When out and about the other day with Poppy dog, my mam and I stumbled upon Birkheads Secret Gardens and Nursery. We immediately asked if we could take the dog in, then drove home in a state of pure excitement when we found out you could. We then went back the next day. To go to a place of such wonder, one must prepare oneself.

The next day the sun was shining. (A good sign) We left bright and early with dog in tow (and Geoff, my mam's husband) to go and explore what I could already tell was going to be such an amazing place.

Birkheads is run by Mike and Christine who have lived in the property since 1978. Their passion for gardening and all things nature is apparent throughout the gardens. They both have experience, with Christine designing a couple of award winning gardens for the National Garden Festival in Gateshead, among other things. They are both nice, friendly people who greeted us when we arrived and continued to talk to us whenever we bumped into them. The place has a real homely feel and it’s like you’re just over at your friend’s house checking out what they've done to their garden, but on a much larger, better scale of course.

Before I went, I knew it was going to be something special, but I don’t think I was really prepared for what I was about to see. (I’ll get to that soon though.)

Firstly we went to the little coffee shop that they have and ordered a round of corned beef pies and drinks. The pie was so scrummy. It even came with some crisps which no one’s going to complain about. You can go to the coffee shop and nursery part of the property without paying. So if you just fancy a cuppa or you’re looking to buy yourself a little plant then they have you covered.

We sat out on the terrace which was lovely. Even there you could see how much detail goes into the gardens. There were various topiary bushes, statues and even stepping stones in the grass leading to a secluded entrance to another garden. There was a Chinese lantern hanging nearby. It honestly made me feel like a little kid exploring some place secret. (Hence the secret garden title I suppose.)

When it was time to go into the garden we found Christine in her little potting shed, which has been turned into a cute little gift shop containing crafts and wares from local people. We handed over £4.50 each, a total bargain in my opinion and then it was time to be amazed. We were given a guide to the garden. All of them are numbered so you can learn about the flowers in them etc. and find out about the history and things.

Now onto the actual gardens eeek….I’ve had to split this post because there’s just so much to talk about. I’m the kind of person that will take thirty different shots of a field, so you can imagine how many photos I took with such rich content. It was a job and a half just picking which ones to show. Also I want to do the gardens justice. They are fabulous and you really have to see them for yourself.

The gardens cover an area of almost 3 acres with 700m of borders in individually themed gardens. You enter through a little gate and are immediately greeted by blooming flowers and gorgeous plants, a little pond just off to the side. It’s your typical country garden done in style.

Even just the first garden we went into was mind blowing. The attention to detail not just with the plants and trees, but also the added little features like the pond, the barrels, places to sit. Everything has been thought out and planned and it's evident throughout.

I'll be bringing you part 2 tomorrow, so if this looks like your idea of heaven then pop back then for more.

Have any of you been to Birkheads before?