The Italian Garden at Trentham, Staffordshire where Sir Charles Barry's nineteenth century ground plan has been reinvigorated by Tom Stuart Smith's twenty-first century planting scheme. It was late November and I had hoped for a frosty morning though there was only a very light dusting and just about fifteen minutes of gorgeous light before the sun ascended behind a motionless expanse of cloud. I wanted to give the sense of this wonderful formal garden within the wider, naturalistic parkland setting. It was my first visit to Trentham - I had liaised with the management company to arrange early access.

Highly Commended - Beautiful Gardens