Other special garden openings include:

Buckinghamshire: Campden Cottage, 51 Clifton Road, Chesham Bois: With a fine collection of rare plants this ½-acre plantsman's garden has many hellebores in flower during March. Open on Sundays, March 2 and 30 from 2-6pm. Details: 01494 726818.

Cornwall: Ince Castle, Saltash: This 5-acre garden with lovely views over the river Lynher has many spring bulbs. Open on Sunday, March 16 from 2-5pm. Details: 01752 842672.

Cornwall: Southfield, Vicarage Lane, Poundstock: A 3-acre wildlife and woodland garden with beautiful views. Open on Sunday, March 23 from 11-5pm. Details 01288 361233.

Derbyshire: Bluebell Arboretum, Smisby: This 5-acre arboretum was planted in the last 11 years and has many good walks, but bring wellingtons in wet weather! Open on Wednesday and Sunday, March 26 and 30 from 10.30-4.30pm. Details: 01530 413700.

Devon: Glebe Cottage, Warkleigh: Owned by the writer and presenter, Carol Klein, this well known garden has a small woodland garden with hellebores and pulmonarias at their best in March. Open for the NGS on Sundays, March 16 and 30 from 2-5pm. Details: 01769 540554.

Devon: Powderham Castle, Kenton, Exeter: This six acre garden is a delight in the springtime with recent planting in its woodland area. Open on Sundays, March 2, 9, 16 and 23 from 10-4.30pm for the NGS. Details: 01626 890243.

Dorset: Orchard House, 6 Aldridge Road, Ferndown: This ½-acre garden is carefully maintained by its owners and is a mass of spring bulbs at this time of year. Open for a hellebore weekend on Saturday and Sunday, March 8 and 9 from 2-5pm. Details: 01202 873176.

Dorset: The Red House, Daggons Road, Alderholt: This garden has a mass of wild daffodils and also features Camellia reticulata hybrids which are not widely grown in the UK. Open on Sundays, March 23 and 30 from 2-5pm. Details: 01425 652345.

Essex: Writtle College, Writtle: Informal gardens with naturalised spring bulbs. Landscaped gardens designed by the students including a 'Centenary' garden. Open on Sunday, March 23 from 10-4pm. Details: 01245 424200

Gloucestershire: Green Cottage, Lydney: Opening Sundays, March 2, 16, 23 and 30 from 1-4pm, this garden is planted for seasonal interest and to attract wildlife. It features a stream and bog garden with ferns and hellebores. The garden is also open later in the year in May and June.

Herefordshire: Court of Noke, Pembridge: This garden was laid out on an old 10-acre site, centred on a group of canals laid out in 1700. Garden has a good showing of daffodils in spring. Open on Saturday and Sunday, March 29 and 30 from 2-5pm. Details: 01544 388535.

Kent: Great Comp Garden, Comp Lane, Platt: Skilfully designed, this 7-acre beautiful garden features magnolias, hellebores and snowflakes in the spring. Open for the NGS each Sunday in March from 11-5pm. Details: 01732 886154.

Lincolnshire: 21 Chapel Street, Hacconby: A small cottage garden overflowing with plants, including a collection of hellebores and snowdrops. Open on Thursday, March 6 from 2-6pm. Details: 01778 570314.

Norfolk: The Plantation Garden, 4 Earlham Road, Norwich: A Victorian town garden under restoration by volunteers. Remarkable architectural features including 60ft Italianate terrace, Gothic tower and restored rustic bridge. Open on Sunday, March 30 from 2-5pm. Details: 01603 811424.

Nottinghamshire: Netherthorpe House, near Worksop: Fascinating garden, unmanicured, secluded and secretive with many spring bulbs. Open on Sunday, March 23 from 2-5.30pm. Details: 01909 475869.

Nottinghamshire: Woodpecker Cottage, Girton: This interestingly designed garden, with strong displays of both spring and summer planting, welcomes visitors in March on Sunday 30 from 2-5.30pm. Details: 01522 778759.

Staffordshire: Stonehill Quarry Garden, Great Gate, Croxden: 6 acres under continuous development with many spring bulbs and hellebores. Woodland and rock garden. Open on Mondays, March 3,10,17,24,31 from 1-5pm. Details: 01889 507202.

Surrey: Vann, Hambledon: 4½ acres, English Heritage registered garden with a Gertrude Jekyll water garden. Naturalised spring bulbs. Open from Sunday, March 16 to Saturday, March 22 from 10-6pm. Details: 01428 683413.

Sussex: Berri Court, Main Road, Yapton: Intensely planted 2-acre garden of wide interest with heathers and daffodils providing colour at this time of year. Open on Sunday and Monday, March 23 and 24 from 2-6pm. Details: 01243 551663.

Sussex: Champs Hill, Waltham Park Road, Coldwaltham: 27 acres of acid-
loving plants around sandpits and woodland. Open on both Saturday and Sunday, March 15 and 16 from 2-5pm. Details: 01798 831868.

Warwickshire: Elm Close, Binton Road, Welford-on-Avon: Featured in the Good Gardening Guide, this plantsman's garden has a collection of hellebores and spring bulbs to admire when it opens on Sunday, March 9 from 2-5pm. Details: 01789 750793.

Wiltshire: Corsham Court, near Chippenham: Park and gardens laid out by 'Capability' Brown and Repton with many ornamental trees and spring bulbs. Open on Sunday, March 23 from 2-5.30pm. Details: 01249 701610.

Worcestershire: Barnard's Green House, 10 Poolbrook Road, Malvern: 3-acre garden with heather beds, rockery and woodland. The owner is a specialist on dried flowers. Open on Sunday, March 16 from 2-6pm. Details: 01684 574446.

Worcestershire: The Cottage, Broughton Green: This small mature country garden encourages wildlife and is planted for year round interest with spring bulbs to charm the visitor in March. Open on Tuesdays, March 11 and 25 from 11-4.30pm. Details: 01905 391670.

Worcestershire: Little Malvern Court, Little Malvern: 10 acres attached to a former Benedictine Priory with magnificent views over the Severn valley. A water garden feeds into a chain of lakes. Wide range of spring bulbs. Open on Sunday, March 23 from 2-5pm. Details: 01684 892988.

Wales:
Ceredigion and Cardiganshire: Pellorwel, Bwich y Groes: New to the Scheme in 2002, this garden features a cotoneaster knot garden of Celtic design and an ornamental rill backed by a wild garden which leads to a lily pond. Many spring flowers and bulbs. Open on Saturday, March 29 from 11-5pm.
Details: 01239 851226.

Flintshire and Wrexham: Erddig Hall, near Wrexham: Garden has been restored to its C18 formal design, including fruit known to have grown there during the period. Holds a National Collection of Ivy. Open on Sunday, March 23 from 12-4pm. Details: 01978 355314.

Gwynedd: Bryniau, Boduan: Garden created since 1988 on pure sand. Wide range of trees ad shrubs, showing that with a little effort one can grow anything anywhere! Open on Sundays, March 9 and 30 from 11-5pm. Details: 01758 721338.