Barnsdale Gardens

Barnsdale is the garden Geoff Hamilton made famous on BBC Gardeners' World, and it still works the way his programmes did: lots of small, achievable gardens rather than one grand sweep. Across eight acres there are 37 individual gardens and features, and the site describes itself as Britain's largest collection of individually designed gardens. If you are planning a new border, a small town plot or a productive patch, this is a very useful day out.

As you walk round, each garden reads as a self-contained idea, so it is easy to picture how a layout, a path or a planting scheme might fit your own space. Hamilton started the garden in 1983 on what was then a ploughed field, which gives the place a down-to-earth, made-from-scratch feel. Take a notebook or a phone for photos, as many of the most useful details are in the materials, edging and plant combinations rather than in any single view.

There is more to do once you have finished in the gardens. The plant nursery and the Helenium Tea Room are free to enter, so you can browse or stop for something to eat without a garden ticket, and the nursery means you can buy plants you have just seen used. Barnsdale also runs guided walks, talks, demonstrations and courses, and has a Garden Advisory Centre. Under 18s go free to the gardens, which makes it a good family outing too. There is no need to book an ordinary visit, but groups need to book in advance.