THOSE of us mere mortals with a dibber and a lawn edger can only stand in awe of the green fingered gurus who open their gardens to the public.

Having the hoi polloi run their critical eye over the standard of your sweet peas or looking for blight on your roses, would be enough to induce an attack of the heebie-jeebies in even the most enthusiastic follower of the prophet Titchmarsh.

So hats off then to the members of the National Gardens Scheme, who every year raise many thousands of pounds for charity by opening up their immaculate conceptions to public scrutiny and acclaim.

On Sunday, June 10, the NGS is celebrating its 80th birthday and to mark the anniversary, Holland House in Cropthorne is opening its garden to the public, just as it did in 1927.

It was one of the first gardens to be part of the scheme, in 1927, when individuals were asked to open their gardens for "a shilling a head".

These pioneer gardens included a variety of stately homes, such as Spetchley Park, Blenheim Palace and Sudeley Castle, agricultural colleges and schools and more modest private gardens such as Holland House.

"Although privately owned 80 years ago, many of the pioneer gardens are now open to the public all year round," said Judy Berrow, NGS Worcestershire county organiser.

"Across the UK only seven, including Holland House, remain hidden treasures and the public only have a chance to see them through the National Gardens Scheme."

The property was originally several farm cottages bought in 1891 by an eminent Birmingham surgeon, Sir William Lawson Tait. It is thought he converted the cottages into one property.

On his death, The Den, as it was then called, was bought by Mr H H Avery, who was a great lover of the old-fashioned English garden. His improvement plans included judicious cutting in parts of the old orchard to achieve views across the Avon valley.

He also commissioned the sunken garden, with steps at each angle and the central sundial.

After the Second World War the then owner, Mrs Ellis Holland, gave the house to the Diocese of Worcester as a retreat and conference house.

However, in 1974 the diocese found the financial burden of The Old House too great. Fearing its complete loss to the Diocese, an independent trust was set up to guarantee its future. The building and its gardens - which are now a retreat, conference and laity centre - was saved and renamed Holland House in gratitude to the generosity of the original donor. The Holland House gardens cover four acres and comprise a large terrace, formal gardens, a croquet lawn, a rose garden, a sunken herb garden, a peace garden, a prayer hut and kitchen garden.

"The original aim of the NGS was to raise money for the Queen's Nursing Institute by opening gardens of quality and interest' to the public," said Judy Berrow.

"In the 1920s garden visiting was already a well established pastime, but only for a privileged few. The simple, but radical idea behind the NGS was to ask individuals to open their private gardens to the public for a shilling a head'. In the first year 609 gardens opened and more than £8,000 was raised. Now around 3,500 gardens open every year through the NGS. In our 80th anniversary season we are hoping to raise £2.5m for charities."

Holland House at Cropthorne will be open on Sunday, June 10 between 2pm and 5pm.