Garden Architecture

I promised to show you another selection of what I think are some of the world's most beautiful gardens, so – even though I'm slightly terrified of the risk of boring you senseless with endless garden shots – here they are. Please stop me quickly if this starts being like a slide show from a garden-obsessed friend...

Larundel 

A grand property in country Victoria, this spectacular place features the first ever garden designed by the now-renowned landscape architect Paul Bangay. The garden features 12 'rooms' in total, each bordered by perfectly clipped holly hedges. There is a rose garden, a blue garden, a parterre, a pear walk, a long walk, a kitchen garden, several courtyard gardens, an espaliered garden and a meditation garden. Each of these green spaces is punctuated by stunning 'garden art', ranging from priceless urns that originally belonged to the Rothschild family (bought at Sotheby's auctions) to vintage iron bedheads that look surprisingly cute in the corners of the garden. Larundel's owners have recently sold the property, but I can assure you they had a magnificent life for the six years they were here.

Petersham House, London

I adore Petersham House and Nurseries. Located in the beautiful suburb of Richmond on the outskirts of the city, this is a lovely and rather large private property owned by a very stylish Italian and Australian couple. The house, unfortunately, is not open to the public, but the kitchen garden, nurseries, shop and cafe are. The kitchen garden is only open at certain times of the year, so check the website for details, however the nurseries, shop and cafe are open every day, and are fabulous for either a wander or a buying spree. The nurseries (a series of chic greenhouses) are stocked with all manner of fantastic things, from vintage chairs to garden ornaments and even chic wellingtons to wear. The place is so popular there's now a 'mini' Petersham Nurseries store in Selfridges. The cafe is also gorgeous for lunch, and beloved by celebs – the day we were there Hugh Grant was dining beside us.

Chateau Villandry, France

I've mentioned this garden recently, so I dare not go into more detail for fear of boring you all. Suffice to say, this garden is considered one of the most beautiful in the world. It's regularly voted in the Top Five by garden writers, and it's easy to see why. There are several gardens in the chateau grounds, including a knot garden and the famous potager, which features an intricate design created from vegetables. As I've said before, it's extraordinary.