There is nothing that I enjoy more on a summer’s day than filling up my vintage picnic hamper with strawberries, gluten-free goodies and a chilled bottle of pink lemonade and heading to Mottisfont Abbey and Gardens, my favourite National Trust property.

The house is filled with beautiful, decorative colours and patterns – all duck egg blues, salmon walls and gorgeous golden detailing in the beautifully hung curtains. As a designer, however, the real beauty lies outside. I find the garden at Mottisfont truly inspirational. It is here with my camera in hand that I find myself discovering new ideas, whilst strolling through the wonderful rose gardens, listening to the birds sing.

I like to visit Mottisfont on quiet afternoons or first thing on a weekday morning so as to avoid the weekend rush. The roses begin to blossom in June and I cannot put into words how magical the rose garden is with its whitewashed benches and old wooden gates. It has all of the charm of a secret garden.

Photo courtesy of Sophia Victoria Joy