Mottisfont Abbey roses bloom two weeks early due to hot weather 🌹

A National Trust spokesperson has confirmed that the roses are “definitely out earlier than usual”, but wanted to reassure visitors that the “staff at Mottisfont are so experienced and used to seasonal fluctuations that they’ve got everything in place to ensure that they can deal with the increase in volume of visitors, earlier than usual.”

Speaking to the BBC, Michael Harvey, senior gardener at Mottisfont Abbey, blamed the early blooming on hot and dry weather in March and April.

He said: “It has really pushed a lot of the plants to flower a lot sooner.

"Because of climate change rose season is becoming earlier and earlier.”

The roses at Mottisfont Abbey (Image: National Trust Images / Clive Nichols)

The majority of the roses at Mottisfont are located in the abbey’s walled garden, which was created in the 1970s.

Every year, approximately 84,000 visitors come to see it during the flowering season.

Mr Harvey told the BBC the collection is irreplaceable, saying: “Some of the rarest roses in the UK and internationally are grown here and the only place you will see some of the roses is in this garden.

“So, it is really important we look after them to the best of our abilities to keep these rose varieties going.

“If these rose varieties go extinct, you will never be able to get them back.”

“Because of climate change, rose season is becoming earlier and earlier.