In the pink – sunshine and steadier temperatures help National Trust gardens bloom

Breaking into bloom a few weeks behind last year, when magnolias flowered early after a warm winter before suffering significant damage from storms and frost, many gardeners are declaring this year’s flowering as ‘right on time’ or only slightly later than would be expected, likely caused by fluctuating temperatures throughout winter.

Karl Emeleus, Head Gardener for the National Trust at Killerton in Devon said: “We have seen many rapid changes in temperature over the winter months, going from very mild to very cold temperatures, at times within the span of only a few days.

“This not only led some shrubs and trees, including even some of our cherries, to briefly flower out of season during particularly mild spells, but also meant that the real triggers for magnolias flowering hadn’t been sustained until recently, possibly leading to a small delay compared to previous years.”

While at some places in Cornwall, like Lanhydrock and Cotehele, cold pockets have meant magnolias are only at the beginning of their flowering, things are progressing more swiftly at other sites, such as Trengwainton Garden. Here, the first of its 39 varieties of gigantic magnolias is now laden with blooms, marking a great start to the season after last year’s petals were sadly torn off by high winds, with National Trust gardeners also keeping their fingers crossed for no late frosts that could risk spoiling the show.

The towering 104-year-old Magnolia campbellii in the walled garden – an English Champion tree due to the width of its canopy – has just reached its peak, its pink petals providing a fantastic visual highlight against the dark green backdrop of the surrounding shrubs.

Mike Beeston, Gardens and Park Consultant for the National Trust, comments: “All winter long, the naked trees monitor the day length and temperature through their bark, helping to keep the flowers safe until the conditions allow them to flower. Now, as you can finally feel the days getting longer and a bit warmer, it's the perfect time to visit one of our gardens and see these majestic botanical wonders.”

The promising start to the year for magnolias raises hopes for an equally stunning season for traditional apple, pear and stone fruit blossom. Early varieties of these are expected to begin flowering later this month.

Wella Chubb, Assistant Head Gardener for the National Trust at Trelissick in Cornwall added: “This spring does look like it will be good for blossom in that there was plenty of rain over the late summer and early autumn, which is when some of the traditional spring shrubs such as rhododendrons and magnolias start to produce flower buds.

“The more moisture there is at that time of year, the bigger and lusher the flowers will be, which we’ll now be able to benefit from.”

The National Trust’s annual blossom campaign, part of the charity’s efforts to return blossoming trees to landscapes and to create a UK equivalent of Japan’s ‘hanami’, the popular traditional custom where people of all generations celebrate the transient beauty of blossom, will launch the day of the spring equinox, Thursday 20 March.