Glorious garden raises £500k for good causes

The garden spans eight acres

A West Midlands garden has raised more than £500,000 for charities through open days for the public.

John's Garden at Ashwood Nurseries near Kingswinford has been described by the National Garden Scheme as "stunning" and one of the finest private gardens in the UK, with an impressive collection of rare plants, trees and shrubs.

It spans eight acres and was created by nursery owner and four-time Chelsea gold medallist John Massey who opens it to the public every Saturday.

He told the BBC the garden had evolved "with lots and lots of fantastic help".

John Massey is a four-time gold medallist at the Chelsea Flower Show

It is close to the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal and has a pool and rock garden which Mr Massey said he was very fond of.

"There's always been a rock garden in my life ever since I was born and so we've got the pool with the rock garden round it, lots of different conifers; and conifers get so much bad press but I don't think you can have a garden for every day of the year without conifers in them," he said.

The garden opens every Saturday to the public

"Nothing really has been planned but the great thing with plants in the garden is, if you get it wrong you can move them."

He said every day of the year the plants and garden "attracted loads and loads of insects and birds".

He said the money had been raised over what seemed a "long time".

"I'm very proud of the team," he added.

"I'm very, very lucky. I've led a charmed life."

The garden runs along the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal