It would be a toss-up between Mottisfont Abbey and Sissinghurst Castle on a fine June day. Both have superlative settings and plants.

I vote for Sissinghurst or maybe Wisley Gardens, headquarters of the Royal Hort. Society. I loved both this May on the "I can garden Chelsea tour."
I haven't visited the Mottisfon Abbey and lots of others yet but it is so hard to choose a favorite anyway.
L

I loved Hidcote and a northern garden"Raby castle" was
beautiful. Should I ever win the lottery- the english gardens will get more than their share.

Going to the UK and visiting the many beautiful gardens is a
wonderful experience, however not all who would like to do so are able to for many different reasons. A Southern California horticulturist of note, Lew Whitney, has produced
an exquisite 75 minute video of the Chelsea Flower Show which may offer an alternative for those of us who can't go in person. It is a guided tour and is spectacular and educational. See it at http://www.galaxymall.com/household/garden.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Chelsea Flower Show

We have lived in Great Britain for a year now and I have visited many different gardens. My favorite trips were taking a boat ride down the Thames to Kew Gardens and visiting Leeds Castle in Kent. Leeds is a favorite of my daughters since it not only has beautiful gardens, but a lovely castle, hedge maze, duckery and aviary. Its enough to keep everyone from 4 to 90 happy for the entire day. I hear that Hampton Court Palace has beautiful gardens also.

Stourhead is my favorite. It's so whimsical. But then, I haven't seen any that I didn't like. They're all so delightfully different from each other that it's really hard to choose just one.

I loved Port Merion in Wales. Has anyone else visited the gardens.

Many years ago, there was a wonderful roof garden on top of a London department store called Derry and Tom's (or something like that). A couple I met in the Lake District told me it was a "must see" when I got to London, and it certainly was. I've never seen anything like it. Is it still there?

I believe it is. I saw something on HGTV last summer about the gardens of London and this one was featured.

Wish I'd known about it when I was in London last May. I literally walked all around this neighborhood and had no idea it was there. If only I'd looked up!LOL

Oh well, maybe next year...

Sissinghurst is such a wonderful garden. It's so romantic, the garden, the history, small but sumptuous!
I have a web site where you can see several English gardens, see below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Lisa's Garden including English Gardens and a panorama of Sissinghurst

Hever and Stourhead were two of our favorites....we went to many and castles....brought back many ideas for our gardens in upstate NY...the main one which included having bluestone (2 ton) brought in so we could create many walled gardens for our perennial/spring bulbs.

Well, I live in London, and I have a voluntary job as a gardener - but I've never (yet) visited Sissinghurst!!!
In London, I LOVE Kew Gardens, of course - and have any of you ever had a chance to visit Chelsea Physic Garden? It's tucked away in s side street near Cheyne Walk - it's one of my favourite gardens.

Here is a link that might be useful: Jane's Gardening Page

I visited England last summer. I'd have to say my favorite garden with Scotney Castle. It is a 14th century ruins with a small moat around the castle. The moat was filled with blooming water lillies and a few swans. You have to walk down the hill to get to the castle. The view is breathe taking. Flowers are everywhere.
I also enjoyed Leeds and Hever castle. I think I took a wish idea with me from every garden I visited.

Living in London since 1991, we go to Chelsea every year with a small group of friends from Boston. We feel very lucky to have visited all the gardens mentioned here except the roof garden on the department store (I return on 28 February and will look for it immediately), Scotney Castle and Port Merion. Our 10-day trip includes Hever, Sissinghurst, RHS Wisley, Hampton Court Palace and many gardens in the Cotswolds. I also love the beautiful Cornwall gardens ad could never choose among them We welcome you to join us.

Here is a link that might be useful: Diane's home page

Derry & Toms building which had a roof garden is now the headquarters of The Daily Mail (one of England's top newspapers). Biba's shop was there in the swinging sixties too. I do not know whether the garden is still there but I suspect it is.

Bodnant in Wales, Hidcote in the Cotswalds, Great Comp in Kent. Great Comp has alot of shrubs and conifers- they make a strong sculptural statement. I went with a friend to England and Wales for a two week tour of gardens and Great Comp was on our last day, even so it made a strong impression.

No one said Great Dixter! Christopher Lloyds garden! I find that garden amazing because it has been evolving for so long under him and his father before.A bit more masculine than Sissinghurst, more Harold less Vita, nice edwardian feel to it. Agree with Laura that Scotney is lovely - it helps to have a little romantic castle as a centrepiece.
Chatsworth gardens stunning, and at Castle Howard you cant help but feel that you're walking around the set of Brideshead revisited.
The gardens along the North west coast of scotland and the isles are amazing. Gulf stream means that all sorts of improbable plants grow there and you find gardens full of lush exotics in the middle of otherwise barren landscape.
So my list has to be: Hidcote, Sissinghurst, Gt Dixter, Chatsworth, Biddulph Grange (high Victorian eccentricity), Brodick castle(Isle of Arran), Inverewe (Scotland), Bodnant (this is a real gem! in N.Wales) and Powyss (Wales), Stourhead and Stowe, and Studley Royal/Fountains Abbey.

So thats my list!
Scott.

It seems the castle and stately homes gardens have been well covered. Less formal, but just as wonderful, are the gardens you see at the lock keepers cottages along the Thames. A lot of the locks have lovely cottages where the lock keepers live and they often have outstanding gardens, filled with flowers and vegetables and beautifully kept. They're a great pride to the river people. A trip up the Thames through places like Maidenhead and Bray and so on will leave you with some wonderful garden memories.