NATIONAL TRUST CYMRU is encouraging people to use the longer warmer days of spring to come together on social media and share their pictures as part of the charity’s first ever nationwide #BlossomWatch Day, or in Welsh, Diwrnod #GwleddYGwanwyn.
As restrictions ease and loved ones can finally reunite outside, the National Trust are asking people to share their pictures of nature’s most magnificent spectacles.
The charity is asking people simply to meet loved ones or take a quiet moment to sit alone under or near a blossoming tree, take notice and perhaps share images on social media.
Wales’ recent weather – with plunging temperatures of up to minus five at night and some areas experiencing snowfall – has given this year’s blossom an uncertain start but it is expected to reach its peak in the coming days and weeks.
With the current spell of warmer sunnier weather putting spring back on track, people are being asked to share pictures of blossom on social media on April 24 and tag them using #BlossomWatch #GwleddYGwanwyn.
By tagging their location, an interactive digital map (www.nationaltrust.org.uk/blossom-watch) will chart the progress of blossom across the country.
Must visit places in Wales to see beautiful blossom
National Trust Cymru have reopened their gardens, outdoor areas, holiday cottages, some shops, and food and drink outlets in Wales. To help keep everyone safe, pre-booking is required. Please check property web pages for the latest information and to book your visit.
North Wales
Erddig’s 13.5-acre walled garden comes to life each spring with a huge range of fruit blossom. The plum trees are already in bloom and an array of espaliered fruit trees along the garden walls provide a beautiful backdrop to a garden springing back to life. A sea of cordon trained apple trees are a real treat for the senses and with over 180 different varieties grown at Erddig, the humble apple becomes the real star of the show, taking centre stage at the annual apple harvest each October.
One of the highlights of 700 year old Chirk Castle’s spring display is undoubtedly the courtyard Wisteria which bursts to life in mid-May. This magnificent medieval fortress boasts beautiful formal gardens with cherry and pear blossoms to delight along the lawn. The Pleasure Ground Wood, right next to the main gardens, is a formal area of woodland bisected by pathways arranged to provide easy and peaceful walking routes amid drifts of bluebells in May. There is also a shrub garden, where the late spring rhododendrons smell beautiful after a spring shower.
With colourful flowers springing to life and choruses of birdsong ringing through the trees, Powis Castle & Garden is the perfect place for blossom viewing. See the delicate pink and white blossoms of century-old apple trees in the Formal Garden, and admire the cloud-like blossoms of cherry trees and ancient pear trees carefully trained to the walls of the 17th Century Italianate Terraces. By mid-May, don’t miss the magnificent Wisteria Floribunda draping its pea-like flowers over the Aviary Terrace. At over 160 years old, this beautiful climber has charmed visitors for generations!
In April and May, Penrhyn’s woodlands are awash with colour and blossom as the golden yellow of early spring daffodils fades and the bright blue of dainty Bluebells take their place. Wild wooded areas like the Lime Grove and The Dell are transformed into a carpet of blue whilst multicoloured tulips bring the formal box borders of the famous Walled Garden to life. Keep an eye out as you arrive for our newly planted Sakura cherry trees, part of a project to bring even more blossom and colour to this wide-open green space.
As winter slowly takes a step back and spring leaps forward at Plas Newydd, the Grade 1 listed garden comes alive with all the colours and energy of the new season. Set in a marvellous location alongside the Menai Strait, the mild conditions allow for spring flowering magnolias, cherry blossom and camellias. The secluded Rhododendron Garden originates from the 1930s and showcases specimens recently introduced by plant hunters. The Dell is awash with colour and is a fantastic spot for a moment of peaceful contemplation.
Bask in an orchard of Welsh fruit trees perched high above Porth Neigwl (Hells Mouth), whilst enjoying the stunning coastal views from? Plas yn Rhiw. With over 130 apple, pear, plum and cherry varieties blooming in late April and May, the space is transformed with? a flourish of blossom, delicate aromas and the buzz of bees from the nearby hives. Keep an eye out for cuckoo flowers (plural or need to add ‘the’ cuckoo flower), birds foot trefoil and common spotted orchids dotted amongst the flower-rich grassland underfoot. Before descending (as it’s a new sentence I’d say ‘Then descend…’ rather than starting with ‘Before’) through a carpet of bluebells,back down through the woodland to the garden.
Take a walk among 80 acres of spring blossom with late flowering magnolias, beautifully scented viburnums and ornamental cherry, plum and apple trees. Spot the bluebells emerging and watch the garden’s famous rhododendron collection opening into a kaleidoscope display of colour. All followed by the spectacular arrival of the Laburnum Arch in mid May.
South Wales
Stepping into the walled garden you’ll be immersed in spring’s wonderful blossom display at Llanerchaeron. The damsons and pears have just come into flower and we’re eagerly awaiting the ancient espalier apple trees which have grown into their own rogue shapes and produce over 50 different varieties of apple. Come autumn the very same trees produce apples that can be purchased to support the continued restoration of the walled garden at Llanerchaeron.
Dinefwr’s Heritage Orchard was planted in 2012, and since then a merry band of volunteers have continued to nurture and protect the fruit trees. Their hard work has paid off, resulting in a flourishing orchard with 64 varieties of apples and pears that provide a strong crop of fruit every year, as well as a magnificent display of blossom.
Colby Woodland Garden, Pembrokeshire
Within Colby’s Walled Garden you’ll find a small orchard containing plum, pear, apple, cherry and fig trees, which provide a beautiful blossom display throughout much of spring. There’s also a medlar tree here, and in early 2019 the gardeners planted more medlars out in Colby’s woodland as part of a new ‘edible garden’ they’re creating. Keep an eye out for their white blossom amongst the trees in May, or their fruits in autumn, which resemble large brown rose hips.
The walled gardens at Tredegar House start to burst with vibrant colour as spring brings nature back to life. The season of blossom begins with the camellia, which can be found boasting their bright reds and pinks as you stroll down the smaller garden paths in the orchard garden. Following closely behind, the magnolia’s fleeting displays of pink and white flowers create a spectacular show in the cedar garden and are the highlight of springtime visits in April. As the season moves towards summer, explore the orchard and orangery gardens to see the fruit trees bloom before turning green. The parkland also hosts a variety of colour for those taking a walk around the lake, and visitors can enjoy the rhododendrons, horse chestnuts and sweet chestnuts at the end of April through to May.
A fleeting but fabulous burst of cherry blossom is one of the most breath-taking signs of spring – and Dyffryn Gardens has this in abundance in the walled garden. A vast display of magnolia of all varieties can be enjoyed including Campbellii, Grandiflora, Delavayi, Amelanchier lamarckii, Stellata and Soulangeana. Camellias, Rhodedendrons and Parrotia persica can also be enjoyed in the Arboretum.
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