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With spring upon us, the National Trust’s yearly celebration of blossom season is back. #BlossomWatch aims to bring the beauty of blossom to more people and celebrate the start of spring.
Following the ancient Japanese tradition of Hanami, which literally translates to ‘flower viewing’, the conservation charity is encouraging everyone to take a moment to enjoy the fleeting beauty of UK blossom and the sense of wellbeing it can bring.
Using #BlossomWatch the National Trust is asking people to share their blossom images on social media, with the hope that the joyful sight of blush-tinted blooms will lift spirits and help everyone to celebrate nature together.
Clouds of delicate pastel-coloured blossom can be enjoyed throughout spring, with fruit trees starting the season in March and April, apple, plum, pear and damson trees blooming with dainty white and pink flowers. The iconic rosé pink blossoms of cherry trees join in late April and closing the season with its creamy white flower is hawthorn, often known as the May-Tree.
The conservation charity will also continue its work to bring blossom back to landscapes across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, by planting four million blossoming trees, including several new traditional orchards, and circles of blossom trees in urban spaces. These tree plantings will help contribute to the charity’s commitment to plant and establish 20 million trees by 2030 to help tackle both the climate and nature crises.
Throughout spring, the Festival of Blossom will also take place at over 100 locations across England, Wales and Northern Ireland with unique blossom-themed events and activities, including sessions with artists, picnics, games and special blossom walks to encourage visitors to explore and enjoy blossom.
Here’s where to see some of the most spectacular National Trust displays of blossom near you:
Lincolnshire
Belton House
Designed to impress, the gardens at Belton reflect the refined tastes of generations of the Brownlow family from the early eighteenth century, right up to the twentieth century. Engage your senses in the Dutch Gardens with a walk through an avenue of blossom and sweet fragrance. The Prunus Cherry Trees will be in blossom, as well as the Syringa Lilac Trees, framing Belton House with pastel colours and a fresh scent. A trip to Belton in the spring isn’t complete without a photo here.
Gunby Estate, Hall and Gardens
Explore Gunby to find beautiful blossom across the gardens, including the pear blossom appearing in the kitchen garden. The flowering cherry blossom in a sight to behold on the cherry walk, which often graces the ground with a colourful carpet of petals to wander through. In May especially, there will be opportunities to spot apple blossom. It all makes the gardens a cosy and gentle space where bright colour awaits around every corner. Taking a spring snapshot here is a must, as the grounds are perfect for picture with the house’s red brick in the background.
Woolsthorpe Manor
In the orchard at Woolsthorpe Manor the National Trust are custodians of a very special apple tree. Yes, the very tree from which an apple fell and caused Newton to ask the question: ‘Why do apples always fall straight down to the ground?’ People have been coming to visit the tree and the manor house at Woolsthorpe ever since Newton’s time. Today the tree is pruned regularly to keep it healthy; it continues to grow and bear blossom and fruit. A low barrier has been installed around it to protect the root run and give it some ‘breathing space’. It’s a ‘Flower of Kent’ apple tree, a traditional variety, which produces cooking apples which are green with a red flush, of varying sizes.
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Nottinghamshire
Clumber Park
Blossom is one of the first indicators of spring, and people and nature see it as a herald of warmer and longer days after the winter. At Clumber Park, the Ranger and Gardens teams have recreated a long-lost orchard to connect people with nature. From Hawthorn to Blackthorn, there will be trees blossoming from late January to Midsummer, surrounded by patches of wildflowers. Later in the year, visitors will have the opportunity to pick the fruit and eat it fresh from the tree, whether it is an apple or a pear, as well as being able to forage for fruit from the hedgerow surrounding the orchard. This year as part of celebrations for the Festival of Blossom, Clumber will be hosting a festival weekend in the Duke’s Orchard on the 22 – 23 April, with marquees, music and blossom themed activities.
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