TRUSTEES of the Stone Lane Gardens in Chagford enjoyed a private viewing of the 'Mythic Garden' sculpture on May 7 before the exhibition opened to the public the following day.

June Ashburner, whose husband, Kenneth, created the garden, said: 'It was very well attended, and a reasonable day.

'There was very little wind, which is all that mattered.'

On the day, there was a raffle which raised £240 for the gardens. There has also been a plant sales area launched, specialising in shade loving and woodland plants. This will allow visitors to take away a souvenir from the gardens.

The exhibition, entitled 'Art in Nature', runs daily from 2pm to 6pm until October 3. It will include a selection of work by West Country artists, placed in the peaceful backdrop of the gardens.

Stone Lane Gardens is a five-acre arboretum that holds important national collections of wild birch and alder trees.

In 2010, the garden was voted 'best garden to visit in the South West' by readers of Gardener's World magazine.

The non-profit organisation conserves and researches birches and alders for the enjoyment and education of the public.

There has been much change at Stone Lane Gardens during the last year, following Kenneth's death last July.

A charity was formed to ensure a safe future for the garden, which is the culmination of decades of hard work by Kenneth, whose passion for birch and alder trees took him around the Northern hemisphere in search of wild species.

For more details, call 01647 231311 or visit http://www.stonelanegardens.com">www.stonelanegardens.com