NATIONAL Gardens Scheme organisers have published the 2001 programme for open days in Herefordshire.

Last year, gardeners in the county helped raise £13,775 by throwing open their grounds to visitors for charity.

The publication of the programme follows the release of one last week for neighbouring Worcestershire.

Early openings in Worcestershire have already been hit by the foot and mouth outbreak and one of the Herefordshire open days has already been cancelled, that at Longacre, Colwall on April 22.

Among the new gardens open this year is Hope End House, Hope End, near Ledbury, a seven-acre spread laid out in 1860 by Loudon and recently reclaimed by the present owners.

Two openings are scheduled for April and two for May. As well as the grounds, there are also six acres of natural bluebell woodland.

Another newcomer is Moors Meadow in Collington, north of Bromyard, an informally planted seven-acre hillside garden. Other new gardens on the list are at Pem- bridge, Hope-under-Dinmore and Hope Mansell. Local dates include:

Sunday, April 22: Caves Folly Nursery, Colwall; Wednesday, April 25 and Friday, April 27: Hope End House, Hope End.

Sunday, May 6: The Bannut, Bringsty; Wednesday, May 23, and Friday, May 25: Hope End House, Hope End; Sunday, May 27: Caves Folly Nursery, Colwall, Longacre, Colwall; Monday, May 28: Kilima Lodge, Colwall.

Sunday, June 17: Dogberry, The Common, Wellington Heath; The View, Ochre Hill, Wellington Heath; July: Sunday, July 15: The Bannut, Bringsty.

Sunday, August 5: Bringsty Gardens; Saturday, August 11: Wyche and Colwall Horticultural Society Show, The Elms School, Colwall Green.

Sunday, October 21: Longacre, Colwall.