Top plantswoman Sylvia Nunn spent the worst winter for years working on a problem area in her Staffordshire garden – and she will be showing off the newly landscaped section for the first time in her charity opening on Sunday.

Sylvia, who was featured on BBC Gardeners’ World last year, said that the weather had been a huge problem when she was shifting barrowloads of subsoil and replacing it with fresh soil at Lilac Cottage, in Gentleshaw, near Rugeley.

“I battled with the elements to prepare the site for hard landscaping on a problem area I have wanted to tackle for years.,” she said.

“It was a raised lawn area that has been so difficult to mow I used to slip, but it was crying out for something to be done because of its views over the Trent Valley,” explained Sylvia.

“Now I have a new seating area where I can relax with a Pimms or perhaps a G&T or even possibly a cup of tea.”

Needless to say Sylvia, who is famous for her emphasis on colour, form and texturing, has planted it up well and is waiting for the public’s response.

She added: “I am so glad that the area I call The Haven is ready and planted up nicely.”

It is a big weekend in Staffordshire for the National Gardens Scheme because as well as Sylvia there are four other gardening families opening their gates for the scheme’s Yellow Book list of open gardens.

Joyce Williams at Westacres, Prestood, near Stourbridge, will also open to help the Mary Stevens Hospice – an opening which was postponed after last month’s rainstorms.

And in the Bewdley area, Gladderbrook Farm and High Bank are open, both with fine plant collections and interesting trees.

By Ken Tudor

OPEN GARDENS THIS WEEKEND

• Westacres, Wolverhampton Road, Prestwood. Open Sunday, 11-5pm. £2.50 for Mary Stevens Hospice.
• Lilac Cottage, Gentleshaw, near Rugeley. Sunday, 1.30-5pm. £3, children free.
• The Secret Garden, Coley Grove, Little Haywood, near Stafford. Sunday 11-5pm. £3, children free.
• Tanglewood Cottage, Crossheads, Colwich, near Stafford. Sunday 11-5pm. £3, children free.
• Coley Cottage, Coley Lane, Little Haywood. Sunday 2-5pm. £2.50, children free.
• Castle Bromwich Garden, Chester Road, Castle Bromwich,. Open Sunday 1.30-5.30pm. £3.50, children 50p.
• Moseley Gardens – centred on Grove Avenue, Moseley, Birmingham, open Sunday 2-6pm. £.3.50, children free.
• Gladderbrook Farm, Heightington, Bewdley, open Sunday 12-5pm. £3, children free.
• High Bank, Cleobury Road, Bewdley – open Sunday 11-5pm. £2.50, children free.