With our mild climate and the effect of the gulf stream, warming Cornish shores, spring arrives particularly early in Cornwall.
To mark the moment, each year, gardeners who oversee champion magnolia trees at the beautiful gardens of Trebah, Trewidden, Caerhays, Heligan, Tregothnan and Trewithen all take note of when the first magnolia blooms appear on the trees.
The moment all seven of the champion magnolia trees have flowered with a count of at least 50 blooms on each, then Cornwall will declare that spring has arrived in England.
In 2016, the first day of spring was officially declared on 10th February — particularly early due to a mild winter. It was in fact the earliest spring in Cornwall for more than a century.
This year, it seems spring is coming early once again. The Trewidden Belle at Trewidden already has more than 50 blooms, with Trebah announcing 28 on their champion tree this weekend and Heligan and Tregothnan also reporting that their magnolia trees are in bloom.
It is normal once some trees have blossomed for the six trees to reach 50 blooms within days of each other, so watch this space! You can follow the progress of the Cornish spring on the Great Gardens of Cornwall Website. Click here to see the latest progress.
You can also get the latest updates from the head gardeners on twitter @Gr8Gardens following #springstory.
If you’re a garden lover, this means that March is a wonderful time to come and visit with many of the beautiful gardens in the county, such as The Lost Gardens of Heligan and Caerhays which are right on our doorstep, already in full bloom.
Enjoy spring in Cornwall
If you would like to enjoy a spring break in Cornwall, we’ve got a range of cottages which sleep 4-12 people – find out more and check availability.
How will you celebrate the start of spring this year? Share your thoughts below, post on our Facebook page, or tweet @ActionNan.
