A record-breaking number of plants in flower at Trelissick Gardens made for a beautiful New Year's Day treat for the many visitors who turned out to enjoy the spectacle.

Head gardener Barry Champion counted 250 plants in bloom on new year's day, shattering the previous record of 180.

"It was quite a surprise, I had a look around a few days before and there did not seem to be too many plants flowering. But when I looked properly on new year's day there was a massive number blooming," he said.

Lots of people visited the gardens on new year's day and all were treated to a huge variety of plants in flower out-of-season.

Mr Champion said anyone visiting the gardens would not see masses of colour but that there were a huge number of plants blooming out of season due to the very mild winter.

He said many plants that would usually bloom in spring are flowering, including many of the rhododendrons and camellias.

There are also plants that would normally flower in summer which are already in bloom - including euryops, a South African shrub, and an eucryphia, which normally blooms in August.

The record-breaking count coincides with the first time the gardens will remain open all year - currently open four days a week, Thursday through to Sunday.

The out of season blooms has not been restricted to Trelissick Gardens either, with many gardens and roadsides being alive with the colour of early flowers.

Mr Champion said that although the annual count, which has been going for more than 15 years, was not carried out for scientific reasons it has shown a general trend of more and more plants flowering over the years."

"I put this down to global warming, I am convinced of that," he said. "Though whether it is a cyclical thing or a long term trend I do not know."