been planted. Pedestrian access was also considered as part of her planting design – she left a mulched path that lines up with a walkway on the opposite side of the road, and this allows passengers to easily get out of cars and cross the verge, too. Pedestrian access was also considered as part of her planting design – she left a mulched path that lines up with a walkway on the opposite side of the road, and this allows passengers to easily get out of cars and cross the verge, too. Gayle also watched the postman's usual route and left a pathway for him to reach the letter box. Gayle also watched the postman's usual route and left a pathway for him to reach the letter box. All of Gayle's plant choices are low enough to allow good sight lines for car drivers, pedestrian and cyclists to easily see each other. Low-growing forms of bottlebrush ( Callistemon 'Little John') were useful here. Larger plants, such as crinum lilies, sit against the fence without blocking anyone's vision. Gayle said it took her about eight months to plant out the verge, and she was struck by all the conversation it prompted with neighbours and passers-by. She also noticed how the local wildlife reacted to the extended garden, with blue-tongue lizards exploring the area, native bees visiting, and various birds, including a noisy friarbird nesting in her street tree. Jerry also notices the huge difference between Gayle's street trees and the one planted in her neighbour's verge at the same time: Gayle's tree, surrounded by low shrubs, looks far healthier and more lush than the neighbouring one surrounded by grass and exposed to mowing and whipper snippers. Gayle has found that while some neighbours like the verge garden idea, they baulk at the idea of doing their own gardens, believing it requires more effort. She's also aware that verge gardens can be the source of serious disputes; she feels this is often due to people feeling that you're taking over public space for yourself. So now she runs a project to help other gardeners plan any changes to their verge; checking with their local council, understanding what the restrictions are, which plants to choose, how to make it affordable, and the maintenance needed. QUEENSLAND BRUSH BOX Lophostemon confertus MIDYIM BERRY Austromyrtus dulcis COASTAL ROSEMARY Westringia fruticosa cv. SWAMP MAZUS Mazus pumilio FLAX-LILY Dianella brevipedunculata PAPER DAISY Xerochrysum bracteatum cv. BOTTLEBRUSH Callistemon 'Little John' GIANT CRINUM Crinum asiaticum var. pedunculatum BOOBIALLA Myoporum boninense subsp . australe
Telegraph
6 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
How I turned a drab garden into the perfect hosting space
Jess Alavi-Ellis had only ever been a balcony gardener until she moved to a house in north London with a 98ft-long garden. 'I'd really wanted to grow stuff, but had struggled to keep things alive,' admits the journalist and designer. The outside space she inherited was severely neglected; half concrete, half dumping ground, it was the ideal blank slate for her to start from scratch and give gardening a serious go. A keen traveller, she wanted to bring in Mediterranean influences to create a holiday feel in the suburbs. But with a gut renovation and a costly kitchen extension under way in the house, she and her husband Darius had to roll up their sleeves in order to make over the space. Five years on, it's now a lush retreat that's perfect for entertaining, with a games area and multiple spots for al fresco eating; and it also provides an abundance of fresh produce for the family to eat. Here, Alavi-Ellis explains how the transformation took place. Plotting, levelling and making good 'The garden is long and thin, but it feels really big for London and I feel so lucky to have it,' says Alavi-Ellis. She decided straight away not to entertain the idea of a lawn: 'We didn't want the maintenance of mowing and thought we could do something else.' Removing the concrete was a must, but a Herculean task, so she took advantage of having builders on site while the house renovation was being done, and paid them to break it up and remove it. She then hired a rotavator and spent a month clearing and levelling the land as much as possible. The self-build shed One of the first things the couple did was build a shed – from scratch. It started with a set of uPVC doors which someone locally was giving away, and which Alavi-Ellis spray-painted black. They bought a pair of cheap windows, bags of concrete, and timber from a local yard, and set about erecting what is more akin to a garden office. 'Before this renovation, my husband would go on [home services marketplace] TaskRabbit to find someone to put up a shelf,' laughs Alavi-Ellis, 'but out of a financial necessity we watched YouTube videos and learnt to do all sorts of stuff.' The shed is watertight, provides invaluable storage space and cost around £4,000 in materials, compared with the tens of thousands an off-the-peg design would have cost. The fun factor 'We love playing petanque on holidays in France and so we thought having our own court would be really fun,' says Alavi-Ellis. Actually creating the court, or piste, was less fun, however: 'It was a huge undertaking because we had to dig out drainage so that it wouldn't flood, as that area was quite waterlogged.' The piste required varying sizes of gravel, and as there is no side access through the Victorian terrace house, it meant bringing 18 tons of the stuff through the house. 'We roped in friends, asking them to come and help us move it in return for a barbecue and a beer,' she laughs. A petrol-powered vibrating plate and a roller were rented to finish the piste off. Alavi-Ellis now has two small children and sometimes questions the lack of lawn in the garden, but her four-year-old enjoys biking up the gravel and has her own mini set of boules. 