THIS week is a chance to celebrate one of the nation's most popular pastimes...gardening.

National Gardening Day is offers people a chance to escape to a world of colours, scents, and textures.

Gardens can be all shapes and sizes, filled with flowers that bring beauty to the world, or vegetables to feed the family.

Gardens have been around for centuries, whether for producing food or simply cultivating plants and flowers. Some traditions even celebrate the idea that life began in a garden that was a perfect paradise.

The relationship between people and gardens has a rich history, especially when it comes to cultivating plants for food. But as cultures developed over time, plants and flowers have also taken their place in society.

Though gardens have been a part of human history for quite some time, National Gardening Day got its start fairly recently.

The first one was celebrated in 2018, when it was founded by Cool Springs Press, which is a publisher of books on DIY gardening and home improvement.

The purpose of establishing National Gardening Day was to draw attention to the hobby of gardening while encouraging both amateur and professional gardeners to share their knowledge about gardening with the world.

These photos show the importance of gardening to people in Cumbria. We can see a garden being created for children at Eden Valley Hospice, Maryport and Flimby garden winners, and Workington in Bloom prize winners.

What are your thoughts on gardening? Do you enjoy spending time outdoors in amongst the plants and flowers?