IT was blooming lovely in Teignmouth at the weekend with around 450 people flocking to different gardens.

Seven households opened up their garden gates to let visitors have a browse in a bid to raise cash for charity.

A grand total of £4,030 was raised this year, smashing last year’s total of around £2,500.

The flowery event coincided with the National Garden Scheme.

Maureen Fayle, who opened up her garden, said: ‘It is just so good to share something that you really enjoy doing and talk to fellow gardeners.

‘Several people were new to the area and were looking for ideas about what to do with their new gardens.’

It proved to be a popular event with High Tor, one of the locations, borrowing extra chairs from neighbours because they were inundated with visitors.

It was not just residents from the town having a mooch around, a minibus full of green-thumbed residents from Saltash turned up.

‘It was extraordinary to think that over 300 people walked around my garden in two afternoons,’ she added.

MORE than £2,000 was raised in Bishopsteignton at the weekend, with more than 240 people visiting the village’s open garden event.

A total of ten gardens were on display for punters to enjoy. It wasn’t just the gardens that attracted people, there were cakes on offer and live music to entertain visitors at Moors Park.

Tom Hope’s summer house was turned into a teddy bears’ picnic, which proved to be a ‘mammoth event’ with people popping in to have a browse.

Caroline Thornton, the mastermind behind the teddy picnic, said: ‘A big thank you to our village Knit and Tink group and friends who worked so hard knitting them all.

‘It was lovely to see so many children, parents and even grandparents giving the teddies a new home.’

All of the money raised from the event will go to the Church Tower clock face repairs.

Hilary Corlett, Open Gardens organiser, said: ‘St John’s Church is greatly indebted to many folk who worked so hard to make this event such an amazing success – thank you to them all.’

The next Open Gardens will be held in two years’ time.