“Gardening is a promise,” said Piet Oudolf in Thomas Piper’s meditative documentary about the pioneering Dutch garden designer. “It doesn’t have to be there. You’re looking for what will be there.” From a particularly pastoral front garden in Brixton, to a transportive Cornish idyll, we have selected six homes with stunning gardens (or should that be six gardens with stunning homes) that fulfil that promise in spades …

The Bridge House, Bursledon, Hampshire
Immersed in its own eight acres of private woodland, The Bridge House offers a truly singular at-one-with-nature way of life. This sublime eco house, the first of its kind in Britain, has windows along nearly every aspect, sowing an inextricable connection with its surroundings. A wraparound balcony snakes around the house’s watery periphery, providing plenty of places to sit and absorb the near tree-filled views. Although the encompassing greenery provides a feeling of unbroken tranquility, a slipway from the house passes through to the tidal River Hamble, where passing-by boats can be spotted.

Middle Hunt House, Walterstone, Herefordshire
Lovingly tended to for over 23 years by its current owners, the grounds of Middle Hunt House – known as ‘The Garden of the Wind’ – have had plenty of time to take root. And it shows: its 20-acre strong surroundings comprise formal and informal elements, with fields, a pergola, greenhouses, a fountain court complete with a William Pye-designed water feature and many varieties of tree, flower and shrub. Meticulously thought-out and budding with inspiration, the gardens are as important to the experience of the house as the brilliantly contemporary renovation and twisting glass walkway (which won a RIBA award, FYI).

The Point, Polzeath, Cornwall
The gardens of these Koto-designed cabins in picturesque Polzeath, Cornwall have been as meticulously honed as the buildings themselves. Responsible for this horticultural wizardry is Darren Hawkes; led by the transformative potential of landscaping, Hawkes was keen to design gardens that induce a transporting feeling. Though the effects are otherworldly, the inspiration was the sublimely rugged surrounding landscape. The result is a year-round revelry laden with colour and/or texture throughout the seasons.

Angley Park, Cranbrook, Kent
Close to the medieval splendor of Cranbrook, Kent, this transformed gardener’s cottage has fittingly considered outdoor space that extends to just shy of half an acre. There is a compelling symmetry to the immaculate landscaping, which is arranged in a series of outdoor ‘rooms’ designed to serve a series of purposes: namely playing, entertaining and relaxing. There’s plenty here for the green-thumbed too, with a dedicated area for growing, and enough outdoor storage for stowing away tools.

Brixton Road, London SW9
A testament to the positive potential of a creatively reimagined front garden, this house in Brixton, south London makes canny use of its bookending green spaces. On arrival, the symmetrical front landscaping and rows of pleached trees makes a subtle gesture towards the house’s Georgian origins: long beds are chock-full of vegetables and fragrant jasmine makes its way around the arch of the front door, which has been painted in the nominally fitting ‘Obsidian Green’ from Farrow and Ball. At the rear is an equally cheery back garden, with a green summerhouse that quietly assimilates with its surroundings – a perfect escape for older children or grown-ups seeking solace.

Studland Drive, Milford-on-Sea, Hampshire
The colourful interiors of this mid-century-inspired house in Hampshire have spread into its front garden, where a patchwork of plantings next to its generous driveway extend a warm welcome. Four silver birch trees stand strong here, susurrating in the salty sea air. But at the rear is where the true magic happens: with an even greater variety of plants and shrubs, largely cultivated around the perimeter, there is a broad patch of lawn that maximises football-kicking or sun-lolling potential. Particularly unique though is what lies beyond: the trees of the ancient Danes Stream woodland, which was harnessed for defence purposes during the reign of Henry VIII, peer out over the back fence, providing an especially sylvan sense of seclusion.