A HALF-ACRE country garden in Entwistle has been chosen by the Royal Horticultural Society as its Lancashire Garden of the Year.

Gill and Tim Bullough, owners of "Heaselands", in Overshores Road, were delighted to learn their garden had been selected as the most attractive and best looked-after in the whole county.

The couple, who have spent thousands of pounds on transforming their garden from an open field, won two tickets to this week's RHS Tatton Flower Show. Pictures of their garden will be on display in the heritage marquee at the show.

The judges agreed that "not only is the garden skilfully designed but it also shows real flair and imagination and a great deal of horticultural knowledge".

The garden, with beautiful open moorland views, is often open to the public as part of the National Garden Scheme and the couple have already raised thousands of pounds for charity through the scheme.

Gill said: "I had seen an article about the competition so I sent in some photographs of our garden which is densely planted and very beautiful. I have received a letter now confirming that it has been selected as the Garden of the Year for Lancashire, as part of the Tatton Flower Show.

"I didn't think we had a chance. The garden is nice but there are a lot of others that are really nice. It's heaving with plants.

"We have a scented country garden and pond, water features, gravel gardens, arbours, pergolas, a summerhouse, many rare and unusual perennials, and 120 clematis.

"We have lived here for 30 years but we wanted the children to have somewhere to play originally.

It's nice to know the hard work has paid off."

The garden was open to the public again at the weekend and all proceeds from the entry fee will go to the Christie Hospital, Manchester, for prostate cancer research.