That's why eight-year-old Melanie Owens has nominated her grandmother for the Gazette's Glorious Gardens competition.

The 73-year-old widow has collected the cuttings from plants all over the world to create the colourful array of flowers in her back garden in Elm Grove, South Shields.

Mrs Heron, who has lived at the house for 16 years, said: "Melanie thinks it's like the Garden of Eden, but it's just a garden to me.

"I must admit, I do try to look after it the best I can when I've got time."

But the time and effort Mrs Heron puts into her back garden is made worthwhile by the relaxing days her family enjoy there.

The former manager at Binns in South Shields has always made a point of collecting the cuttings of flowers and plants she likes while on her holidays abroad.

Her flower bed features plants taken from Catalonia, Crete, Corfu and Zante.

She added: "I usually take them from restaurants, but I always ask the manager politely, then when I come back home I plant them and nurture them until they blossom.

"I not only get to grow my favourite flowers, but it saves spending money, that's one of the great things about this garden, it hardly cost a thing."