National Trust staff at Colby Woodland Garden, near Amroth, are looking forward to welcoming visitors when the gardens open for the 2006 visitor season this Sunday. The damage caused by the heavy snow and record flooding over the winter has almost all been put right and over 500 perennials new to the garden and 100 new Rhododendron species and varieties will be planted this spring, following the huge amount of scrub clearance achieved in the garden, largely through the efforts of an ever-growing band of volunteers. The gardeners have also started to transplant some of the huge old overcrowded Rhododendrons, the beginning of a massive face-lift for the garden over the next few years. The recent cold weather has held back some of the earlier flowering varieties, so when the season finally begins at Colby, it should start with a riot of colour; even the snowdrops will still be in full swing! Head gardener Steve Whitehead said: "This will be a busy and exciting year for everyone, with a full programme of events, and I think we are all really pleased with the huge amount of work accomplished over the winter. Repairing all the damage and saving some of the worst affected plants has been rewarding in itself, while transplanting the old overcrowded plants and getting the new planting started has been the icing on the cake. It should all make this season very exciting for the garden team and really enhance the experience for all our visitors."