John and Jenny Brett have created an all-year garden design at St Mary’s, combining formal plant structures with colourful insect-friendly perennials, but in winter, when dusted with white and dancing with shadows, the garden shimmers

A good time to visit The Old Rectory in Doynton is as dusk falls on a frosty December evening. Driving in through the gate, you’ll be cheered by the sight of two illuminated Portuguese laurel cylinder

The quiet beauty of winter sets the stage in this garden, where topiary shapes and the borrowed landscape are the main performers

Within a framework of mature trees, this naturalistic Surrey garden contains a mix of informal planting and formal topiary

Romantic planting with a sleek modern style creates a striking mix in this Hertfordshire garden

Orderly hedges and classic features contrast with unruly wildlife-friendly planting in this rural Hertfordshire garden