A bee on a cherry blossom

Celebrating blossom with the National Trust

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.

Nottingham’s Clumber park is the place to catch this year’s blossom:

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.

Posted on 31 March 2023

Back to the News page

Featured author

Featured author

Jack Woolley