An event celebrating Kent’s gardens takes place this weekend, opened by a Great British Bake Off runner-up.

Jane Beedle, a garden designer from Beckenham, who was a contestant on the baking competition last year, will open Great Gardens of Kent at Coolings Garden Centre in Knockholt on Sunday (March 26).

The event celebrates the 90th birthday of the National Garden Scheme, which arranges for gardens across the country to open to the public to raise funds for health and gardening charities, including Macmillan Cancer Support and Marie Curie.

Visitors will be able to meet the garden owners and head gardeners from some of the gardens in Kent which will open for the NGS this year.

The gardens include Hole Park and Riverhill Himalayan Gardens, which opened for the NGS in 1927, the first year of the scheme, and others opening for the first time this year.

Well-known garden writer and broadcaster Peter Seabrook is among the speakers, together with the head gardeners from the Salutation Garden in Sandwich and Godinton House near Ashford.

Visitors will be able to put their gardening problems to a distinguished gardening panel, hosted by Andy Garland of BBC Radio Kent.

The show will be open from 10am to 4pm.

Entry is free but donations will be welcome to support the NGS charities.