For four years Philip and Christine Greenacre opened up their two-acre garden in Rushall, near Diss, to the public as part of the National Garden Scheme. But in 2015 Mr Greenacre was diagnosed with prostate cancer and they were unable to take part that year.
Now, to say thank you to the staff that helped him through his battle with the disease, the Greenacres will once again open their garden at Furze House to raise money for the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital. Mr Greenacre said: 'The hospital has been fantastic to us. I cannot thank them enough.
'Everybody, from the doctors to the staff on the front desk – they could not do enough for us.
'It was hard, there is no getting away from that, but my treatment by the staff at the hospital was nothing short of exceptional. Everyone always had a smile and was always positive. So now I will continue to raise money for them.'
Mr Greenacre, 71, said he displayed no symptoms but was persistently asked by his daughters to get a blood test to check for prostate cancer as they had known men who had been diagnosed with it.
He said: 'I was lucky because I had an aggressive form of the cancer but it was caught early. I showed no symptoms. If it wasn't for my daughters wearing me down I wouldn't have got tested. I would tell people to get tested.'
The couple were former arable, pig and chicken farmers and moved into Furze House in 2008.
Their garden has evolved from a lawn, trees and four herbaceous beds to more than 50 beds, perennials and unusual and rare plants from around Britain and Europe.
Mrs Greenacre said: 'We have always wanted to have a garden.
'The hospital said a bit of exercise is good for cancer patients, so Phillip would come out and do a little bit
and then he would sit with a
coffee and watch me do the gardening.'
Furze House will be open over the weekends of Saturday, June 4, to Monday, June 6, and Saturday, August 20, to Monday, August 22, from 10am to 5pm. Entry is £3.50 for adults and children get in free. Light refreshments are available and dogs on leads are welcome To set up a private viewing, contact the Greenacres on 01379 852375 or email philipgreenacre@hotmail.co.uk
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here