Roses are blooming earlier than ever this year at some of the National Trust's southern gardens, as climate change drives flowering forward, the charity has said. The famous display in the rose garden at Mottisfont, Hampshire, is expected to peak between mid and end of May, instead of its traditional June high point, driven by a mild, wet winter and unusually warm spells in spring.
Historical Context and Changes
When the rose garden at Mottisfont was officially donated to the National Trust on June 30, 1972, it was in peak flower. However, head gardeners have observed regular changes to flowering patterns since. The peak blooming of the roses has shifted by the equivalent of one day every two-and-a-half years as a result of rising temperatures and changing weather patterns.
Regional Variations
Similar trends are evident at other National Trust gardens in the south of England, such as Anglesey Abbey in Cambridgeshire, Buckland Abbey in Devon, and Chartwell in Kent. However, more northern properties are experiencing more typical flowering periods.
Mottisfont head gardener Rob Ballard explained: "After a very wet, warm winter, including 42 consecutive days of rain at the start of the year, the roses got off to an early start. Then warm spells in April accelerated growth, and this year they're flowering earlier than we can remember."
Adapting Garden Management
The changing climate also means the team is adapting how the rose garden and wider site are managed, from soil care to pruning techniques. Ballard added: "We've mulched the whole garden to lock in water, suppress weeds, and build organic matter in the soil. It supports everything from the roses themselves to the worm population beneath them."
He continued: "We're adjusting our pruning to let roses such as Adelaide d'Orleans grow in a more natural way and thinking longer-term about the right plant in the right place, better water management, and conserving rare varieties so they survive for generations to come."
Early Signs at Other Properties
At Chartwell, gardens and outdoor manager Christopher Lane noted that this spring was a clear indication of how the changing climate is affecting gardens. "The lack of cold snaps has given plants an early boost, accelerating growth across the garden. We saw our first rose in flower as early as March, something that would normally come much later," he said.
Sam Brown, senior gardener at Buckland Abbey, reported that roses are coming into flower two to three weeks earlier than traditionally expected. He highlighted challenges such as shorter dormancy periods, more pests surviving the winter, and increasing summer drought. "We're responding by improving soil health, selecting resilient varieties, and using techniques like mulching and underplanting to retain moisture," Brown added.
Broader Implications
National Trust horticultural specialist Rebecca Bevan noted that earlier flowering is not necessarily harmful, but climate change still poses threats to roses. "The bigger concern is water availability. Research shows that drought poses the greatest threat to roses, so we're focusing on building healthy soils, choosing tougher varieties, and investing in water capture and storage," she said.
With roses blooming early, visitors to National Trust properties in the south of England are urged to plan trips earlier than usual to catch the best displays.
