A NEW entry has gone into the National Gardens Scheme this year ... the tiny, suburban garden of the Griffiths family of Irwell Road, Warrington.

It will be open to the public as part of the fund raising efforts of the scheme, in July.

The garden is the pride and joy of Mrs Diane Griffiths, who discovered the joys that green fingers can bring when she was looking for a means of beating stress.

Diane, a part time nursing sister, was working with terminally ill patients five years ago and needed an antidote to the pressures of her work.

She became what she describes as an "obsessional" gardener.

"I owe my garden a lot" she said. "Gardening is brilliant for relaxing."

While most people might see it as just plain hard work, Diane delights in being out by 6am in the summer. She has more than 80 containers which need water twice a day when the weather is hot.

Diane's garden is divided up with trellises, screens and arches.

"You can't see the whole garden at once. It makes it more interesting. You have to go round corners to see what is there," she said.

Her garden of discovery includes: statues, fountains and gravel paths and a host of cottage garden plants which include: delphiniums, foxgloves, sweet peas, roses, herbs, lavender and lilies.

Diane's garden is so beautiful that one or two people have asked her to design theirs and she is doing this as a small business.

Her husband, Derek, helps her by making features such as trellises and fountains, but is not a keen gardener himself.

Diane's "under gardener" as she calls him is her eight year old son, John, who is deleloping into an enthusiast. Her other two children, Hannah, 13 and Robert 17, see the garden more as a place to sunbathe.

The garden has gone into a new book "The Gardens of England and Wales Open for Charity", published by the National Gardens Scheme.

Diane's garden is open for the scheme on July 16 and she plans other open days for Warrington charities. She did one last year for St John Ambulance.

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