Spring has sprung - and that’s official.

The first day of spring is declared by the Great Gardens of Cornwall organisation when there are 50 magnolia blooms at each of six member gardens.

And the group declared that spring 2023 began yesterday (February 27).

In a post on their Facebook page, the group said: “The weekend has seen all 300 magnolias burst into bloom across Caerhays Castle gardens, Trewidden, Trewithen, Trebah, Tregothnan and the Lost Gardens of Heligan."

The Nare Hotel on the Roseland has been running a bloomometer on its website, which reached 100 per cent yesterday with the declaration: “The moment Cornish magnolias flower, Spring has arrived in England.”

And the landmark “Coming Home” trees at Cookworthy Knapp, close to the Devon / Cornwall border on the A30, have been floodlit magnolia pink to celebrate the arrival of spring.