My Favourite Place: Newby Hall, Ripon
I first went to Newby on a hot July day. I’d heard about the wonderful, double herbaceous borders but the photographs don’t do them justice; they're astonishing, I just stood there and stared. They seem to go on forever; 172m (564¼ft), sweeping down to the River Ure.
I spent an hour just wandering up and down, making notes, looking at the planting combinations and peppering a very goodnatured gardener with questions. I was particularly smitten with the rich pink Potentilla nepalensis ‘Miss Willmott’ and I’ve been growing it at home ever since.
The patterns repeat, but not exactly. If you look very closely, you can see how the key plants combine, in a really thoughtful and interesting way. It isn't just tall at the back and short at the front; it seems to ebb and flow, and that contributes to the dreamy quality.
It’s a perfect English border on a massive scale. You couldn’t aspire to have it at home, but you could photograph a section and replicate that. And the way the plants are discreetly staked is a work of art. They use natural twigs and they do it really early, so that it blends subtly in with the plants. It turns out that my own staking is completely terrible!
As a bit of a salvia nut, the collection of salvias was really exciting, with both shrubby Mexican ones and more exotic tender varieties. I was intrigued to see how well they grow in the north of England – they’re more adaptable than I had thought.
I really liked the cute miniature railway that takes you through the garden, a doll’s house display and Giles Brandreth's collection of teddy bears. It’s unstuffy and set up for everyone to enjoy.
There are lots of wonderful places in that area and there's a real warmth and enthusiasm. The gardens are uncrowded and the gardeners are so passionate and knowledgeable. They always have time to talk.
■ Newby Hall & Gardens, Newby Hall, Ripon, North Yorkshire HG4 5AE; www.newbyhall.com.