Places to visit

Recommended places to see seasonal plants at their best

Be sure to check opening times and travel restrictions. Many garden visits will need to be pre-booked.

Fergus Garrett and his team have consistently inspired me since I was a young gardener in Dublin. I was brought over to meet Fergus by my then boss in the late 1990s and I have continued to visit a few times a year ever since. The

Great Dixter plant fairs are the best in Europe and take place in spring and the first weekend in October. This is also the best time to see

Great Dixter’s famous Exotic Garden. Northiam, Rye, East Sussex TN31 6PH. Tel 01797 252878, greatdixter.co.uk

Not too far from Great Dixter is another ‘great’ worth a visit at this time of year: Great Comp Garden in Kent. Most years it closes its gates for the season at the end of October, but this year it is staying open from Thursday to Saturday until late November, when many of the long-blooming salvias for which it is famed – Salvia involucrata, Salvia leucantha and Salvia ‘Amistad’ – will still be looking great. Sadly, it is only the gardens that are extending their opening times and the nursery of garden curator William Dyson will be closing as normal on 31 October. Comp Lane, St Mary’s Platt,

Sevenoaks, Kent TN15 8QS. Tel 01732 885094, greatcompgarden.co.uk

Rowallane Gardens in

Northern Ireland have always held a special place in my heart. Many people will have visited in April and May to enjoy one of the very best spring gardens with an incredible rhododendron collection surrounded by spring meadows. In autumn, however, the