Roses to rescues, violets to volunteers - take part in RNLI Gardens to help save lives at sea.

From lifesaving lilies to fundraising freesias, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is calling on green fingered supporters to host an RNLI Garden event this summer to help save lives at sea.

The charity is seeking homegrown heroes in Teddington and anyone along Teddington RNLI's patch (Richmond to Molesey) to hold fundraisers in their gardens between July and September.

As the warmer weather lures people outside to make the most of their gardens and back yards, the heat will also be rising for RNLI lifesavers across the UK and Ireland.

Every year, the summer brings a tide of rescues as the RNLI hits its busiest season and with the pandemic keeping more people on home shores, it's likely that unprecedented numbers will visit the coast.

There are several ways to raise funds with an RNLI Gardens event.

If you have a garden in full bloom why not host an RNLI Open Garden? By opening your green spaces to locals, friends and family in exchange for a small donation, you could help our charity to raise vital lifesaving funds.

Whether you have the brightest blooms or the plumpest pumpkin, it could be your time to show off! Alongside hosting an RNLI Gardens event, you could also consider putting on refreshments or home baked goods or selling cut flowers and crops from your vegetable patch.

For people who would like to take part but don't want to open their garden to the public, there's also the opportunity to host an RNLI Garden Party.

An RNLI Garden Party is a private event where the host can invite their friends and family round for a celebration and ask for donations in return. Additional funds could be raised through quizzes, cake sales and other fun fundraising activities.

Funds from hosting a garden party or open garden could provide a valuable lifeline to the RNLI:

£30 could pay for a lifeguard's First Aid training

£33 for a volunteer crew member's sea-going wellies

£100 could help fund water safety sessions for children

To sign up to RNLI Gardens visit RNLI.org/Gardens