Colourful Croatia is an inspiration for gardening guru Ann-Marie Powell

Ann-Marie Powell reveals her favourite holiday destinations.

“My absolute favourite holiday was when I was 22 as it was totally life-changing. I went travelling with an ex-boyfriend and was out of the country for about a year.

I’d left college not knowing what I wanted to do but I found inspiration during a trip that took in India, Nepal and Thailand. People talk about travelling to find themselves and that’s what happened to me.

I fell in love with the landscapes and seeing plants grow naturally in different environments. We travelled through India, at times sitting with the train doors open and our feet dangling out.

You’d see the vistas change, from arid deserts to Darjeeling with its rich tea farming.

Seeing how amazing nature is made me fall in love with it and made me want to come home and grow things for the rest of my life. The other foreign place that’s become a real favourite is Croatia.

We’ve been there a couple of times and it’s such a beautiful place to holiday with kids.

The climate is so wonderful you really live outdoors and the people are so child-friendly it makes it a delight.

We’ve been to the north, to Bibinje and to the capital Dubrovnik with friends who sail.

That meant we got out to various islands which are pretty spectacular. Some of it can be pretty verdant and other areas are very dry. You have these fabulous red-tiled houses.

The colours in general are so intense that you are constantly getting inspiration to bring home.

I find myself straying to look at plants. Jules is a gardener now he wasn’t when I met him so I’ve brought him to the dark side of horticulture and we chat away about what’s growing wherever we are.

The boys, it has to be said, aren’t quite so interested!

The place I love most here is the Lake District. I walk a lot and when I was younger I’d head there on my own and pitch a tent.

The rolling countryside is so beautiful and I’d love getting on my bike, which I’d chuck into the back of my old Land Rover, and going round some of the great sculpture parks.”

Ann-Marie Powell has written three books on the subject and is working on a fourth, Innovations In Urban Garden Design. Nottinghamshire-born Ann-Marie, 43, is a regular at the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show.

She has hosted a number of gardening programmes and her latest, The Great Chelsea Garden Challenge, screens this month on BBC2. She lives in West Sussex with her partner Jules and their two boys Archie, 10, and Gilbert, 5.