Listed below are gardens, county by county, that offer the opportunity to enjoy the delights of garden visiting as spring comes closer.

The Scheme's famous 'Yellow Book' ('Gardens of England and Wales Open for Charity 2004') will be published in late February, price £5.99 or £7.99 incl p&p via the NGS website: www.ngs.org.uk, which lists all the openings throughout the year in support of the Scheme's nursing, gardening and caring charities.

Cheshire & Wirral:
Tulip Tree Cottage, 85 Warmingham Road, Coppenhall:
Colourful spring bulbs and hellebores can be seen at this 2/3-acre
plantsman's garden when it opens on Sunday, February 22 from 11-3pm.
Details: 01270 582030.

Denbighshire & Colwyn:
Plas Draw, Llangynhafal:
Mature woodland and pools; drifts of snowdrops in the beauty of the Vale of
Clwyd. 14-acre park with specimen trees and formal planting. Opening on
Sunday, February 8 from 1.30-4pm. Details: 01824 704709.

Devon:
Little Cumbre, 145 Pennsylvania Road, Exeter:
½ acre formal garden with ½ acre woodland and extensive views over Dartmoor
and the Exe estuary. Spectacular winter hellebores and snowdrops. Opening
on Sundays, February 1, 8 and15 from 1-4pm.

Dorset:
Mews Cottage, Portland:
The knowledgeable owners enjoy collecting collections of plants. Spring
sees hellebores, snowdrops and other bulbs. Sunday, February 29 from 2-5pm.
Details: 01305 820377.

Welcome Thatch, Witchampton:
Created around a listed thatched cottage (not open) as a cottage garden for
the C21 combining traditional with modern planting. Stream and pool;
potager; wildlife pond and prairie garden. Unusual plants and hellebores.
Opening on Saturday and Sunday, February 28 and 29 from 1-4pm. Details:
01258 840894.

Gloucestershire North & Central:
Cinderdine Cottage, Dymock:
Informal country garden for all seasons, featuring well known, unusual
snowdrop and hellebore collections. Opening on Sundays, February 8 and 15
from 2-4pm. Details: 01531 890265.

Green Cottage, Lydney:
1¼ acres planted for seasonal interest and wildlife. Woodland bank planted
with ferns, hellebores, daphnes and dicentras. Opening on Sunday, February
29 from 1-4pm.

The Old Rectory, Duntisbourne Rous:
1½-acre Cotswold family garden. Winter flowers, 100+ auriculas under cover.
Opening Monday, February 16 from 11-5pm. Details: by written appt only or
email: mary@keengardener.com

Tinpenny Farm, Fiddington:
Amazing collection of plants including hellebores. Do not expect a weed-
free zone! But to see what can be achieved with a wind-swept site on
impenetrable clay. Opening on Sunday, February 15 from 12-5pm. Details:
01684 292668.

Trench Hill, Sheepscombe:
Plantings of spring bulbs, woodland walk, 2 small ponds, waterfall and
larger conservation pond. Run on organic principles. Opening on Sundays,
February 8 and 15 from 11-5pm. Details: 01452 814306.

Gwynedd:
Penrhyn Castle, Bangor:
Large grounds including Victorian walled garden; fine trees, shrubs, wild
garden, good views. Opening Saturday, February 7 from 12-4pm. Details:
01248 353084.

Hampshire:
Little Court, Crawley, nr Winchester:
1½-acre, walled old country garden of great tranquillity. Carpets of spring
bulbs; hellebores. Opening on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, 15, 16 and 17
February from 2-5.30pm. Details: 01962 776365.

The White Cottage, Beech, Alton:
1-acre chalk garden with a wide range of shrubs and plants; colourful
herbaceous borders, hellebores and bulbs. Opening on Sunday, February 22
from 11-4pm. Details: 01420 89355.

Herefordshire:
Ivy Croft, Ivington Green, Leominster:
Garden created since 1997. 4 acres of rich grassland. Plant lovers' garden
designed for all-yr interest. Collections of snowdrops. Opening on
Thursdays, 5, 12, 19 and 26 February from 9-1pm and 2-4pm. Details: 01568
720344.

Lancashire, Merseyside & Greater Manchester:
Weeping Ash, Glazebury:
2-acre garden on heavy soil. Year round interest. Broad sweep of lawn gives
way to secret areas with pools, and island beds. Opening on Sunday,
February 22 from 11-4.30pm. Details: 01942 266303/266300.

