Delayed spring blossom set to put on 'truly incredible show'
Delayed spring blossom set to put on ‘truly incredible show’ as nature bursts out of hibernation after cold snaps and late winter snow, experts say
- A cold March has punished budding trees and hedgerows, the National Trust say
- However, the mild and wet April weather is set to bring forth the blooms
Cold snaps, wind and snow may have delayed spring blossom across most of the country this year – but it might just be worth the wait.
April should bring us a ‘truly incredible show’ as nature bursts out of hibernation, the National Trust has said.
The driest February for 30 years and a cold March have punished flowering trees and hedgerows, the charity said.
But launching its annual blossom campaign, it said a mild and wet April would bring forth the blooms.
Andy Jasper, head of gardens and parklands at the trust, said: ‘Recent cold snaps have affected how quickly nature progresses, and we can see the effects of this across many of our gardens.
Signs of spring: The National Trust’s Claydon House in Buckinghamshire
‘We are still in line for a truly incredible show where the delayed blossom will burst forth in waves across the country like an amazing Mexican floral wave – marking the reassuring moment that spring has arrived.’
With so many blooms being on ‘pause’, those craving signs that spring has sprung should head for the South West, where gardens remain a haven for early blossom.
The National Trust’s campaign urges enthusiasts to share pictures on social media with the tag #Blossomwatch, to celebrate the return of blossoming trees to the landscape.
Mr Jasper said he hoped people would ‘take ten minutes to step outside and to really stop and look at the new life bustling all around us’.
At Glendurgan Gardens near Falmouth in Cornwall, the magnolias are in full bloom, putting on a spectacular show as some species have bloomed later than usual while others have been early, condensing their blossom into one big simultaneous flowering this year.
Tom Cutter, assistant head gardener for the National Trust at Glendurgan, said: ‘Thankfully, due to Cornwall’s unique microclimate, we haven’t been hit as badly by the recent cold snap and snow as the rest of the country has been and, as a result, our visitors get to enjoy an utterly beautiful display of magnolias in our garden right now.’
But there have been some cases of weather damage in Cornwall, including at Trengwainton Garden, near Penzance, which is known for its 50 varieties of gigantic magnolias.
Recent strong winds caused damage to one of its largest trees, Magnolia campbellii, in the walled garden which is 102 years old, causing many of the delicate petals to drop prematurely
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