Dozens of plants in flower as spring arrives early at Wakehurst Place

Eighty varieties of plants are flowering at Wakehurst Place, near Haywards Heath, the country estate of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, as spring arrives early following weeks of mild weather.

While the country has been battered rain and gales, it has also been a particularly mild winter in the South East. As a result the first daffodils are blooming at Wakehurst Place this week – almost two months earlier than they did last year when plants were held back by prolonged snow and freezing temperatures.

Chris Clennett, Gardens Manager at Wakehurst Place, says most plants are blooming around three weeks early this spring. Normally he would expect to see around 50 varieties in bloom in early February, as opposed to the 80 currently flowering.