You could be forgiven for not knowing about Martineau Gardens…read more Rather inconspicuous, it sits alongside a busy junction in the Edgbaston area and doesn't warrant much attention from the road. Once through the gates you find yourself in amongst fruit trees and carefully nurtured plants and flowers, on this occasion we didn't venture past the club house but had already witnessed an almost surreal scene of classes being given on the lawn with a tree being the focus of the lesson, needless to say the world of traffic noise and commuter squabble is soon forgotten. The staff were friendly when approached and assisted with our guesswork as to exactly which fruits blossomed within the protective netting of various beds. Martineau Gardens is a welcoming place and offers a great deal for anyone interested in the simple joys of gardening. Events are held regularly and more information can be found at their website: http://www.martineau-gardens.org.uk/visitor-information/plants-produce/

An oasis of calm just set back from busy Edgbaston roads…read more Volunteer gardeners are friendly and always willing to help. Produce and plants are also often for sale (wood chips, seasonal vegetables and fruit and preserves) There are always interesting things growing and it's good for a look around any time of year. They even have a mulberry tree, not many of those in the area. Their events are worth visiting as there's always a lot going on (from Seed swaps to Apple Days)There's also a great play area with large wooden ship for the tiddlywinks to have a play on.

My only memory of Pype Hayes park as a child, was slipping through fences in November in order to…read moreget to the fun fair, or going to bonfires there when I was little. As an adult, I'd never been until last summer when one day, en-route to Sutton Park, and with time not in my favour, I decided to try it out. There's a good sized car park, and, in the summer months, a portaloo as well as a regular ice-scream van, serving the families who go there to use the modern and enclosed play area right by the car park. There are picnic benches under the trees, and so there's plenty on offer for families who want an afternoon out. As a dog person, it's a haven! There is a great circular walk that takes you through the park along a good footpath, and offers dogs a huge amount of field to run around on, play, sniff bums, wag tails and pee on each other, as dogs do! The walk then leads you (depending on which direction you go) down and along Plants Brook, a peaceful stretch of the walk that is possible three quarters of a mile if you walk to the perimeter of the park. In the spring time, there are long stretches where wildflowers bloom with vivid reds, blues and yellows. You may also get lucky and see the resident Heron in flight. Turning back up across more open land will bring you along to a small lake where there are often fishermen focussed upon their catch, and ducks, geese and swans swim about, keeping eager eyes open for crusts of bread. Back towards the car park and by the house which is (I believe) used as local council offices, there is also a cultivated garden which is very pretty in the summer (dogs on leads in there please!). There are many options of walk, though if it's been wet for a while, you are restricted to the path unless you wear willies or like being ankle deep in thick dark goo. Everyone is very friendly, and if you're a dog owner, it's a great place to socialise you four legged friend!

This is a major city park of over 100 acres. It contains a fishing pool, bowling green and both…read morehard and grass tennis courts. To the west of the gardens is a fish pond which is also a duck pond with a duck island, many species of water birds can be found there, notably Mallard ducks, Canada geese and frequently a pair of resident mute swan. There is also a play area. The park contains a number of ornamental gardens, with many bedding areas. It is also the location for an annual bonfire carnival. Each year, Birmingham City Council organises an official firework display on or around the 5th November, admission is free. The park is also the site of the ward's millennium woodland. There is a very strong and active friends group and the buildings in the park are grade II listed.

These are some of the loveliest gardens I've ever seen. Wandered around here on a warm spring…read moreevening, there are many works of art, fountains, and memorials to local dignitaries. The flower displays are beautiful, all the trees are labelled with information. The river boarders one side of the gardens, and is very attractive. There is a cafe houses in a hot house within the gardens, and lakes. Locals know what a gem them have, and use it

I like these gardens and as a local (ish) resident for over twenty years I probably haven't made…read moreenough of them, however I think that says something in itself. I am not particularly overawed by the part - it is lovely, but that is about it. While the new cafe is nice, I think it is far too overpriced, especially for what you are getting and while it may be worth it for a one off visit, I wouldn't choose to visit on a regular basis.

