A KEEN amateur gardener is opening up her garden to raise money for charity next month.

Helen Auty has been holding open garden events at her home in Cheyne Avenue, South Woodford for many years, with this year’s event taking place on August 14.

The 71-year-old is inviting her neighbours to a day of tea, cake and gardening tips as part of the National Garden Scheme, which has raised over £1.5 million for charity since it started in 2001.

Mrs Auty said: “I’ve always loved gardening. When I was at school I told the careers officer I wanted to be a florist because I liked flowers so much.

“I have been working on the garden since we moved in 26 years ago, with the help of my lovely gardener Barry.

“When we got here it was just grass and a few old apple trees, but a lot of work has gone on since then.”

The mother-of-three’s garden sits on the original site of Lord Cheyne’s market garden and her house was the first to be built in Cheyne Avenue in 1926.

She said: “I didn’t know anything about Lord Cheyne but a few years ago I kept digging up bits of old crockery and things.

“So when I asked him my neighbour told me it used to be his market garden.”

Mrs Auty’s last open garden event raised over £700 for the National Garden Scheme, which passes the money on to charities such as Cancer Research UK and the National Care Association.

She added: “We do what we can – I do coffee mornings for Macmillan and after my sister was diagnosed with ovarian cancer I started getting involved with The Eve Appeal.

“You can see me shaking my bucket for them around London, but that’s a different story.

“I hope we get as many people as last year – my neighbours assure me they’re all coming when I bump into them.

“It’s a lovely day out with lots of nice people and you might learn a thing or two about gardening as well.”

Helen Auty lives at 46 Cheyne Avenue, South Woodford. The open garden is on August 14 from 12pm to 5pm.

Entry is £5 for adults and free for children.