Celebrating blossom with the National Trust

#BlossomWatch, the National Trust’s yearly celebration of the blossom season is back. With thousands expected to capture the joy of seeing trees and hedgerows burst into bloom.

Emulating Hanami the ancient Japanese tradition of viewing and celebrating blossom as the first sign of spring, the conservation charity is encouraging everyone to take a moment to enjoy the fleeting beauty of blossom.

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 enable everyone to celebrate nature together.

From March and into April fruit trees will be starting to bloom with apples, plums, pears and damsons bearing dainty white flowers tinged with pink, followed by the famous rosé pink petals of the cherry tree. Closing the season with its creamy white flower is hawthorn, or May-Tree.

Blossom trees can be seen on city streets, in gardens and in public parks as well as National Trust places in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. And to support future blooms the conservation charity is encouraging everyone to help support its Plant a Tree fundraising campaign, so that people and wildlife can thrive.

Here’s where to see some of the most spectacular National Trust displays of blossom:

Derbyshire

Calke Abbey: With more than 600 acres of ancient parkland, nature reserves, wetlands and romantic gardens, Calke Abbey is home to a rich tapestry of flora throughout the year. One of the first signs of spring arriving at Calke is the delightful blossom that sweeps over the walled gardens. Early spring sees the peach blossom flowering in the Peach House in the walled kitchen garden, followed by plum and apple blossom later in the season. Around the wider estate, look out for wild cherry, blackthorn and hawthorn blossom at this time of year. Pause on one of the benches around the estate to enjoy the sweet smell of the blossom and the possibilities of the seasons to come.

Hardwick Hall: An Elizabethan country house created by Bess of Hardwick in the 1500s, Hardwick’s orchards are full of various types of fruit from pear to greengage and damson, all of which play a part in the annual blossom display. These are complemented by some wonderful local varieties. The two most local varieties are Newton Wonder which was developed in Melbourne, Derbyshire and Bramley Seedling which was developed by Mary Ann Brailsford in Southwell, Nottinghamshire.

Ilam Park: A splash of pink to make you think....Cherry Blossom is best seen during March, April and some varieties in May in the Wheel Orchard, towards St Bertram's Bridge and walking towards Hinkley Wood. Cherry Blossom is a cheery dose of colour whatever the weather. As well as a feast for the eyes, it provides a great source of pollen for our important pollinators like bees. Also spot blossom in the orchard near the Manifold Tea-room, whilst enjoying a cuppa for conservation overlooking the Italian Gardens and sweeping views towards Thorpe Cloud and Bunster Hill.

Kedleston Hall: Blossom is one of the first signs that spring is well and truly on the way. Kedleston Hall’s Pleasure Grounds are home to a range of eye-catching blossom varieties including cherry, horse chestnut, apple and blackthorn, followed by purple and white wisteria later in the spring.

Herefordshire

Berrington Hall: Standing proud and strong, this fine Georgian mansion sits within 'Capability' Brown’s final garden and landscape. Berrington’s gardens have long been used to produce food, and one of the main harvest hotspots is the orchard, which is home to a selection of heritage apple trees that burst into bloom in the spring. This year visitors can experience the spectacle in a new light with ‘Fruition’ – Berrington’s first courtyard orchard made up of trees replanted from the walled garden orchard. 

Brockhampton: Surrounding the romantic timber framed manor house are gardens and orchards which change with the seasons and enhance the rustic beauty of the manor house itself. Thanks to a substantial award from Postcode Earth Trust by players of People’s Postcode Lottery and funds from Arts Council England and National Trust supporters’ donations Brockhampton’s lost orchards are being reinstated and re-imagined. 

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.

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

Nottinghamshire

The Dukes Orchard, 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.

Shropshire

Attingham Park:  Attingham inspires a sense of beauty, space and awe. The imposing entrance, glimpses of the vast mansion against silhouettes of cedars and expansive parkland, epitomise classical design and Italian influence. The first blossom to be spotted at Attingham is on the apricot trees in the Walled Garden. Followed by peach, pear and apple blossom as spring gets underway. In the orchard at Attingham there are over 130 apple trees of different varieties making it the perfect place for a spring picnic when the blossom is in bloom.

Benthall Hall: Situated on a plateau above the Ironbridge gorge and the River Severn, this 16th century fine stone house and 5 acre garden was once home to George Maw, a crocus specialist, plant hunter and tile manufacturer. In spring crocus, potential remnants of Maw’s collection fill the woodland lawns with colour. In April the orchard provides a haven for people and wildlife and the Yoshino Cherry tree behind the adjoining St Bartholomew's church is a real showstopper. It's the same species as those famously blossoming in Japan at the same time of year. It's a great photo opportunity for all visitors.

