Toby Buckland among panel

A PAIR of charities will benefit from a share of �600 raised at a Gardeners Question Time in Sidmouth.

A bumper number of people attended the annual event, organised by the Sid Valley Rotary Club and staged by Sidmouth Garden Centre, last Thursday night.

Cash raised from the event will be split between Sheterbox and Devon Air Ambulance.

The enthusiastic audience challenged the panel of experts with searching questions on a variety of gardening topics and problems.

Toby Buckland, who hosted BBC 2’s Gardeners World, explained why he had returned to his roots in Devon to launch a nursery at Powderham Castle.

Topics ranged from plant diseases and their treatment, camellias, roses and fig trees, - to ‘who or what is eating my rhubarb!’

Toby was assisted by Clive Groves, an expert on violets from Bridport.

Steve Martins gave practical advice on a range of gardening themes.

The panel was chaired by the Rotary Club’s own gardening guru, David Jackson.

Sidmouth Garden Centre donated top quality prizes for both the raffle and the competition which helped raise more than �600 to be split between the charities.

Nigel Morris, of the Sid Valley Rotary Club, was delighted with the event.