Blooming heck – Agatha Christie’s magnificent magnolia is flowering already.

The former home of Queen of Crime’s Greenway home overlooking the River Dart saw the estate’s historic magnolia campbellii opened its first flower on Monday, January 4 - the earliest it is ever known to have bloomed.

The magnolia, which was planted by Agatha Christie’s archaeologist husband Max Mallowan, usually flowers in March, but the mild winter has seen the spring flowering plants budding and blooming unusually early.

Greenway’s senior gardener Colin Clark said: ‘We also have 31 different camellias and 33 other shrubs in flower, as well as bulbs such as daffodils and cyclamen flowering.

‘The magnolia planted by Max just has one or two blooms on it at the moment, but is covered in buds.

‘If the weather were to turn cold now, those buds might just hold off flowering for a couple more weeks, but if it were to stay wet and mild as it has been, the magnolia will flower and the petals will all be knocked off by the rain by the time Greenway opens to the public again on February 13.

‘We are keeping our fingers crossed for some cold weather so that visitors will be able to see this beautiful magnolia at its best.’

Greenway’s garden, which is looked after by the National Trust, comes with a camellia garden, as well as magnolias, rhododendrons and swathes of flowering bulbs.

In March and April, a series of spring garden walk and talks enable visitors to find out more about the garden and its history.