MARION SAUVEBOIS gets a shock or two as she is treated to a tour around the private walled garden at Bowood House

WE have arrived at our destination: a border carpeted with dahlias, sunflowers and a smattering of tiny golden buds. "That's the electric daisies," tour guide Jane Milligan gestures to the cluster. We huddle down to inspect Bowood's private walled garden's sparky 'attraction'. No bigger than lemon sherbets, the seemingly innocuous yellow blooms at our feet are not much to look at. But these electric daisies haven't earned their name for their sparkling hue - they pack a punch, or so Jane assures me.

"If you bite it you get hit by a jolt of electricity. It's like eating a 9V popping candy," she warns with a knowing smile.

Any lingering buzz on the tongue is thankfully stamped out by the sweet release of mild local anaesthesia; in other words paralysing numbness.

If I had been under the impression before that Bowood's former kitchen garden was going to be a carbon copy of the landscaped parkland Capability Brown so craftily designed, I was set straight.

Except perhaps for zipping up the old carriage path cutting through it, it seems he never touched the walled garden - what with the more pressing business of knocking into shape the thousands of acres surrounding it, damning two streams to form a lake, planting an arboretum and sprinkling follies across the grounds.

The four-acre garden with its riot of colour and unusual flower specimens, is a different proposition altogether; one with character and quirks in spades and a distinct homey feel despite the imposing pile flanking it.

Until 2011, when it was finally unveiled to curious visitors for guided tours, the former kitchen garden nestled within 15ft high walls, had been strictly off limits - its owners the 9th Marquis and Marchioness of Lansdowne's last bastion of privacy.

To give those who have travelled far a wide a taste of Brown’s artistry, feat of engineering, and the grounds’ striking features, the tour includes a wander round the formal Italian style terraces, immaculate lawns, arboretum and, to finish with a flourish, Hamilton's Cascade.

But the main event is undoubtedly the secluded garden, or to be exact, four one-acre gardens; each with its own theme or purpose and concealed behind a “secret door.”

"Letting people in is like a ritual," smiles Jane conspiratorially.

Every last inch, from the geometrical borders to the wildflower patch, is the handiwork of Bowood’s garden consultant Rosie Abel Smith and head gardener David Glass. Their broad brief when they both hopped on board a few years ago was to rejuvenate the walled garden.

Visitors are immediately welcomed by eye-catching pink, purple and oranges blooms - from roses and lavender, to peonies and honeysuckle – and, in spring, a wisteria canopy crowning the entrance. From the off the blend of traditional and eccentric touches is quite clear.

Turning left, comes the first of many surprises: a swimming pool, filled to the brim, and built circa 1950, Jane informs me.

"It so different from a National Trust garden," explains Jane, who took her first tour group around the private plots three years ago. "You can see it's really somebody's garden. It's a home. This is a reflection of the Lansdownes and, here, you get an insight into their character, and their taste, in the way they decided to plant everything. It's very traditional and contemporary at the same time."

Next is the East border with its vibrant hot pink flowers, bathed in the mellow sunshine. Across is the croquet lawn fringed by 12 varieties of apple trees, and at the right time of year, clumps of multi-coloured tulips. Then it is time for a snoop around the cuttings garden, once a pony paddock. Circling the chicken and call duck enclosure, the glasshouses come into view. Like the vegetable patch further along the path - where strawberries tempt peckish walkers and ornamental flowers, including fragrant curry plants and the peculiar electric daisies, are cultivated - it is Lady Lansdowne's own personal picking ground. The flowers are collected and arranged into bunches around the house and occasionally find their way into the nearby hotel.

"It's quite a romantic place," adds Jane. "It's a walled garden but it flows from one to the other. It’s very enchanting."

The final stop is the wildflower garden, inspired by the cornflower and poppy meadow planted around the Olympic stadium back in 2012.

After weaving our way through the arboretum down to the Cascade, we reluctantly head up the hill, towards the house. Jane throws one last glance back at the now securely locked walled garden door.

"I love to show off the garden," she says longingly. "I've got delusions of grandeur working here."

Guided tours will be taking place on Wednesday, September 14 and Wednesday, October 12. Tickets are £32 per person. Each lasts two and half hours and includes a two-course lunch in the House Restaurant. To join the tours or book your own group for a private visit any day, go to www.bowood.org or call 01249 810961.