Subtropical garden wins the Christie's award Sometimes you get some funny weather, like last winter, when a bad frost will kill off a load of the plants. But on the whole we do well. We push the boundaries. I've taken influences from everywhere, from the south of France to India. About five years ago I went to Chile and collected seeds of Lobelia excelsa, and they've grown really well. When I look at it I remember seeing it growing in the foothills of the Andes. There are magnolias and rhododendrons from South Africa and parts of South America. We've also created zones: there's a Himalayan glade, a Mediterranean bank, an area for the southern hemisphere, where we grow things from Australia and New Zealand. We show a lot of people around, so it helps to make the tours educational. For the past few weeks Griffith and his team have been tidying up after felling a big wingnut tree that dominated the centre of the garden. "There's lots more light now," he explains. It's much sunnier. As well as steering Abbotsbury from messy, unloved woodland into a thriving, prize-winning garden, Griffith has also improved the garden's infrastructure. "We've built a new ticket office, which I'm quite excited about," he says. The shop is done in the old colonial style, with a veranda and a tin roof, and we've made the office in the same style. When you come through the door on a sunny day you could be in Borneo or Saint Lucia. Abbotsbury puts on a host of events throughout the year - an Easter egg hunt, classical music and Shakespeare, as well as a son et lumière for three weeks in October, when visitors come to see the autumn colours dramatically illuminated by lights and candles. "Since I started, I've also been very keen that the garden should engage all the senses," Griffith says. Touch, smell and sound as well as the eyes. As if on cue, a cockerel crows in the background. We've built up a large collection of ornamental birds: there are golden pheasants rushing about all over the place, and when the kookaburras get going, their song really rolls down into the valley. The prize is voted for by members of the HHA, who know their eggs. It's easy to see why Griffith is proud of his empire, and appreciates the recognition. The garden goes back to 1765, so it's been around a long time, and it's in a remote valley quite far away from its owners. I'm the one who lives closest to it, and I feel like I'm the custodian of a little bit of its history. It's been my baby to restore it over 20-odd years, and I've enjoyed every bit of it. Garden of the Year roll of honour 2011 Castle Howard, N Yorks (voted for in 2010, no 2010 winner) 2009 Chenies Manor House, Bucks 2008 Blenheim Palace, Oxon 2007 Houghton Hall, Norfolk 2006 Bourton House Gardens, Glos 2005 Burton Agnes Hall, E Yorks 2004 Borde Hill Gardens, W Sussex 2003 Kiftsgate Court, Glos 2002 West Dean Gardens, W Sussex Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens, Bullers Way, Abbotsbury, Nr Weymouth, Dorset (01305 871387; abbotsbury-tourism.co.uk)