The largely rural county of Northumberland is home to a range of individual and imaginative gardens, with each one giving an unusual insight into the pleasure of gardening in this most beautiful and tranquil corner of England.

Our tour begins at the gardens of Belsay Hall, which are uniquely set in the quarry that provided the stone to build the house itself. We continue with Mindrum, a large and generous garden, which was created by a natural artist with skill and verve. Colours are soft and subtle and the garden is rich in roses, scented plants, wild flowers and remarkable trees. A few years ago her son took over at Mindrum and she set about creating a new garden at Kirky Cottage, a gravel garden in cottage garden style, filled with her favourite plants from Mindrum and many others.

In Whalton, one of Northumberland’s prettiest villages, we find Manor House, a charming English country house garden with a history which features a contribution from the dream team of garden design, Gertrude Jekyll and Edwin Lutyens. Newbiggin House, in the equally pretty village of Blanchland, offers us delightful old-fashioned herbaceous borders, while by way of contrast, the Alnwick Garden, whose inspiration stems from the unbridled passion of the Duchess of Northumberland, gives us a garden for the 21st century, full of innovative features and bold planting.