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National Trust properties nationwide are celebrating Blossom Week (Saturday 20- Sunday 28 April) with a series of special events and activities to help showcase their best blooms.
Inspired by the Japanese tradition of Hanami (which translates as “flower watching”), they are encouraging friends and families to come together to enjoy the transient beauty of cherry blossom.
And for those who don’t live near a National Trust site, the charity has also teamed up with local councils, charities, community groups and other organisations to support Blossom Week events and activities in towns and cities.
Here are some of the best places to spot the seasonal booms – from blackthorn and cherry, to apple and pear.
Anglesey Abbey, Gardens and Lode Mill, Cambridgeshire
Come and enjoy blossom-inspired poetry while you walk among the stunning signs of spring. This includes a selection of poems from Poet Laureate Simon Armitage‘s new book, Blossomise, as well as poetry written by local poets and Anglesey Abbey volunteers. Try your hand at paper origami or write your own poetry inspired by spring.
Blossom Week events free, but normal admission charges apply
Brockhampton, Herefordshire
Pick up a blossom spotting guide at the Visitor Reception (available until Tuesday 21 May) and head out into the orchards to discover the many different fruit trees that grow at Brockhampton.
Brockhampton is home to more than nearly 600,000 sq m of orchards, the largest in the National Trust’s care. In 2022, Brockhampton installed five interlocking orchard “rooms” which mimic the five seed chambers visible when an apple is cut open horizontally. The circular rooms have been planted to tell the story of how apple trees arrived in the UK and includes a natural play trail for families.
Blossom Festival events are also taking place between Sunday 21 and Saturday 27 April – see website for details.
Events are free, but normal admission charges apply.
Cotehele, Cornwall
Nestled down in Cornwall with its mild climate, Cotehele’s orchards are often among the first in the country to bloom. In the 19th century, the Tamar Valley was once a famous area for market gardening, with hundreds of acres of blooming orchards in spring. Today this tradition is preserved at Cotehele, where you’ll find The Mother Orchard which contains more than 300 trees, with 125 different varieties of apple to see.
Festival of Blossom events – including lawn games, haiku writing sessions and blossom-themed picnics – are taking place between Friday 26 and Monday 29 April. These events are free, but normal admission charges apply.
Crom, County Fermanagh
The tranquil 2,000 acre estate is made up of islands and ancient woodlands. One of Ireland’s most important conservation areas, the landscape of Crom is home to a wealth of wildlife including butterflies, wild deer and the elusive pine marten. Leave the road behind and hire your boat at the jetty.
A Guided Blossom Walk is taking place on Tuesday 24 April at 11.30am, This event is free, but normal admission charges apply.
Erddig, Wrexham
The 55,000 sq m walled walled garden at Erddig comes to life with a wide variety of fruit blossom trained along the historic walls and throughout the orchards. More than 180 different varieties of apple are grown at Erddig, and ornamental cherry fills the spring air with a delicate fragrance alongside the blossoms of crab apple, plums and medlars.
Blossom week celebrations run until Sunday 28 April,with poetry inspired by blossom, nature and community on display alongside delicate paper blossom handcrafted by volunteers. Blossom Week events are free, but normal admission charges apply.
Hinton Ampner, Hampshire
The gardens of Hinton Ampner, with their quirky topiary, hidden path network and panoramic views of the South Downs, are the beautiful backdrop to Hinton Ampner’s Blossom Week. Outside soak in the sight of our blossom trees and inside, in the Butler’s Pantry, leave a note on the tree to tell us what delights you about blossom – this could be a thought, an idea, a poem or even a little drawing.
This event is free, but normal admission charges apply.
Quarry Bank, Cheshire
During April, in the Walled Garden visitors have an abundance of blossom to enjoy, including apple, pear, nectarine and peach trees. The first blossom to bloom is that of the apricot tree. Spot the majestic flowers of “The Bride” along the Riverside Walk. The Apprentice House Garden is home to apple, plum and pears trees, making it the perfect place to enjoy a picnic under a canopy of blossom, in one of the many deckchairs and hammocks dotted around. New interpretation boards will also bring the history of blossom to life, from Japanese Hanami celebrations to wassailing and planting traditions. One of the oldest apple trees at Quarry Bank is the Malus domestica “Worcester Pearmain”.
Journey Through Blossom Trail, daily until 12 May. Bloosom Week events include craft sessions, normal admission charges apply.
Llanerchaeron, Ceredigion
Pick up a Blossom Tree Trail at the Welcome Centre and it will lead you around the estate to the best and most beautiful examples of spring blossom.
Built in the late 18th century, the Walled Garden at Llanerchaeron has been producing fruit and vegetables for over 200 years. More than 60 varieties of apple trees line the lawns and climb the walls, each with their own unique shape. Blossom Week events include a talk entitled “Establishing an Orchard” by the head gardener, Alex Summers. These events are free, but normal admission charges apply.
Tredegar House, Newport
The first garden you will come across on the Tredegar House estate is the large and wild Orchard Garden. Home to apple, pear and cherry blossom, the garden is managed in partnership with Growing Space – a registered mental health charity, based in Newport. Festival of Blossom events run until 2 June. Follow the trail of blooms throughout the house, try and find all of them and count them along the way or help yourself to a Creative Kit, full of everything you need to turn your inspiration into works of art. Leave your art for others to see or take home. Normal admission charges apply.
Gibside, Tyne & Wear
The Walled Garden at Gibside is full of fruit blossom in spring, from the early blooming apricot tree, which produces blush pink flowers in February and March, to the plum, cherry and apple blossoms that appear from March to late May. Festival of Blossom events include a family pollinator trail , meet the beekeeper sessions and the chance to make blossom-inspired origami art or write a haiku about what blossom and spring nature mean to you.
These events are free, but normal admission charges apply/National Trust members and under-fives enter free.