'We often play together as a family and I love that,' she says. The cooking and dining area Making use of the builders once more, Alavi-Ellis specified a bench, fire pit and kitchen-style island, built out of breeze blocks, to create a convivial area for eating and relaxing. She estimates the cost for all three was around £1,500. The bench was rendered and Alavi-Ellis painted it using leftover limewash from the kitchen walls. But it wasn't comfortable, so she had seat pads and cushions made using a bespoke striped fabric from Colours of Arley. 'I used yacht foam for the inners, which I ordered online and had cut to size; that way it's not the end of the world if they get left outside in the rain,' she explains. Installing the terrazzo tiles from Otto Tiles on the island was a memorable job undertaken with her dad, Mike. 'In four years I've never had to jet-wash it as, amazingly, the grout has stayed green,' she says. There's space for three bar stools on each side, so she uses it to serve food from the nearby barbecue, or to position a portable pizza oven away from small hands. The sunshade Realising just how much of a sun trap the south-west-facing seating area was, Alavi-Ellis later added a pergola. 'I wanted it to feel like Greece or Italy, where there are always vines growing around something,' she explains. She opted for a simple square arch, and trailing around it are vines probably put in by the previous owners, who were of Greek-Cypriot heritage. 'It makes the most out of something which was once lovingly planted, and we get early flowers followed by grapes which hang down,' she says. She also has future designs on a 'really comfy sofa or rocking chair' for sinking into on the patio. The planting Alavi-Ellis is a member of her local garden centre, The Gardening Club in Crews Hill, Enfield, which gets her discounted prices off the already inexpensive plants. 'It's a garden centre dream, and a fraction of the price of most London garden centres,' she says. She sweated her plant budget by buying perennials early in the spring that would look pretty and bulk out quickly, such as Geum 'Totally Tangerine', quick-growing Verbena bonariensis, Sambucus nigra and lots of grasses. To complement the existing apple and fig trees, she bought an almond tree for £60: 'It has a lovely blossom, but the squirrels mostly steal the almonds.' A fern tree was the single largest investment, 'but I love it, and it's already come on quite a lot', says Alavi-Ellis. The book A Year Full of Flowers by Sarah Raven became Alavi-Ellis's springboard for what to plant to create a wild, naturalistic look with flowers spilling over the borders. A 'bulb lasagne' in raised beds yields narcissi and alliums, which Alavi-Ellis likes to cut and bring inside. She also has a small cold frame on the patio where she grows cosmos, sweet peas and scabiosa cheaply from seed. 'My daughter really loves flowers and she's often out in the garden with her own scissors, picking herself a bunch,' she says. The veg patch The raised beds provide the family with fruits such as gooseberries, raspberries, whitecurrants and rhubarb. In raised metal beds on the patio (from £150, Harrod Horticultural), the family grow 'instant gratification' produce such as courgettes, climbing beans, strawberries and rainbow chard, which get regularly picked and eaten. Alavi-Ellis now counsels friends seeking gardening and plant advice, 'which is always a shock to me, but I've learnt so much', she says. A sanctuary fit for entertaining in warm weather, the garden also acts as a mood-booster on the greyest of winter days: 'Seeing the pink of the bench and the green island from the kitchen always reminds me of being on holiday.'
The Guardian
6 days ago
- The Guardian
‘The scent of damp earth, the hum of bees and treasures in every border': readers' favourite UK gardens
Thornton Hall Gardens, near my home town of Darlington, are described by its owners as 'a hobby that got out of hand'. With no previous gardening experience, the owner Sue Manners began to work on the garden alone after buying the old hall in 1989 with husband Mike. Nowadays, the gardens are among the finest in the country. As you wander, you'll discover a rich variety of rare and unusual flowers mingling with striking trees and beautiful shrubs. Over 100 roses bloom alongside vibrant collections of delphiniums, peonies, and irises, all set within lush, flowing borders and thoughtfully arranged island beds. Because Thornton Hall is a working farm, the gardens are only open on nine days this summer (£10, 10am-4pm).Mike Ladyman The site of the family-owned Gotha Gardens at Pembroke Farm, north Hertfordshire, was an arable field until 1990. The original plan was to create a woodland walk with plants to attract pollinators and other wildlife, but then topiary and formal areas were added. On our visit, purple delphiniums and alliums buzzed with bees, and we watched water boatmen and damselflies around the pond. Wandering through the different sections felt like visiting separate open-air rooms, with places to sit and enjoy them. We also loved the tea and scones at the garden's small outside cafe. It's open Friday to Monday each week and costs only a fiver to get Pinner Guardian Travel readers' tips Every week we ask our readers for recommendations from their travels. A selection of tips will be featured online and may appear in print. To enter the latest competition visit the readers' tips homepage - Located slightly outside the city centre, and perhaps overlooked by visitors (but not by locals), is the Plantation Garden. Stepping into this sunken