The ornate beauty of the Alhambra Palace, Granada

I recently visited the Alhambra Palace, Granada, a place I had wanted to see for some years. And yes, I was knocked out by the beautiful designs and rich colours of the tiles.

Some were exquisitely ornate - others exquisitely simple, such as the diamond motif set on a white background, each corner marked with a star.

Why don't we see more of these gloriously rich shades - ochres, cobalts, jades, plums - and wonderful patterns in tile manufacturer's designs?

The highlight for me, though, were the spectacular Judas trees, in full blossom (pictured below). I planted one in my own garden last year and although it is still a scrap, the Judas trees at the Alhambra have given me great hope for the future.

Garden designers love the dark-leaved Cercis, canadensis Forest Pansy, but my heart belongs to the Cercis siliquastrum, the ancient, classic Judas tree of Bible lands, with thatwonderful habit of sporting blossom directly on its branches and trunk.

You can also see it in full fling at this time of year at Beth Chatto's gravel garden. It's an easy tree to grow and ideal for London gardens.