To boost the amount of blossom trees in the UK, the National Trust is pledging to plant hundreds of blossom trees at different sites including London, Nottingham, Newcastle and Plymouth. These will include varieties such as cherry, hazel and plum which all give beautiful pink flowers in the spring. The project is hoping to boost nature in these areas where there is currently not much access to green space and to give people a closer connection to the natural world.
The inspiration for this has come from Japan where each spring they have "Hanami" - the celebration of flowers at the arrival of spring. Trees are in bloom everywhere you look and it creates quite a spectacle which people travel from far and wide to see. By boosting the number of trees (particularly blossoming trees) it is hoped that it will create a similar spectacle in the UK and draw people's attention to the beauty of nature. Many populations live in 'grey deserts' in the UK where there are large areas of no trees or green space, and this can have an impact on people's mental health, and their appreciation and respect for the natural world.
Blossom is also plays an important in supporting ecosystems. An abundance of pollen increases the number of pollinating insects such as bees, wasps, beetles and flies. These in turn feed birds in the local area who can further spread pollen and seeds. When looked at together, these behaviours all help to make a richer environment that can support a more diverse wealth of wildlife.
Why not think about planting some blossoming trees in your garden or school? The sight of blossoming trees can spark interest in young children and help them to understand the life cycle of trees and the seasons. You could even incorporate these events in to lessons, and do some research into places like Japan who have amazing blossom events every year!
To find out more, visit the BBC to learn about the blossom planting project; or kiddle to find out more about Japan's seasonal blossoming 🌸🌸🌸
