SPRINGTIME gardens in bloom are a wonderous sight so last bank holiday weekend saw my sister Alison and I taking a tour of some of the finest gardens in West Sussex. Ali lives in Kent, which until recently was The Garden of England but a BBC report in 2006 believes the accolade now belongs to North Yorkshire. Thinking the moors a bit far for a weekend break, we set off to explore the area within striking distance of the A272, where a sprinkling of lovely and exotic gardens hug a sandstone ridge between the chalk downs.

We decided to meet up en route at our first night's accommodation, Gravetye Manor, which also has a garden that is open to the public on Tuesdays and Fridays, including a one-acre vegetable garden.

We decided to leave the delights of Gravetye for later and armed with their courtesy map, set off for Wakehurst Place. We were in high spirits, Ali's knowledge of plants gleaned from a garden design course, coupled with my allotment know-how created a heady mix. We were hell bent on having the ultimate gardener's trip - think Thelma and Louise but with wellies and no Brad Pitt.

Managed by the National Trust, Wakehurst has lovely wide paths, sweeping vistas and a surprise around every corner. Its 530 acres contain water gardens, wetlands and woodland habitats, lakes and ponds, as well as formal walled gardens and a majestic Elizabethan mansion.

Wakehurst's gardens were developed by Gerald Loder, who acquired the estate in 1903. Loder introduced plants from Eastern Asia.

Visitors can also visit the Millennium Seed Bank, where many exotic specimens are on display and the process of cataloguing and preserving seeds continues.

Next on our list was the smaller scale Borde Hill Gardens, which offers a perfect family environment where garden enthusiasts can potter while younger members of the party take to the wooden playground with its rope bridges, boat and fortress. Borde has plenty of stopping places and unique environments including an Italian garden with ornamental pond and woodland walks leading to the peaceful Garden of Allah. Camelias and azaleas contrast the more densely wooded areas and there are a number of Victorian greenhouses to nose about in.

High on exotic perfumes we retired to our hotel for a dinner in Gravetye's Michelin-starred restaurant of fresh asparagus, veal, quail, scallops and delicious local cheeses.

Rising early the next day we toured Gravetye's estate and viewed the magnificent gardens created by horticultural writer William Robinson. Among the highlights was a magnificent Handkerchief Tree and the walled garden with its fruit trees that created the estate jams.

After breakfast, we took the B2110 to High Beeches, a lovely up hill and down dale garden which contains wildflower meadows, rhododendrons, azaleas and the curious flame topped Chilean Fire Bush. We even came across a family of rabbits grazing along the shady pathways. The gardens include several ponds lined with lillies and provide colour all year round.

Out of interest, High Beeches was designed by Sir Robert Loder, who has a species of rhododendron named after him and was father to Gerald Loder of Wakehurst Place and Sir Edmund Loder who created nearby Leonardslee.

On to our second National Trust property Nymans Gardens, created by the Messel family in 1895. The house is open for tours, but was largely destroyed by fire in February 1947. The gardens are mainly formally laid out offering a lot of scope to study form and function as well as appreciating plantings of roses and the beds helpfully labelled by NT staff. An extensive plant and gift shop rounds off the visit.

Last but by no means least, we took a stroll around Leonardslee, which manages to be a museum, wildlife park and a beautiful garden all rolled into one. Still owned by the Loder family, the gardens span 240 acres with seven lakes, enclosures for wallabies and deer, displays of vintage vehicles, a dolls' house exhibition and a rock garden, various woodland walks and many marvellous acers.

Three gardens in one day may seem a little greedy, but we thoroughly enjoyed the constrasting environments. Far from ending the visit by plunging over the cliff into the sea we headed for the quiet village of Steyning, near Hove for a pot of tea and cheeseboard in the conservatory.

Accommodation

Gravetye Manor Hotel and Country Club

Vowels Lane, East Grinstead, RH19 4LJ. 01342 810567, www.gravetyemanor.co.uk

Copyhold Hollow

Copyhold Lane, Borde Hill, Haywards Heath, RH16 1XU. 01444 413265, www.copyholdhollow.co.uk This delightful B&B is surrounded by a fairytale garden entirely constructed from scratch by the owner. Midweek stays combined with gardening courses are available.

Springwells Hotel

9 High Street, Steyning, BN44 3GG. 01903 812446, www.springwells.co.uk

Gardens

Wakehurst Place: 01444 894000, Nymans Gardens: 01444 405250 www.nationaltrust.co.uk, Borde Hill Gardens: 01444 450326, www.bordehill.co.uk High Beeches: 01444 400589, www.highbeeches.com Leonardslee: 01403 891212, www.leonardsleegardens.com