Lincolnshire:
21 Chapel Street, Hacconby, Bourne:
Cottage garden overflowing with plants for year round interest. Early
opening for hellebores and snowdrop collection on Saturday and Sunday, 21
and 22 February from 11-5pm. Details: 01778 570314.

Little Ponton Hall, Grantham:
3 to 4-acre garden. Stream with spring garden; bulbs and river walk with
massed snowdrops and aconites. Saturday and Sunday, 14 and 15 February from
11-4pm.

London:
Myddelton House Gardens, Enfield:
4 acres of gardens feature diverse and unusual plants. Large pond with
terrace, conservatory and interesting historical artefacts. Open on Sunday,
February 29 from 10-3pm.Details: 01992 702200.

Northamptonshire:
79 Church Street, Burton Latimer:
Cottage garden which has been developed over last 5 years, opening
especially for its snowdrop collection and early spring bulbs. Over 50
cultivars of snowdrops. Saturday, 14 February from 12-5pm. Details: 01536
724410.

Dolphins, Great Harrowden:
A 2-acre country garden opening early in the year for you to see the
snowdrops and hellebores. Sunday, February 29 from 10-4pm.

Oxfordshire:
Waterperry Gardens, Wheatley:
8-acre garden featuring shrub, herbaceous borders, rock and alpine gardens
and formal garden. Saturday and Sunday, 14 and 15 February from 9-5.30pm.
Details: 01844 339254, Robert Jacobs.

Suffolk:
Gable House, Redisham:
1-acre garden. Visitors can see over 200 varieties of snowdrops together
with cyclamen, hellebores and other early flowering bulbs. Sunday, February
22 from 11-4pm. Details: 01502 575298.

Treaclebenders, Drinkstone:
Plantsman's garden of about 1 acre. Year round colour, including many
winter and spring bulbs and winter cyclamen. Saturday, February 14 from 11-
4pm. Details: 01449 736226.

Surrey:
Gatton Park, Reigate:
New to the Scheme. Hidden gardens within historic 'Capability' Brown
parkland. Dramatic 'Pulham' rock garden, walled gardens and lakeside
trail. Opening on Sunday, 15 February from 10-3pm and Wednesday February 18
from 12-3pm. Details: 01737 649068.

Sussex:
Mitchmere Farm, Stoughton:
1½-acre garden started in 1991 in lovely downland position. Drifts of
snowdrops and crocuses. Small collection of special snowdrops. New small
formal kitchen garden. Wellies strongly advised! Opening on Sundays, 8 and
15 February and Tuesday, 10 February from 11-4pm.

Warwickshire & the West Midlands:
Ragley Hall Gardens, Alcester:
20 acres of gardens consisting of mature woodland with a variety of formal
and managed features including the mead where snake's head fritillaries,
orchids and other wild species naturalise. Opening on Sunday, 22 February
from 11-3pm. Details: 01789 762090.

University of Birmingham Botanic Garden at Winterbourne, Edgbaston:
6 acres of themed gardens including alpine troughs and scree garden. Dell
garden with stepping stones. Nut walk tunnel. Opening on Tuesdays, 27
January and 24 February from 11-4pm. Details: 0121 414 3832.

Wiltshire:
Lacock Abbey Gardens, Chippenham:
Victorian woodland garden. Display of early spring flowers with carpets of
aconites, snowdrops, crocuses and daffodils. Saturdays and Sundays February
21, 22, 28 and 29 from 11-5pm. Details: 01249 730141, Karen Gilbert.

Lower House, Whiteparish:
Informal garden of 1 acre containing part of National Collection of
hellebores. Opening on Sunday, February 22 from 2-4pm. Details: 01794
884306.

The Old Rectory, Ham :
4-acre garden including wide expanse of lawn. Drifts of bulbs and hellebore
border are features in early spring. Opening on Sunday, February 22 from 2-
5pm.

Worcestershire:
Dial Park, Chaddesley Corbett:
Approx 3/4-acre garden developed since 1990. Large collection of snowdrops
and other spring bulbs. Opening on Wednesday and Thursday, February 11 and
12 from 11-4pm. Details: 01562 777451.