A KIND-HEARTED gardener who has raised some £100,000 for charities welcomed 1,200 guests to a special garden trail.

Channel 4 presenter Juliet Sargeant opened the seventh mayor’s open gardens in Seaford to be organised by Geoff Stonebanks on Sunday.

Mr Stonebanks, who attended the Royal Garden Party earlier in the week, was thrilled with the public response for the event.

He said: “I was quite surprised that there were more than 1,200 individual garden visits through the day.

“There were nine gardens open throughout the town, and the figure was the highest number in the seven years I have been organising the trail.

“I had feared the worst because of the hot temperatures.

“In this weather people usually go to the beach rather than visit gardens, but I was thrilled.”

The trail raised £2,567 for Councillor Linda Wallraven’s chosen charities, Teddy Treats and the Seaford Museum and Heritage Society.

The mayor said: “I would like to thank everyone involved in helping to make this fantastic amount of money for my mayoral charities.

“We wouldn’t have had a successful day without the owners of the nine gardens in the trail, the helpers and the general public who supported us.

“A special thank you has to go to Geoff for his organisation and making sure everyone has everything they need.

“A a lot of hard work goes on behind the scenes before and after the event.

“It was lovely to meet Juliet Sargeant who kindly officially opened the trail.

“The day was perfect as I visited all nine gardens and they were very different and beautiful,

“I ended the day with ideas for my own garden and a few extra plants.”

Four of the gardens served homemade tea and cakes and more than £400 was raised through sales.

One resident, Ernie Arnold, sold off vintage tools which had belonged to his father for charity.

Mr Stonebanks is opening his garden, Driftwood at Bishopstone in Seaford, for The Association of Carers on Saturday from 1pm to 5pm.

On Tuesday he will be welcoming visitors for the National Garden Scheme from 11am until 5pm.

He said: “I enjoy opening my garden for charity and I hope that the public support us on Saturday and then again on Tuesday.

“I am always very grateful to people who come along and support us, and of course always for a very good cause.

“Driftwood has just been shortlisted in the 2018 Lewes District Business Awards as the Tourist Destination of the Year, and we are really excited by this.”

Full details of the openings can be found at www.driftwoodbysea.co.uk