Northumberland has so many gorgeous gardens to visit that there is undoubtedly a garden for everyone to enjoy. As well as the better known and larger gardens there are many more that are perhaps not quite so well known but that are quietly and discreetly waiting to be discovered and admired.
Longframlington Gardens near Morpeth offers a lovely place to visit, so whether you’re looking for plants to buy and take home or just looking for a unique garden to visit during a day out, these gardens are great stop off and with a coffee shop too. They were established over 20 years ago and were originally green pasture fields and over the years have gone on to be developed in phases. There are 12 acres of walks, landscaped gardens & arboretum, ponds, garden art, nature & garden trails, information displays & a wild meadow and boasting over 1000 different types of trees shrubs and perennials all set in the peaceful Northumbrian countryside. The ‘Garden & Arboretum Walk’ gives you the opportunity to take in the plant collection and the seasonal changes of the planting schemes, in their ‘Living Exhibition of Plants’. For more information and a to download their leaflet please go their website.
For a garden visit of a different type, Dilston Physic Garden is a must see. Dilston is a unique and modern physic garden tucked away in the beautiful Northumberland countryside and only a few miles from our local town of Hexham. There are currently only 6 other gardens of this type in the UK including the Chelsea Physic Garden in London.
Grounded in the science of how each plant works, throughout the physic garden you will find over 700 plants each with informative signboards. These not only show the traditional and modern plant medicine use, but also the science and active ingredients, as well as the folklore and magic that brings each plant to life!
Dilston is full of surprises, sculptures, art, places to ponder, events, you can chat with a herbalist, enjoy a tour, taste their popular speciality teas or even take a snooze on the soft and fragrant Chamomile Lawn. Dilston is a place for wellbeing and a tranquil space to calm the mind. More details of this lovely hidden treasure can be found here.
Whalton Manor Gardens near Morpeth are an absolute gem. You will find a 17th century house with a three-acre garden that is bursting with inspirational planting and magnificent architectural structures, such as the charming Lutyens-designed, Italianate summerhouse, game larder, pergolas and vast stone-paved courtyard. The gardens are open for individual private viewings on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from April to October but must be pre-booked in advance, for more details please go to their website. Why not combine this with a visit to the nearby Belsay Hall.
Bide-a-Wee Cottage Gardens near Netherwitton are a must for all those that enjoy gardens with imaginative planting. The gardens contain a huge variety of herbaceous plants, shrubs, ferns and grasses planted in both a formal and informal style. Bide-A-Wee Garden was created from a small sandstone quarry over the last 25 years with the site once originally bare and exposed apart from rough grassland and gorse. It has undoubtedly been a project which has taken years of careful planning, hard work and love to transform this former grassy and rough site into the garden oasis you see today. This garden is in the perfect countryside setting and a great place to enjoy the peace and tranquility while taking in the views of the garden and of course the stunning Northumbrian countryside.
To enjoy these gorgeous gardens together with the other visitor attractions, the fantastic roman history, stunning scenery and coastline, walks, dark skies and more just book your next stay and look forward to enjoying all Northumberland has to offer. You can check availability and prices of our lovely Heavenfield Cottage here. We look forward to sharing our Northumberland with you soon.
