Magnolia Caerhays Surprise is just one of the many blooms
to be enjoyed in the gardens at the moment.
The gardens are now open until the 16th of June and offer visitors a magnificent mix of magnolias, camellias and rhododendrons.
All visitors to the gardens are invited to take part in a photographic competition which offers prizes in a range of categories.
People, the landscape and plants are the three sections which the organisers hope will inspire a great number of entries.
"We staged our first photographic competition last spring spring and we had entries from people from all over the south west and well beyond," said Caerhays marketing manager Lucinda Rimmington.
"We are aware that the gardens are widely known and appreciated but this was clear evidence that people travel a long way to see what Caerhays has to offer. It is a fantastic spring show."
The winner of the 2012 competition
Entry forms and terms for this year's competition can be picked up at Carehays.
New views
Visitors to the gardens this year will have access to views that have not been open to the public for more than 30 years.
Creating Old Park Wood started in the early 1900s. In this, and two other gardens on the estate, many thousands of plants newly introduced from southern China, were laid out.
But over the years, much of the area became overgrown and virtually impenetrable.
It has taken two years of hard work to bring Old Park Wood back in to a state that visitors can enjoy.
Paths have been improved, fallen trees removed and large areas opened up for new planting and to reveal stunning views.
In total, the work has opened up thirty acres of woodland garden and at least an extra mile of paths for visitors to enjoy.Head gardener and estate manager, Jaimie Parsons, has been at the forefront of the restoration. He believes visitors will be excited by what they find.
"People will be able to look down over the woods from various viewpoints and imagine themselves trekking through China, seeing the plants much as they grow in their native country," he said.
But he added: "Because of the wet weather we have not been able to do all that we would have wanted to do. Some of the ground is still very wet so gum boots will most probably be advisable," said Jaimie.
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Spring's here
Caerhays is one of The Great Gardens of Cornwall, where the mild climate means that spring arrives here earlier than in the rest of the country.
It is the magnificent Magnolia cambellii that truly symbolises spring's arrival - and there are superb examples to be found at Caerhays.
Indeed, the county's oldest example of this tree is to be found at Caerhays.
The head gardeners of six of The Great Gardens of Cornwall, including Caerhays Castle, Trebah, Tregothnan, Trewidden, Trewithen and Trengwainton, are monitoring six 'champion' Magnolia campbellii trees to identify exactly when spring arrives.
Many people who are repeat visitors to Carehays have joined the Friends of Caerhays scheme, which entitles them to free entry to the gardens and castle, discounts on plants and a range of other benefits.
"For £50 per year, 'friends' can visit as many times as they like so the more they take advantage of the scheme, the more of a bargain it becomes,"
said Lucinda.
Visitors will find that the garden shop at Caerhays is open for business, with a new range of tempting products, including the estate's own brands of fudge and biscuits.
"We know that visitors normally want to take away a reminder of their day and we now have some additional, tasty choices for them," said Lucinda.
Loyalty pays
Burncoose Nurseries, near Redruth, is part of the Caerhays estate and is a highly successful Cornish business, serving customers locally and, via the web, throughout the whole country and overseas.
Local customers can now take advantage of a loyalty card, just introduced for 2013.
Visitors to Caerhays or Burncoose can pick up a card after visiting the gardens or buying plants. Every time they buy something, their card is marked and it entitles them to a discount on their next purchase and free entry to Burncoose gardens.
"It's a two-way process," said Burncoose nursery manager, Andrew Mills.
"The card will encourage people to visit us and when they do, they will enjoy benefits, including price reductions. And these days, that's a very welcome bonus."
