THE National Garden Scheme is looking forward to some very special events this month starting with a new addition to its portfolio at Lower Slaughter, near Stow-on-the-Wold.

Senior Gardener George Leonte with his team have been joined for the last two years by award winning gardener Jane Moore to develop the gardens at The Slaughters Manor House and Country Inn.

Jane is group head gardener for Andrew Brownsword Hotels. She is developing and redesigning several of these gardens to bring them up to the same high standards as The Bath Priory where she has worked as head gardener since 2003.

A spokesman said: "Work at Lower Slaughter is very much an ongoing project. Jane and George are full of plans and ideas for these beautiful properties and are only limited by time and budget. It's a case of 'watch this space!'"

The gardens will be open today (Thursday) from 2pm until 5pm.

Kiftsgate Court in Chipping Campden, GL55 6LN is celebrating the centenary of the inception of the garden thisyear and continuing with the theme of lady gardeners this is the creation of three generations of women gardeners.

Kiftsgate Court will open for National Garden Scheme on Monday, April 9, (2pm-5pm) .

To coincide with this local author and journalist Vanessa Berridge is publishing a history of the garden: Kiftsgate Court Gardens: Three Generations of Women Gardeners (Merrell Publishing) on April 11.

For details, call 01386 438777 or email info@kiftsgate.co.uk.

In her role as county organiser for Gloucestershire, Vanessa will be at Upton Wold, Moreton-in-Marsh, GL56 9TR on Sunday, April 14, for a very special presentation to Ian and Caroline Bond who have opened their garden for National Garden Scheme for 30 years.

Upton Wold's garden was started from a bare piece of land in 1973. Created with the help of the landscape architect Hal Moggridge, the garden has matured into one of Gloucestershire’s finest gardens, and has been featured in newspapers and magazines.

The presentation will take place at 11am and the garden will be open from 11am-5pm.

For details, call 01386 700667.

For full details of all gardens opening for NGS during 2019, go to ngs.org.uk