The Secret Gardens of Nottinghamshire

Not only is this week National Gardening Week, it's also VisitEngland's Year of the English Garden. So what better time for us to get digging, and reveal some of the best hidden gardens in Nottinghamshire, which you may have missed? -- Bromley House Library                      While exploring a city like Nottingham, it's always wise to look up now and again. Do so on one of the city's busiest streets, and you'll spot the aged timberwork of one of the city’s best kept secrets – Bromley House Library. This charming subscription library turned 200 this month, and it contains a treasure-trove of dusty volumes, which date right back to the 16th century. Read a BBC article on the library here. This secret library has another secret, however – an amazing city-centre garden! Settle in the shade of the landscaped garden of trees and flowers, and work your way through a good book on a sunny day. Find out more here. The Education Garden at Archbishops Palace This delightful garden celebrates the palace’s history and will take you on a flowery journey through time. Explore a Medieval herb parterre, a Tudor knot garden, and an Edwardian style border. Certain areas are given over to the elements, resulting in untamed areas, filled with kaleidoscopic colours from free growing flowers. Find out more here. The Memorial Gardens at the National Holocaust Centre While the National Holocaust Centre primarily documents one of humanity’s darkest chapters, it also offers a peaceful space for reflection and remembrance. The memorial gardens that are located here provide a slice of solitude and tranquillity, where you can sit surrounded by roses, sculptures and memorials. Find out more here. The Arboretum       The Arboretum is a slice of garden paradise on the edge of Nottingham City Centre, and it's certainly not a garden to be overlooked. J. M. Barrie – the creator of Peter Pan was a fan, as he used to live near by, and would walk to work through the park. Local legend even suggests that the blossoming flowers and glistening lake here served as the inspiration for his dreamy Neverland... Find out more here. The Victorian Garden at The Workhouse This National Trust site recreates the conditions and environment of an authentic Victorian Workhouse. Of course, the paupers who worked here would live off water and gruel, so the earthy treasures plucked from the vegetable garden would provide some welcome relief. Explore this lovingly recreated garden for yourself, and you can even bend your back to help out during harvest season. Find out more here. Wollaton’s Botanic Garden Stunning Wollaton Hall rises above swathes of open green parkland, providing a fabulous backdrop for any family picnic. The small, walled botanic garden sits next to the stable block – and is the true definition of a secret garden. It’s well worth the effort to track it down, so you can nestle on a bench, surrounded by the colours of exotic plants, and watch as butterflies flutter, and bees bob from flower to flower. Find out more here.