Get blossom spotting for the National Trust this weekend

Time for some blossom spotting...

It’s the National Trust’s first-ever #BlossomWatch Day on Saturday (April 24) and the charity is asking people to go out and share their pictures on social media.

In Bucks, Berks and Oxon, some of the best places to enjoy blossom include the Trust’s properties Hughenden, Cliveden, Stowe, Greys Court and West Berkshire's own Basildon Park.

As restrictions ease and people can finally start to meet outside, the conservation charity is urging people to use the opportunity to share in one of nature’s most magnificent natural spectacles.

By tagging their location, an interactive digital map (www.nationaltrust.org.uk/blossom-watch) will chart the progress of blossom across the country.

The Trust’s gardens and parks consultant for London and the South East, Emma McNamara, said: “Blossom season is advancing apace, but we’ve had some frost damage recently from the low overnight temperatures.

“Magnolia and camellia blossom have been affected by this, burning the flowers at Greys Court and Basildon Park, which means they drop quickly. This highlights the fleeting nature and beauty of blossom.

“However, fruit trees such as apple, pear and cherry will be blooming in late April and early May in the orchards at Hughenden and Cliveden, buzzing with insect life pollinating for fruits later in the year.”

For further information, inspiration and to donate towards the charity’s tree planting ambitions visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/blossom-watch

Visitors are urged to check local and national government guidelines before travelling to see blossom. Some National Trust properties may require or advise that admission is booked in advance to guarantee entry – check the relevant property web pages for the latest information.

And, if you're out and about this weekend or enjoying the blossom in your garden send us your blossom pictures too and we will print as many as we can in the Newbury Weekly News - email newsdesk@newburynews.co.uk