1 2 3 4 5

If you’re too shy to ask if you can poke about your green-fingered neighbour’s petunias and pelargoniums to get an idea of what’s achievable i n your own garden, the National Open Garden Scheme does it for you. Nearly 4,000 houses take part every year, inviting strangers to come in and view their domestic landscape designs for a day in aid of charity, some even serve teas. A yellow book is published annually listing what’s open when and where, or see ngs.org.uk. In The Sculpture Garden in Churt, Surrey, manmade beauty hides amid nature’s with something unexpected round every corner. Some 800 sculptures are laid out across the 10 acres of arboretum, heath and woodland, and water gardens. The exhibits, created by 500 artists in an ever-changing display, are for sale, too – much more interesting than giving home to a gnome. Open every day, apart from Christmas; visit thesculpturepark.com. Didn’t make it to Chelsea Flower Show to rub shoulders with the Queen or run into celebrities posing for a felfie (floral selfie)? Why not take in one of the Royal Horticultural Society’s permanent gardens? Rosemoor in the Torridge Valley, Devon, offers a variety of different, rather magical gardening ‘worlds’, including hot, model, Mediterranean, bog, exotic, fruit & veg, cherry, cottage and even a stumpery. Children will love the natural play area set in pine woodland. Rosemoor is open every day except Christmas. For details, go to rhs.org.uk.