Stowupland: Couple's open garden on display for the last time

Rita and Roy Cooper's Stowupland garden will be open to the public for the last time on Sunday

A couple who have opened their garden to the public for 26 years are doing it for the last time on Sunday.

Rita and Roy Cooper from Stowupland, Suffolk, who are both in their 80s, have supported local charities by sharing their passion for gardening.

This year the St Elizabeth Hospice in Ipswich will benefit, but Mr Cooper said he "just can't do it [anymore]".

"I wish I could - mind you, come next year, if I'm still ticking, I might change my mind," he said.

The Coopers, who have been married for 66 years, started to build their garden just after they moved in 26 years ago

The Coopers, who have been married for 66 years, started work on the garden just after they moved in when the only thing on the land was a Bramley apple tree.

"We've always liked gardens, we've always liked flowers, so we thought this was the place," Mrs Cooper said.

"I think we built the pond first and then built round that and gradually it got bigger and bigger."

Mr Cooper said it took two or three weeks to build a treehouse

The summerhouse is a shady place in the summer

As well as hundreds of species of flowers, the couple also have a treehouse, an aviary with canaries, greenhouses, a summerhouse and they grow blackberries for the birds.

Mr Cooper said they found that all the people who came to see the garden on their annual open day were "so friendly".

• World record pumpkin seed bears fruit

• Memorial for gardener and author Peggy Cole

• Grant made to promote historic parks and gardens

"They always ask me questions that I don't know [the answer to] because I don't know one flower from the other really," he said.

"I know the basic ones... but there's hundreds of plants in this garden and I just don't know [them all]."

Roy Cooper said they had a woman come in once a fortnight to do the weeding "because once I get down, I can't get up again"

Mr Cooper said he does not know all the species of plant in the garden

He added that maintenance was sometimes "a struggle".

"A lady comes in once a fortnight for a couple of hours to do the weeding, because once I get down I can't get up again, but apart from that I manage," he said.

"Rather than sit indoors I'd rather get out here and try and do something and I think that's what keeps me going.

"But by dinner time I've had it; I have to have a little nap then."

The garden will be open between midday and 17:00 BST on Sunday, 2 July.

Mr Cooper said he would rather be in the garden than sitting indoors