The torrential rain which flooded into about 40 houses in the village also gushed through carefully tended gardens, threatening to wash them away.

A year on, most villagers are back in their homes and their gardens have made an amazing recovery.

Now the village is holding an open gardens event later this month so that visitors can see how well some of the gardens have recovered from the floodwater.

The event will be held on Sunday June 29, when 19 gardens, along with the village allotments, will be open to the public from 1 to 5pm.

Among the gardens which will be on view will be that of Jane and Ian Stones, whose home in Coopers Croft was left under 14 inches of water following the floods.

Their garden had been created by their green-fingered son Joshua, now 17, who is an apprentice joiner, when the family moved into the house four years ago. Following the rain they moved out into rented accommodation but at Christmas they were able to return to their home in Leven and found that the garden had escaped the flooding virtually unscathed.

Although the fish in their pond had been washed away, Mrs Stones said they had lost only a handful of plants. "We lost about three plants, the rest have all survived," she said.

The garden is now back to its former glory, complete with pond, flower beds and decking area.

Coincidentally, the torrential rain which caused the floods started at the end of last year's open gardens day in the village.

"The rain started on the Sunday at 3pm and didn't stop. We had fourteen inches of water in our house, and it was waist-deep in the middle of the road," said Mrs Stones, who with her husband is a scout leader in the village.

This year's open gardens event will raise money for repairs to the roof of the Scout Hut.

Entry will be by programme at £2 per person, available on the day from participating gardens, the Scout Hut in West Street, and Holy Trinity Church in South Street.

There will be refreshments and stalls at various points around the village.

alison.morris@yrnltd.co.uk