Report: Christine Ruth

Five lovely private village gardens in Hightown will be opening to the public for the first time on Sunday May 20th.

Three of the gardens are in a riverside location, one has a courtyard with a quaint sweet shop.

And there's a cottage garden with spectacular views of the Welsh hills, and an amazing collection of tropical plants.

This winter has been extremely difficult for gardens, with weeks of heavy rain followed by a freezing cold spring. So now's the time to go and see how some of the regions dedicated gardeners have coped.

Hightown is located midway between Liverpool and Southport, and will be signposted from the main roads. drivers should put L38 0BU into their satnavs and then follow the yellow National Gardens Scheme signs.

There'll be afternoon teas, plants and art work for sale, and a licensed bar - visitors who can't make it on May 20th will get a second chance to visit on Sunday 8th July.

For more, click here: https://www.ngs.org.uk/find-a-garden/garden/34949/