This is a lovely place for a walk; a nature reserve with a difference. While it is not…read morestereotypically the most picturesque place, you feel that you are really in nature at its rawest. However, if memory serves correctly, these areas are slightly disrupted by telephone pylons and electricity pylons, which although necessary, slightly take away from the natural scenery. There is a small gift shop which has a lovely collection of things and they obviously seem to offer a great schools programme since there are education rooms and areas decked out for large groups, including parties. Worth a walk if you are bored.

Brandon Marsh Nature reserve is lovely. It is a really nice place to go for a walk and chill out…read more It has some great wildlife to spot and it's a really peaceful place to be. As you walk round there are always birds singing. there are a number of hides where you can sit and watch the birds on the pools. There a number of different pools and different birds.

Sheep? Check. Cows? Check. Shetland ponies? Check. Ginormous pigs? Check. Sandwell Park Farm ticks…read moreall of the farm boxes (although, I reckon they could do with an alpaca). Sandwiched between the heaving urban mass of West Bromwich and the non-stop traffic of the M5, this family attraction is an oasis of agricultural heritage. It is always a pleasure to visit in March, when the lambing season has begun, to see the super-cute baby sheep. If you prefer machines to small fluffy things, you can check out the collection of antique farm machinery. The walled garden is always a joy to walk around, even if it is impossible to avoid the noise of the motorway that lurks just over the wall. It is really cheap to visit (£1.75 for adults, £1.25 for kids) and it makes a fun way to pass a Saturday afternoon. Just watch out for the moody peacock that patrols the farmyard, that dude has an attitude!

After experiencing the wonder of Forge Mill Farm, I had to take a bigger step at my farming life…read moreand Sandwell Park Farm was right there! Just perfect! Let's be honest, from where I live, in Walsall, I have the whole Sandwell Valley area just around the corner and I'm glad to have some many different attractions (30 or or even 15 minutes, far from my house) to choose and go! Sometimes for free or sometimes for a very cheap admission like at Sandwell Park Farm. I simply can not believe that for only £ 2 children or adults have this very educative experience and a lovely time out! No excuses to stay in your won back garden during the summer, by the way. Sandwell Park Farm is a children friendly point, obviously. Cattles, sheep and other animals that we usually see only, from our cars, when we take the motorways straight to the countryside! It's also a huge are for a good picnic. Kids love and adults learn!

Another site worth visiting in Birmingham, Castle Bromwich Hall was built in 1557. This lovely…read morelandmark of Birmingham has a beautiful 18th century inspired garden that recreates the typical English design of that period. The truth is that Castle Bromwich Hall and Garden Trust is a huge heritage hotspot and it deserves to be explored in two different experiences. Firstly, the garden can be visited after paying £ 4 (adults) and children £1. You're going to find 10 acre of over 600 species of plants from the 17th century in this bucolic space. Secondly, the Castle Bromwich Hall itself! This historical location was used for storage of materials during the 2nd World War and for a long period it was closed until being restored and turn into a luxury hotel in 2011. I have never experienced the hotel but the garden is an interesting site if you're with the right companion to explore it. I have taken my husband's auntie with me for a day out and as she's 70 and full of stories to talk about the relation between gardens and English heritage, I really appreciate my trip to this place. The Castle Bromwich Hall has a nice coffee shop and free car parking.

