Adding yet another dose of splendid intrigue to an already mightily lovely park is the Palm House…read more A Victorian temple to verdure, the greenhouse was built in 1896 and served strutting park-goers until that pesky Second World War, when the fear of moonlight bouncing off the glass and into the eyes of Luftwaffe pilots meant the whole thing was slopped over with grey and green paint. It didn't work. A bomb landing nearby blasted the glass out in 1941 and it wasn't re-glazed for nine years afterwards. Closed in the 80s amid structural fears, the house was ultimately saved following the Council's 'Sponsor a Pane' programme. Now it stands in a striking location, viewable from even more points since the park's rejuvenation when some trees were lopped down to allow the palm house to be seen from everywhere.

As if Sefton Park itself wasn't good enough, they have a well renovated Palm House located just ten…read moreminutes away from the city centre and away from all the hustle and bustle. Glittering in the park, this octagonal grade II listed, three tiered Victorian glasshouse is quite a showboat and open throughout the year. It is a perfect place to relax amongst the exotic plants from around the world and statues of naturalists and explorers. You can even time your visit to enjoy the programme of events for all ages. Sefton Park Palm House is also available for private and corporate hire therefore it would be ideal to celebrate a special occasion. Opening times vary throughout the whole year and it is best to check the website for details. Entry is free for all and I would definitely recommend a visit if it's your first time.

Beautiful gardens quite a lot to see, didn't have time to see everything as you would expect for a…read moreBotanical Garden.

Sheffield is filled with nothing but the architecture beauty to the gorgeousness of natures. The…read moreparks and museums are free. Same applies for the botanical garden. I just love going to botanical gardens to look at what each city preserves or keeps in their garden, many will have other plants around the world. There is a water fountain that leads through the aisle to the green house. Weddings are held here and I can visualize the beauty of it. The green house is bigger than I thought it'll be when I was inside. There is also a bear pit, reminds me of The Gladiator. It is very beautiful and will have to come back one day again when it is warmer. Sheffield will always have a special place in my heart.

Somebody give me some air. I need to roam free, be at one with my inner wolf and spread my wings…read more Enough caffeine already, I think I need some glorious outdoor openness and Harlow Carr is just the ticket. This is a premiere place for garden lovers' and people who just love beautiful spaces. The Royal Horticultural Society knows how to craft a garden or two and this is no exception. It's like a not so secret Secret Garden with delectable flower displays, a mass of planting and thoughtful and provoking gardening techniques. And this is someone infusing who manages to kill cacti. They also try to blend in to the surroundings and have more than a passing consideration for the environment and how to sustain it. The relatively new Alpine Zone introduces loads of species to the visitor and they also have an Education Centre where you can find out about a wealth of plant related topics. Also check out the website regularly to see what events are heading to the centre. A real gem and an absolute must for anyone who has even stepped into a garden, let alone adores them.

These are beautiful gardens to visit. Crocus & Snowdrops, Rhododendrons & Camelias, Streams &…read moreWaterfalls with masses of Candelabra Primula, colourful herbaceous borders, Alpine houses, wonderful metal Scuptures and more. Easy to spend a day here, make sure you take the camera & comfortable shoes !! Plenty of benches dotted about. There is a smashing tea rooms with great selection of cakesand an area for more substantial meals. An interesting gift shop, plant centre and a Cake & Chocolate shop. It does get busy particularly in the tea rooms so try & visit off peak if you can. Open all day except Christmas. Around £6.50 entrance fee.

Ness Botanic Gardens is a treasure for garden lovers. The outstanding collections of seasonal…read moreflowers, trees and shrubs ensure there is always something of beauty and interest to enjoy. Amongst their colourful displays is breathtaking heather, rock, water and herb gardens to add to the lush surroundings. This is simply a heavenly place for those who love nature at its purest. There is now also a new visitor centre and 'Four Seasons' café with a toddlers playground. In addition, they offer seasonal event programmes, pre-booked guided tours, civil wedding and family functions so it is quite a versatile venue. The gardens are open daily (apart from Christmas Day and Boxing Day), February to October 10am-5pm and November to January 10am-4.30pm.

These amazing gardens were the creation of a cotton merchant, Arthur Bully over 110 years ago. The…read moregardens were always open to the public but after his death they were presented to the University. The garden introduced hundreds of new plants to Britain and took up to 48 gardeners to manage the 46 acres. As you might expect, the University has a focus on education and research but a few years ago opened a visitor centre with café, shop, lecture room and exhibition space. The airy visitor centre cost £2m and is an attractive wooden building. The café serves some tasty cakes and snacks. Some of the many plants grown on site are available to purchase from the nursery. The visitor centre is free to visit but the gardens cost £6.50 for adults.

