Binfield heath open garden 270525

A GROUP of villagers opened their gardens to the public and raised more than £3,000 for charity.

The six residents of Binfield Heath invited visitors to admire their plots on Sunday when it was warm and sunny.

Other villages sold homemade cakes and baked goods as well as tea and coffee.

Jane Packham, one of four residents of Kiln Lane who took part in the fundraiser, said: “We opened the gardens at 2pm and there was a steady stream of people right the way through. We were blessed with the weather.”

She said that her garden had a lot of shrubs to deter deer.

Mrs Packham said: “We have muntjacs and we had seven roe deer in the garden last week.

“They can be very destructive, so we try put things in that they don’t like.”

Neighbour Nick Fairbrother was proud that his liriodendron tulipifera — a tulip tree — was in flower. The large flowers were tulip-shaped and yellowish-green with orange markings inside.

Mr Fairbrother planted the tree in 1981 in his next-door neighbour’s garden and when she died he moved to her house.

He said: “It has been blooming for 15 years. The flowers last for about a month.

“It drops everything in late September or October but then it comes back stronger each year. We had one year when it didn’t flower for some reason.”

Mr Fairbrother added: “Everybody who visits loves gardens, so they enjoy themselves and it was lovely to see so many people.” The visitors included Trudi Franklin, Liz Parham and Gill Last, from Sonning Common, who are all keen gardeners hoping to pick up tips.

Ms Franklin called the well-maintained lawn at villager Neil George’s house “magnificent” and said she liked the casual nature of his planting.

“I also love the vegetable garden and I adore the swing,” she said.

“It’s amazing what you can do with a compact garden. This isn’t a huge space but he has made it very interesting with almost gardens within gardens.”

Ms Last said: “It has got a bit of everything. As you come through the side of the house and look at the green, you get a very relaxing feeling.

“He has built a wall mount out of a pallet with lots of pansy pots in it and I’ve taken a photo of that because I think it’s really good.” James and Kate Elliott, who live in Binfield Heath, visited the gardens with their daughters, Jess, eight, and Molly, six, along with Sarah Mills and her daughter Ava Joyce, seven.

Mrs Elliott said: “It’s interesting to see what people do differently with all the shapes and sizes.”

Ms Mills liked many of the water features and ponds she had seen. She said: “Having the sound of trickling water is nice. Inspiration-wise, it’s incredible.”

Eirlys Hughs, who served tea and coffee, said villagers were very generous in providing baked goods. “This has brought the community together,” she said. “Everybody has stepped forward and have done their bit and all the gardens looked amazing.”

The event raised £3,300 for the Thames Valley Air Ambulance, which provides critical care to residents in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire and is based in Benson.

The villagers’ aim was to raise enough money to fund the air ambulance for one hour.