Is it Spring?

I was drawn into a friendly debate this morning about when the start of Spring is..? I wondered what you think?

There seem to be two conflicting thoughts on this, according to some, including the weather presenter on the BBC, Spring started on the 1st of March.

or the other view is that it starts on the Spring Equinox, that's the day when night and day become the same length for day, which this year is on Friday 20th March.
 I took a walk around Athelhampton's gardens this morning and chatted with some of our visitors who were enjoying the morning sun, and we decided on the third point of view between us, that really Mother Nature is in control and from what we saw in the garden spring is certainly underway.