National Trust Garden teams in South West England have been busy recording flowers in bloom in this year’s annual Valentine’s Flower Count, with nearly all gardens showing an increase on last year.
In 2008, 3,335 plants in bloom were recorded in Devon and Cornwall (where the flower count first started), marking the earliest spring so far recorded during the count.
This year, 2,644 plants were recorded in gardens across the whole of the South West compared to 1,622 in 2015.Matched by record-breaking amounts of rainfall in December, the very mild and dull weather this winter has caused confusion to plants.
Daffodils are appearing with snowdrops and even a bluebell or two has struggled to the surface, boosted by mild weather.
Varieties of magnolia which usually flower over a period of months are appearing together and much earlier than usual. Even summer flowering plants such as hydrangeas, fuchsia and agapanthus are flowering.
Not only have varieties of plants been blooming at the same time, but the growth in National Trust gardens has continued right throughout the winter months.
Most of the conservation charity’s gardeners are still cutting their grass and plants such as hydrangeas still have their leaves, which could make for difficult pruning later in the year.
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