Dudmaston: Enchanted wooded parkland, sweeping gardens down to the Big Pool and a house with a surprise, Dudmaston is something unexpected in the Shropshire countryside. Sit beneath the frothy, pink apple blossom in the orchard. The blossom displays are usually at their best in late April but don't delay, the blossom period is brief which makes it all the more special. The apple blossom is great for pollinators. See if you can spot the beehives at the lower end of the orchard. At this time of year, the bees will be starting to collect nectar from the spring flowers to turn into food.

Staffordshire

Moseley Old Hall: A 17th Century Farmhouse, famed for hiding King Charles II stands resolutely on the outskirts of Wolverhampton. Its Heritage Orchard is home to 17th Century varieties of fruit trees, which capture the changing seasons. In springtime wonderful blossom litters the gardens, from the early blooming yellows of Cornelian Cherry Blossom to the vibrant pink blossom of Heritage Apple trees. Whether wandering through the meadow or picnicking in the Pear Orchard there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy the colourful blossom season.

Shugborough Estate: Shugborough boasts bountiful blossom during spring in its gardens and parkland. As well as the fruit trees, in April there’s maples and sycamores in flower too. There will be additional planting of 38 new blossom trees taking place in March. These trees are the beginnings of a new garden with year-round interest, particularly focused on spring blossom and scent.

Warwickshire

Coughton Court: The Throckmorton family created and continues to manage the spectacular award-winning gardens at Coughton Court. During the spring months the gardens erupt into a kaleidoscope of colour and the orchard, full of old varieties of fruit trees from apples and pears to plums and cherries, burst into blossom to celebrate the arrival of the warmer months. From delicate whites to pastel pinks, this fragrant display around the gardens is one of the most uplifting sights of spring and provides a valuable source of food for our native wildlife.

Packwood House: The culmination of a lifetime of dreams: salvaged objects and exotic pieces come together in a Jacobean meets Edwardian style. Beautiful, homely, warm and welcoming. We can't put it better than a visitor in the 1920s did: A house to dream of, a garden to dream in. The brighter days of spring herald the arrival of a bountiful display of blossom across the gardens and parklands at Packwood. The hedgerows are scattered with tiny white blackthorn flowers crisscrossing across the estate before the fruit blossom begins to unfurl – from plum and damson in the barnyard to cherry and apple in the orchard, there are plenty of fragrant flowers to spot at Packwood falling from the trees like confetti.

Upton House: Honey-coloured country house with dramatic terraced gardens and world-renowned art collection. Take five minutes to immerse yourself in nature in our designated silent space. Switch off your phones and see what you can see, hear and smell. Our naturalised orchard is the perfect place to spot some of the amazing birds that nest here throughout the year. The busy murmuring of innumerable bees amidst the blossom is a delight.

West Midlands

Wightwick Manor: With three orchards Wightwick is no stranger to blossom, but possibly the most striking display comes from the lone ornamental cherry tree Prunus ‘Shirotae’, which bursts into bloom in the middle of the tennis court. Don’t worry if your timing is slightly off though, as you’ll find plenty of apple trees laden with blossom in May, or even pear, plum and damson earlier in the season.

Worcestershire

Croome: There’s more than meets the eye at Croome. Owned by the Coventry family since the 16th century, it has a fascinating history.  Rescued from almost total loss, today the parkland with its serpentine river, commanding views over the Malverns and elegant garden buildings, is a perfect place for walks and adventures, with a surprise around every corner. The orchard contains apple, pear and plum trees putting on a magnificent display of blossom.  Along the walks around the shrubberies there are some lovely blossoming plants and trees like the laurel, hawthorn, privet, horse chestnut and also the citrus in the Temple Greenhouse.

Hanbury Hall: The very essence of a countryside retreat; impressive yet intimate and welcoming, Hanbury Hall owes much of that feeling to it’s beautiful, recreated eighteenth century garden. Created as a safe haven for drama, fun and recreation, Hanbury’s gardens come into their own in the spring. The scene in the walled orchard delights the eye, with an abundance of heritage apple trees awash with pink toned blossom. Further afield Kytes orchard hosts yet more apple blossom, floating above naturalised drifts of Narcissus and Fritillaria before views out to the Worcestershire landscape beyond.