Committee members were all geared up to help Roger and Christine Russell with the NGS Open Garden Days for charity at Astley.

Five gardens took part including Astley Towne House, Little Larford, Longmore Hill Farmhouse, The White House Dunley and The White House at Astley Burf.

The weekend was a great success and everyone enjoyed the refreshments and plant stall.

Thanks to the planning and untiring efforts of all concerned, the event raised £2,600.

Members have aslo been busy cutting back the overgrown shrubs and generally tidied up the flower beds at the Village Hall Car Park.

The group enjoyed a coach trip to two Shropshire gardens, visiting The Dorothy Clive Garden at Willoughbridge and Hodnet Hall gardens at Market Drayton.

In 1940 Colonel Harry Clive created the wonderful hillside garden from a disused gravel quarry for his wife who had Parkinson's disease.

There were landscape features and network of paths enabling visitors to explore and discover the intimacy and tranquillity of the woodland garden, unusual plants, waterfall, hillside alpine scree, laburnum arch and rose walk.

During the afternoon, the coach moved on to the Hodnet Hall gardens.

The Heber-Percy family have owned the property since the 11th century when the first house was constructed in the parkland.

The serious development by the late Brigadier Heber -Percy began in 1921 when he planned the gardens with a daisy chain of seven glittering pools and lakes, forest trees, woodland walks, flowering shrubs.

The 60-plus acres are today renowned as one of the finest landscapes in the country.

Highlights included the water gardens,and a fairy glen with candelabra primulas, astilbes, iris and huge gunneras. There were well manicured lawns, rare trees, shrubs, peonies, hydrangeas, lavenders, fuschias and roses.

The traditional walled garden was fantastic with espalier fruits, squashes, asparagus and wonderful vegetables.

Stand-up comic Doug Parker and his musical friends provided first-class entertainment at the popular Summer Social in Astley Hall.

With 110 tickets sold for the event, caterers from The Clockhouse Tenbury Wells provided tasty cold meats and salads followed by a selection of delicious deserts.

Derek Walker auctioned off a beautiful range of planted pots and there were also some wonderful raffle prizes To end the evening Derek presented a £500 cheque to John Todd on behalf of Acorns Hospice for terminal ill children.

The next event will be the Annual Show on Saturday, August 17 in Astley and Dunley Village Hall.