No scrumping allowed! Visit Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens and leave with no fruity bulges in…read morepockets. But fill your Wellington boots with sights, smells and healthy invigorations from walking round the 400 year old gardens. (You don't actually need wellies, plenty of paths.) Left derelict, vandalised and overgrown, the gardens were rediscovered in 1982 and have since been restored, with new plants reflecting cultivation before 1740. A beautiful and peaceful area surrounded by vast urban developments, the gardens are a real hidden treasure. You might be surprised at how often you could have driven on and off the M6 at the Castle Brom junction 5 and not realised the existence of this oasis, just there, on the hill bounding the exit roundabout. Orchards laden with apple and pear varieties from the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries along with 600 historically correct plants, are all nurtured within the original formal garden structure. Apparently, from the 1730's, most formal gardens of this period were removed; their walls, terracing and geometric structures replaced following the trend to more romantic and naturalistic layouts. The Trust leaflet describes how the ' .. North Garden has been planted to demonstrate the design shown in Henry Beighton's 'South Prospect' of 1726 and the vegetable garden is fashioned after Batty Langley's design taken from his publication; 'New Principles of Gardening (1728).' Any veg garden designed by someone called Batty, has got to be good. And if you think you have a lost soul, lose your whole body in the amazing maze, a prickly holly trap based on George London and Henry Wise's example at Hampton Court. Or just relax and take in the vista and the sun on one of the strategically placed benches around the grounds. Bring a picnic why not? Bring your kiddies, only 50p a piece, (such a very small price considering their overall cost!). The upkeep and future development of the gardens and surrounding areas is dependent on visitors like you and me and upon the work of its volunteers and the Friends organisation. What a bargain, feel invigorated and refreshed by the beautiful surroundings whilst contributing to the garden's future at the same time. You can obtain tangible refreshments from the cheerful little cafe, with coffees and teas and snacky things, buy plants and souvenirs. You can join a free guided tour, bring your dog (with lead) and even book a wheelchair if required. Group and school visits can be arranged and the venue hired for functions. Clean and fresh toilet facilities are available. There is a free car park and a small entrance charge currently £3.50 for adults and 50p for children - a snip (metaphorically, as no snipping allowed either). Visit the web site for more details. Hope this is useful and you enjoy your visit(s).

You know those amazingly warm and sunny weekends? Well we don't get them too often and when they…read morehappen I get the urge to do something quintessentially English. So last one day recently saw a much needed drive out of Brum and into the countryside. I'm not a National Trust member but I am starting to wonder why? Our visit to Packwood House was fantastic. You can go into the house and even have a tour but we wanted to experience the gardens, herbaceous borders and huge yew topiaries up close. The house is originally 16th century and features several gorgeous blue and gold sun dials - so check your watch against them and see which are still set to GMT. The gardens are beautiful and kept in stunning condition. Mostly they are comprised of some very distinct and large yew topiaries. The highlight has to be walking up the helter skelter style border to reach the top of The Mound which is adorned with a large yew tree. From there you can take in the views, enjoy the cool shade and benefit from some much needed peace. The rest of the gardens are a mix of wild and wonderful plants and the look must change considerably throughout the year. Don't miss out on walking around the back of the house to catch the very unique sun dial monument. A great day out even if you are not a National Trust member - stunning!

Packwood is another National Trust property right on the doorstep and one that makes me so glad…read morethat we got membership for a Chrismas present. The gardens are the usual lovely mixture of more formal with some stunning yew trees to admire, plus the broader park land. The formal area is very children friendly and there's a lovely little raised mound right at the back that's lots of fun to run up. The pak land has a great walk and there's a large pond/small lake with ducks. It's a good place to explore and there's the usual wooded area to wander around too. The National Trust is so much better at welcoming families and Packwood now has so much more to offer children such as outdoor games and family activities during holidays. Picnics are welcome too. There isn't a cafe or restaurant although you can get coffee and snacks from the reception area. The toilets are in the car park.

I've always maintained that Handsworth Park fails to get the recognition it deserves. It's an oasis…read moreof well-maintained flower displays, a large lake and hilly landscape. It has Grade II listed status, which reflects its importance as a nineteenth century park. There are more facilities than you may expect from a local park, including a leisure centre, children's play area, toilets and Boat House Cafe. The cafe is open throughout the day but closes by the early evening. It overlooks the lake where you could take a boat ride or feed the ducks. There is a large car park that is accessible via Holly Road. The main entrances of the park are via Grove Lane and Hamstead Road. It's also easy to reach from bus routes: the number 16 from the city centre and the outer circle number 11. A beautiful Victorian park worth experiencing for a relaxing stroll!