Sarah’s Top 5 gardens to visit

With many years of experience in her field Sarah is a fountain of information about the best gardens in Britain so we asked her to name her top 5 RHS gardens - an eclectic mix of new and old, traditional and contemporary.

Hampton Court, East Molesey, Surrey, KT8 9AU
Perhaps the most famous of the garden’s in my top five due to the world renowned garden maze that covers 1350 square metres of the grounds. However, Hampton Court has even more to offer with over 60 acres in the immaculately kept Riverside Gardens.

RHS Rosemore, Great Torrington, EX38 8PH
This RHS garden originally included only eight acres but it has now grown to a huge 65 acres, incorporating two Rose Gardens, a Fruit and Vegetable Garden as well as a superb Winter Garden. The extensive stream offers a tranquil walk where you can take in the imaginative lakeside planting and Alpine House.

Denmans Garden, Fontwell, West Sussex, BN18 0SU
This colourful four acre garden was once the garden to a country house and includes an extensive pond and walled herb garden.

RHS Harewood House, Harewood, Leeds, LS17 9LQ
This was named Yorkshire’s Visitor Attraction of the Year and it isn’t hard to see why. The grounds are simply massive but the walled, rose and Oriental gardens are particularly special.