Much of the UK will see a “truly incredible show” of spring blossom next month, the National Trust has said.
Cold temperatures in March, regular snowfalls and the driest February in 30 years have delayed the flowering of the pink blossoms across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
But the National Trust has said a milder and wetter April will counteract the earlier poor weather conditions, as the charity launched its annual blossom campaign.
Andy Jasper, head of gardens and parklands at the trust, said: “While we had a mild winter overall, the recent cold snaps have affected how quickly nature progresses, and we can see the effects of this across many of our gardens with blooms delayed.
“We are still in line for a truly incredible show where the delayed blossom will burst forth in waves across the country like an amazing Mexican floral wave – marking the reassuring moment that spring has arrived.”
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Despite the blooming of blossoms being delayed in many parts of the country, Cornwall has seen an early flowering because of its “unique microclimate”.
Tom Cutter, assistant head gardener for the National Trust at Glendurgan Gardens near Falmouth, said: “We haven’t been hit as badly by the recent cold snap and snow as the rest of the country has been.
“As a result, our visitors get to enjoy an utterly beautiful display of magnolias in our garden right now.”
A bird sits in a blossom tree in Battersea Park, London
The National Trust’s blossom campaign – now in its third year – encourages people to explore the blossom and share pictures on social media with the tag #Blossomwatch.
The campaign is part of a long-term initiative to return blossoming trees to the UK landscape and create an equivalent of Japan’s “hanami”, where people of all generations gather to enjoy the cherry blossoms in spring.
