Green fingered Tom opens cottage garden for charity

A keen horticulturist opened his picturesque countryside garden for visitors to raise money for a good cause.

Tom Poutney, the owner of Offcot in Kynaston, near Kinnerley, Oswestry, opened up the beautiful cottage's half an acre garden for guests, to raise money for the National Garden Scheme.

The scheme raises money for nursing charities by selling tickets to the some of the country's most scenic spots.

Tom Pountney has opened his garden in Kynaston, Oswestry for the NGS. Lily O'Neill 6 and Molly Mason 2 from Shropshire

Tom, who studied horticulture and now works at at Love2Stay as the head groundsman, said it was great to open up his garden to visitors this past week.

"Gardening has been my hobby since I was a very young age," he explained.

"I moved into the house six years ago and the actual garden itself was just a field basically, the grass was over two feet long.

Tom Pountney has opened his garden in Kynaston, Oswestry for the NGS. Chatting to: Ann Arthur and Chloe Roberts from Weston Rhyn and Gobowen

"The garden itself is five years old now as I spent the first year just clearing it out really. I studied in horticulture at Pershore College and I now work at Love2Stay as the head groundsman.

"I held an open garden last year for the first time and it was great, so I wanted to do it again. We were quite restricted last year as we could only have ten people in per hour.

Tom Pountney has opened his garden in Kynaston, Oswestry for the NGS

"So this year was nicer as the garden is half an acre so a decent size, so I could allow more people in.

"I live in the middle of the country really and have three neighbours with no one really overlooking it, so it's nice to have it open and let other people enjoy it and raise money for charity as well."