Great Dixter is a historic house, garden, centre of education, a place of pilgrimage for horticulturists from across the world, and remained the lifelong family home of the late gardener and writer Christopher Lloyd.

John Massey's garden is tucked away behind Ashwood Nurseries in Staffordshire, set against the beautiful backdrop of the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal. Carol Klein pays a visit to her friend's plot, where highlights include hepaticas gathered from around the globe and displayed beside the pond and rockery.

The green-fingered expert visits Gravetye Manor in West Sussex. Gravetye was once the living laboratory of horticultural innovator William Robinson and ornamental flower gardens compete with his beautifully designed walled kitchen garden, which supplies the hotel's restaurant. In spring, Carol delights in the wildflower meadows covered in blankets of daffodils, crocus and snowdrops and in the summer, revels in the beauty of the ornamental flower garden. The autumn brings dazzling displays of colour among the trees, while in winter the gardeners spend their time gearing up for the year ahead.

The plantswoman and broadcaster visits Gresgarth Hall, the Lancashire country home of garden designer Arabella Lennox-Boyd. The grounds of the estate comprise the formal garden rooms nearer the house, and a wilder area where Arabella has planted 6,000 trees among cleverly designed meandering paths. Elsewhere, the garden shows off Arabella's immense knowledge and precision. In spring, splashes of early colour nestle beneath well-chosen spring-flowering shrubs, while summer witnesses an explosion of scent and floral abundance.