Early flower bloom at National Trust gardens
National Trust/PANational Trust gardens have reported an early spring bloom despite extreme weather at the beginning of the year.
In early January, Storm Goretti tore through the south-west of England, particularly Cornwall, causing extensive damage including toppling and damaging many thousands of trees at National Trust gardens and estates.
But just over six weeks after the storm, at Buckland Abbey in Devon, the magnolia x soulangeana – one of various veteran magnolias in the grounds – has been producing its blooms four weeks earlier than usual. Many camellias are also well ahead of schedule.
Head gardener Dave Bouch said above average temperatures are likely to be behind the surprise displays.
'Confuse some plants'
Bouch said: "We've seen mild overnight temperatures of almost double digits, helped by heavy cloud.
"A late frost could do damage but there's no sign of that on the horizon."
He said: "Traditionally spring is typically short in terms of the blooming season. But if the temperatures [are] cool, we'll see prolonged displays of up to three months, with camellias and daffodils likely to flower longer."
At Knightshayes, near Tiverton, in Devon, most of the camellias are flowering, the magnolias are in bud and bluebell flower spikes are already "sneaking out", the National Trust said.
John Ridgley, senior gardener, said: "This trend has been happening for quite some time now, but the effects of the previous summer combined with the following winter period seem to accentuate it."
He added: "As we have just experienced, last year's warm, dry summer followed by a prolonged wet, mild winter seems to confuse some plants into either early flowering or very little flowers at all."
'A lot of unknowns'
Lanhydrock, near Bodmin, has also seen an early start from some plants.
Adam Carveth, head gardener for Trelissick, Glendurgan and Trerice in Cornwall, said: "We've had camellias out a month early - winton flowered almost two months early and scented camellia transnokoensis started flowering for us at the beginning of December and has barely stopped at Trelissick and Glendurgan.
"Particularly surprising has been the flowering of buddleja macrostachya, which would be expected to flower from July."
He said he thought it was a combination of varying factors but most likely the constant rain with mild temperatures.
"If we go straight into a dry, warm period then things will go over quickly, but in the current climate, there are a lot of unknowns."
