Top British estates and gardens to visit

The moist climate of Great Britain has produced a wealth of outdoor tourist attractions for horticulturists and wildlife enthusiasts who book cheap flights to the UK. In the spring, traditional museum tours can be accompanied by an outdoor garden tour of each estate's grounds, as many of the nation's prominent landmarks possess acres of private land abundant with exotic species and native plants. Here are a few destinations that should not be missed while sightseeing through the country.

Knole, an immense country estate, is surrounded by a 1,000-acre deer park. It is a "calendar house," possessing one room for every day of the year, 52 staircases, 12 entrances and 7 courtyards. It contains the largest private garden in England, with about 24 acres of walled plantlife. Touring the garden can also offer visitors a rare look at the rear aspects of the house, fully completing their exploration of Knole.

Another of Britain's cherished gardens is Sissinghurst, painstakingly created by Vita Sackville-West and her husband Harold Nicolson. Planted in the 1930s, the gardens surround the remains of the old Elizabethan Sissinghurst mansion. The couple created 10 outdoor "rooms," each separated by hedge walls. Travelers should book cheap flights to London during the peak of the spring season to fully appreciate each space in the Sissinghurst Castle grounds, including the rose, white, cottage and herb gardens.