Caixa Forum, Madrid

Herzog and de Meuron's CaxiaForum art Gallery framed by the lush green wall of Patrick Blanc.

Parque del Retiro, Madrid

The drama of cloud pruning and the repetition of topiary against autumn foliage.

Jardines de Sabatini, Madrid

A peaceful green space in Madrid. The formal neoclassical style is calming. Another example of topiary being rather companionable.

Edinburgh Botanic Gardenshttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

The new John Hope Gateway and visitor centre at the Edinburgh Botanic Gardens. Designed by Edward Cullinan Architects. I love the form of the building and the way one can move through it into the gardens, the staircase particularly. Disappointingly the interior is very cluttered. Looking forward to the completion of the planting and pools. and the stonework being colonised by lichens and ferns.

Chatsworth Sculptures

Sothebys 'Beyond Limits' exhibition at Chatsworth House. A selection of my favourites; Bernar Venet's 225.5 Arc x 5, Niki de Saint Phalle's Buddha, Guy Zagursky's Mirror against Mirror and Yayoi Kusama's Narcissus Garden.

Little Sparta

A pool, a pool, a bridge, a bridge. Ian Hamilton Finlay's greatest work of art, the garden at Little Sparta.

Bunbury Garden

This garden was completed in April 2009. It is my most sustainable garden so far. There is an english oak pergola, the paving is new Kerridge stone from Cheshire quarries and second hand flags, the gravel is eco-mix, made from recycled crushed brick, and the retaining walls are all built from red sandstone found on the site. All the trees and the majority of the shrubs were planted bare-rooted. There are Morello cherries, an apricot, apple trees underplanted with mint, blueberries, blackberries and rhubarb.

Tatton Show 09 - Visionaryhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

Marcus Green's 'Time'. Easily the best Visionary garden. The oak planks move like waves under the oak saplings.

Tatton Show 09

The Lake District Bluebird Garden by Andrew Loudon and Janine Crimmins. I love the planed timber of the seats in contrast to the drystone walling.

Nature's Artistry - Autumn's Edge

My favourite show garden at Future Gardens is Fiona Heron's. Satisfying details, elegant structure, original, simple and delightful.

Future Gardens

Ivan Hicks's fantastic permanent garden at Butterfly World/Future Gardens in St Albans.

Hutton-in-the-Forest

The walled garden at the delightful Hutton-in-the-Forest. Really exuberant planting with strict topiary, apples pruned to form boundaries and limes trained on steel frames to form arbours.

Blair Castle, Perthshire

The walled garden at Blair Castle has been restored to its eighteenth century glory. Called the Hercules garden after the statue of the Farnese Hercules by John Cheere which still stands overlooking the garden where he was placed 250 years ago. The garden combines utility with beauty, having a series of pools running through the centre while the slopes are planted with fruit trees and there are mixed borders running round the walls.

The Hill House, Helensburgh

The National Trust for Scotland has made a great job of laying out the garden to CRM's original sketches.

Culzean Castle, Ayrshire

Views from the Walled Garden at the National Trust for Scotland's Culzean Castle: annual meadow in front of the gardener's cottage, apples trained over a steel pergola, dahlias in strict formation and the herbaceousl borders. And a sundial from the castle terraces.

Mount Stuart, Isle of Bute

The trees are enormous at Mount Stuart due to a maritime climate. The lime avenue is overpowering and the Crinodendron hookerianum is among many shrubs in the 'Wee Garden' that have become the size of trees. The formal section of the Walled Garden is a 20th century addition by Rosemary Verey, plenty of work for the gardeners there.

Acorn Bank, Temple Sowerby

A quince tree in the walled herb garden, a simple but lovely border in June and stone steps smothered with plants. All at the National Trust's garden at Acorn Bank.