For lovers of country-style gardens.

THE North East is home to many delightful gardens and the National Gardens Scheme is an inspirational way of being able to visit glorious and often private gardens while helping to raise money for charity.

Natasha and Alex McEwen began the transformation of their one-acre garden at Fowberry Mains Farmhouse 10 years ago and they now have a magnificent, relaxed country-style garden featuring informal beds with hardy perennials, roses and shrubs and wellstocked mixed herbaceous borders.

They have newly designed gravel beds with grasses and drought tolerant plants and there is a vegetable garden plus a wild area is being developed.

Natasha, the main inspiration for the garden, said: "The main garden is a traditional cottage garden with large herbaceous borders which are at their best over the summer months.

"This is not an instant garden and is not low maintenance. Many plants have been grown from seeds and cuttings. Like all gardens it has been trial and error and there are always new problems that nature and the local wildlife throws at us." She added: "The north Northumberland climate is the biggest challenge from storm force winds to bitter frosts and this year dry, hot conditions." Another big challenge is time. Natasha added: "It has always just been the two of us in the garden doing all the work - our three teenage boys are not interested in helping! Both of us work but the garden is my absolute passion." The garden, which raised almost pounds 5,000 through the National Gardens Scheme last year, is open to the public from 2-6pm tomorrow and on July 19, admission pounds 3. Part of the money raised tomorrow will go to the Macmillan Cancer Support.

Fowberry Mains Farmhouse is three miles east of Wooler and is signed between Wooler & Chatton on the B6348..

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COUNTRY-STYLE Part of the garden at Fowberry Mains Farmhouse.