The NC Arboretum, USA

Some gardens are all about the plants – spotting novelties or investigating a collection. Others are all about the designer's vision – vistas, hard-landscaping, statement pieces. It's normally clear where to point the camera within about 5 minutes of looking around. At the North Carolina Arboretum, on the other hand, I was struck by the sheer diversity of shots – long-distance views of mountain landscapes, striking formal designs in the foreground, individual native plants crying out for some macro photography, with a side-order of bonsai for that art gallery touch. In other words, something for everyone – a display garden full of colour and surprising combinations surrounded by a natural forest of immense beauty. And all with an unmistakeable Appalachian accent.