Visitors will be admiring blossoms across the
UK (Image: ©National Trust Images/Barbara Evripidou) As winter turns to spring and nature reawakens, Cambridgeshire bursts into bloom, especially at the National Trust sites across the county. Cherry blossom lovers can also rejoice with plenty of the delicate pink flowers on display. The National Trust's #BlossomWatch encourages people to celebrate the beauty of blossom and bask in the sights and scents of spring. Inspired by the Japanese tradition of ‘Hanami’, (which literally translates to ‘flower viewing’), the National Trust is encouraging visitors to pause and take a moment to appreciate the temporary beauty of blossom that can be found in orchards, gardens, and hedgerows. Each month during spring, there are different blossoms to spot. In March and April, look for clouds of white and pink blooms from apples, pears, plums and damsons. Read more: 'Mechanical sweepers' to be used to cut use of chemical weed spraying in Cambridge Read more: Controversial Cambridge sculpture to be removed due to 'harmful' impact on area Pink cherry blossoms join the show in April, while hawthorns and rowans close the seasons in May and June with delicate white flowers. The charity is inviting people to join in with the celebrations by sharing their blossom images on
Social Media and using the hashtag #BlossomWatch. As part of the National Trust’s commitment to tackle the climate crisis and nature depletion, the conservation charity plans to plant and establish 20 million trees across
England, Wales and Northern
Ireland by 2030, with around four million of these being blossoming trees. Fruit trees and new traditional orchards are being planted at National Trust places, while native and historic varieties such as blackthorn and hawthorn will be chosen to support nature in other spaces. Here’s where you can see some of the best displays of blossom at a National Trust place near you: Anglesey Abbey There are plenty of spaces to enjoy blossom at Anglesey Abbey. Clouds of delicate cherry blossom can be found in the Rose Garden by the house – both ornamental and wild varieties. The heritage orchard, planted in 2018 with 16 heritage varieties of plum, apple, pear and gages will come into blossom during April, surrounding an 80-year-old Bramley seedling
Apple tree. You can also see blossom in Monk’s Garden and the Pool Garden. A particular highlight is the pear tree on the side wall of the house as well as the golden rain trees in the gardens. The Festival of Blossom is the perfect opportunity to relax and unwind in nature and take in the beauty of the gardens at Anglesey Abbey. Blossom Week events run from April 20 to 27. Houghton Mill Share your #BlossomWatch picture online (Image: ©National Trust Images/Paul Harris) Blackthorn is among the first of the plants at Houghton Mill to blossom in the spring. Enjoy picturesque views of the millpond and historic watermill framed by bursts of this white blackthorn blossom. Then as you continue your walk along Houghton Meadows, keep your eyes peeled for more colour, as early blooming wildflowers also start to make an appearance. Peckover House & Garden The garden at Peckover House is an oasis in the middle of Wisbech, where our earliest blossom can be found on the Cornelian cherry. The knarled specimen, which is over 100 years old, produces an abundance of small vibrant yellow flowers that can help lift the spirits in early spring, before the leaves begin to shoot. Quince, apple trees and espalier pears also draw the eye at this time of year. Wicken Fen Blackthorn is one of the first shrubs in the countryside to burst into flower, with blossom appearing before its leaves in March. You can see these clouds of white in the hedgerows, as you explore the wider reserve at Wicken Fen, along with hawthorn, alder and buckthorn, all of which provide food for bees and early insects. Wimpole Estate Entrance to the Walled Garden at Wimpole Estate, Cambridgeshire (Image: ©National Trust Images/Mike Selby) The orchard at Wimpole is a sea of blossom in the spring as the buds of over 300 apple, medlar, quince, pear and plum trees burst into bloom between April and May. Spring blossom is part of the field-to-fork story, and the blossom in spring can help the gardeners to predict the apple harvest to come in autumn, used to produce Wimpole apple juice. The 56 varieties of apple trees can provide 4.5 tonnes of fruit for pressing, which produces around 6000 litres of juice a year. Beginning with apricot, plum and greengage, the blossom then appears on the apple and pear trees and is finally rounded off by the medlar and quince in late spring. Within the walled garden, espaliered fruit trees will also be in blossom and ornamental cherry trees with delicate pink flowers can be found across the Pleasure Grounds. Story Saved You can find this story in My Bookmarks. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Follow CambridgeLive
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