The National Wildflower Centre is an award winning independent charity funded through public…read moresupport. They run a seasonal visitor attraction that showcases wildflowers in a natural environment with lots of ideas that you can replicate at home. As well as this, they provide information and raise awareness about the importance of wildflowers and encourage people to learn about the creation and management of new wildflower habitats (which they call creative conservation). The centre has a mix of refurbished old buildings and new architecture, with courtyards and a walled garden demonstration space where they show seasonal displays of wildflowers. As well as this, there is plenty for children to do such as explore woodland, find minibeasts and burn off some energy on their climbing wall and play equipment. For a plantastic day out, choose the National Wildflower Centre in Knowsley!

Like flowers? Of course you do, you'd have to be the ultimate miserablist not to like flowers…read more Heck, Morrissey's a miserablist and even he likes to swing a bouquet around onstage. So if Moz is in need of more blooms to enhance his performance, you might want to point him in this direction. Certainly the place to appreciate a good plant, the National Wildflower Centre is the work of registered charity Landlife, so get ready to feel good about yourself. A great visitor attraction, the idea behind the centre is to allow people to enjoy the habitats they've created for wildflowers, raise awareness of the importance of foliage and enable wildlife to thrive and multiply. Birds, bugs and animals alike have found the environment perfect for settling down since the centre opened almost ten years ago, and the fact that it's part of Victorian Court Hey Park, a 35 acre attraction in itself, speaks very highly for it. A peaceful ambience and a superb family environment, it's well worth taking the bus ride out of the city centre for. Not only is it good for sightseers, there are also unique conference facilities available if you fancy holding an event with a little bit of pizzazz. You'd have to be very hard of heart not to be inspired by this place, there's no other word for it - it's truly gorgeous. Any money the centre raises goes to the charity so just by visiting you'll certainly make a difference. Do take the time to stop and smell the roses.

Shugborough is a charming estate with a lively house. We came here often in my childhood, and it…read morehas been well kept the grounds house events such as classic car shows and charming sculpture walks. The courtyard host coffee shops and ice cream, and I live the bridges. The passing bridge is still a favourite for pooh sticks even though I'm a fully grown woman. Nice place, great for a picnic too. PS, its a cracking place to collect conkers!

Shugborough Hall is a National Trust Property located in Stafford. The location and the Christmas…read moremarket event they were holding on the weekend made it the perfect place for the annual Jewellery Quarter residents trip (yes, I am of an age that I go on Coach trips). I have vague memories of maybe visiting this place in the depths of time gone by, although with most National Trust properties - they are much of a muchness. Once you've seen one stately home you kinda get the gist. As you would expect, it's pretty impressive. The driveway must be nearly a mile long to get to the property (and is a little dicey, so be prepared to close your eyes if you're an insecure passenger) and the place is surrounded by rolling green fields. I would imagine in the summer you might see deer (or at least cattle) strolling around as you approach the house. The house itself is pretty magnificent. Some of it's buildings are constructed in what I imagine to be sandstone and the main building is bright white and looks very well kept. There is plenty of parking to be had on site and as well as the house there are gorgeous gardens, a tea room a gift shop and all of the facilities you would expect from a National Trust property. The Christmas event is wonderful. As well as numerous market stalls under cover at the front of the building with lots of craft and local produce, there was live music and food being served all through the day. Once we had gotten in to the market, we grabbed a hot food and a warm drink and began to plan our day. The market had a great selection of gifts to be had! Everything from handmade toys, jewellery, clothing and food was on offer for very reasonable prices. We picked up some great presents (and a little something for me, of course) and had a really nice time chatting to the stall holders who explained how everything was made and where ingredients etc were sourced from. The inside of Shugborough had been specially with a "Christmas by candlelight" theme. Only the downstairs was open (apparently the upstairs is open normally) and all of the rooms were decorated with gorgeous bouquets of flowers, candles and decked out with Christmas trinkets. The staff were also wearing the clothing of the era and were on hand to answer any questions about the house, the history or anything in the rooms. Entrance for an adult to get into both the hall and the market was £8 in advance. I felt this was a fair price to have a look around the house, the gardens and the markets. Obviously a lot of effort goes into making everything look just right for the occasion and it felt very festive. I would recommend a visit to Shugborough during the Christmas event or at any point in the year if you're a fan of stately homes. The gardens must look magnificent in the Summer when everything is in bloom, but even in winter we had a lovely wander around admiring them. I would recommend the hall as a nice afternoon out for the family.

Our family love it here. Something for everyone. Kids love the ice cream, and we like wandering…read morearound the garden centre. Good place to kill a few hours on a wet afternoon.

Great place to go for lunch - pleasant walk around the lake to the cafe. Prefect spot outside on a…read moresunny day! Take my Nan here most Tuesday's. The staff are really friendly and the food is really good. My favourite is the cheese and bacon staffordshire oatcakes (like savoury pancakes). Although everything else is good too.