Victorian garden feels like entering another world. With time to kill before catching a train home, we spent a happy afternoon exploring the 1.2-hectare (three-acre) site, walking the woodland paths and admiring the view from the Italianate terrace before enjoying a cup of tea and homemade cake to the sound of a live jug-band (part of a summer music programme). Entrance costs just £2 and the place is open 9am-6pm in spring and summer and 9am-4pm October to March. For those lucky enough to be local, each summer they host plays, music and exercise When I visited Treborth Botanic Garden in May, it was buzzing with life. Covering 18 hectares along the shores of the Menai Strait, the gardens are owned by Bangor University and blend wild beauty with careful horticulture. Informative labels guided me through a collection of fascinating plants, while a wildlife area featured a pond teeming with tadpoles and vibrant dragonflies. Glasshouses (restricted entry) host cacti and orchids. Paths through ancient woodland led down to the Menai Bridge, offering spectacular views across the strait. Treborth also boasts award-winning gardens, including a Chelsea flower show gold medal winner. It's free to enter and open every day in daylight The formal gardens at Mount Edgcumbe country park are tucked away in the tranquil hills of the Rame peninsula, but are only a short foot-ferry trip from Plymouth. They are free to enter and cover three hectares and 500 years of historical garden design within a hedge-maze honeycomb. Bay arches serve as portals between 18th-century Italy, 19th-century France, and the distinctive flora of New Zealand. There's ice-cream in the Regency Orangery and shady serenity in the Fern Dell. It's not only human visitors who enjoy this area: the park is also the UK's first reserve for rare Cornish black bees. The park and lower gardens are open all Robinsmith The Gibberd Garden, just outside Harlow, Essex, is testament to one collector's determination. From architectural salvage picked up and saved from developer's bulldozers, to contemporary sculptures, to Staffordshire figurines displayed in the house, architect Sir Frederick Gibberd collected them all and used them to enhance the steep, stream bordered plot he bought with his wife. He diverted the stream slightly to create a moated fort for his grandchildren – complete with working drawbridge– put up a swing, a tree house, a grotto and completed the magic with imaginative planting including a glorious mosaic beech hedge. Find small treasures to delight and monumental features repurposed to impress, enhancing every twisting turn and vista. Open Wednesdays and Sundays and bank holiday Mondays; adults £6, under 16, £1. Oh, and there's an excellent cafe on Sign up to The Traveller Get travel inspiration, featured trips and local tips for your next break, as well as the latest deals from Guardian Holidays after newsletter promotion Entering East Lambrook Manor Gardens, tucked away in the Somerset countryside, feels like stepping into a living painting. Designed by the influential gardener Margery Fish, it's a haven of winding paths, quirky plant combinations, and uncommon treasures tucked into every border. I visited on a drizzly spring morning and had the place almost to myself – just the scent of damp earth, the hum of bees, and the joy of discovering rare hellebores and old-fashioned roses around every corner. My tip? Go on a weekday and linger – the nursery has incredible finds to take home, and the tiny cafe serves up tea that tastes twice as good after a ramble through such quietly magical surroundings. The gardens are open Tues-Sat (10am-5pm) and cost £7 to enter, with under-16s going Lakhani Church Gardens is a hidden gem on the outskirts of Harefield village, a few miles north of Uxbridge. The couple who own it – Kay and Patrick McHugh, a musician and an architect respectively – have worked hard for about 25 years to bring the hectare (three acres) of 17th-century walled gardens back from dereliction. The kitchen garden is a patchwork of beautifully designed features including 56 geometrically arranged organic vegetable beds. The orchard is believed to be the remains of a historically significant Renaissance pleasure garden; with a unique arcaded wall comprising 33 identical niches, very few gardens of this type survived the landscape movement. The gardens are open on Sundays (12-5pm) and bank holiday Mondays (11am-5pm), adults £7.50, children £ Bayley We loved our summer visit to Gordon Castle's walled garden, which is between the River Spey and the Moray coast, 50 miles east of Inverness. At about three hectares (eight acres), it is full to the brim with vegetables, fruit and flowers that inspired us in our own growing. Friendly gardeners were happy to give us insights in to what was growing and told us about their own lovely adventures in gardening. The cafe uses the garden's delicious produce and it also has a brilliant shop. All that for £10 for adults (child, £5) in summer (or free for RHS members on Thursdays). It's open every day, 10am-4pm, but the cafe is not open on Mondays and Lovers of trees and wilder gardens must make time to head west to Ardkinglas Woodland Garden, near Inverary in Argyll. At the modest price of £5 (children £2.50, open all year dusk until dawn) you can wander under towering North American conifers alongside Himalayan shrubs and native UK trees, all dripping with that lush temperate rainforest decoration of mosses and lichens. Visitors can spot red squirrels jumping on beautifully chaotic deadwood, try forest bathing in dappled light with the sweet smell of resin, and watch dippers along the burn. Ardkinglas combines a formal arboretum with the wild wood, and does it rather
