Spring is just around the corner, and we can all look forward to longer days, lighter nights and warmer weather.
Exactly when spring starts depends on which of the two calendars you follow. The meteorological calendar, which is the same every year and is based on the annual temperature cycle, states that spring always begins on March 1. This year that means that spring will begin on Friday 1 March. It ends on May 31, which is Friday May 31 in 2024.
The astronomical calendar, which changes year-on-year and refers to the Earth’s orbit in relation to the sun, dictates that spring 2024 will begin on Wednesday 20 March and last until Thursday 20 June.
Spring, of course, is typically a time when we can look forward to milder weather, ditch our winter coats in favour of a light jacket and enjoy longer hours of sunlight. Many of us like to get outdoors too, after spending the winter months hibernating inside, and one of the most beautiful things we see outdoors during springtime are blossoms.
Blossoms are the flowers of stone fruit trees, usually pink in colour though sometimes white. There are a variety of types; cherry blossom, apple blossom, plum blossom, orange blossom and almond blossom. There are a number of places you can visit across the UK to see these impressive trees and stunning flowers, as noted by the National Trust. Click through our gallery below to find out where to visit near you.
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5. Benthall Hall, Shropshire
Benthall Hall is the place to be if you want to see a species of blossom that is exactly the same as that which can be seen in Japan. The Yoshino cherry tree flowers every year in April, at the same time it does in Japan. These flowers are almost entirely white but have a delicate pale pink hue towards the centre, a true sight to behold for any botanist. Photo by Wikimedia. | Wikimedia
6. Calke Abbey, Derbyshire
You’ll see peach blossoms blooming in the aptly named Peach Garden here in early spring. Later in the season, you’ll also see apple and plum blossoms and there’s also wild cherry, blackthorn and hawthorn blossoms as you wander around the estate. Photo by National Trust Images/Susan Guy. | ©National Trust Images/Susan Guy
7. Beningbrough Hall, Gallery and Gardens, York
There’s more than 50 varieties of apple and pear trees to be seen in the gardens of this large Georgian mansion, and each provides a very pretty flower. You’ll also see cherry blossoms come out later in the season. Photo by National Trust Images/Annapurna Mellor. | ©National Trust Images/Annapurna Mellor
8. Speke Hall, Liverpool.
Two large cherry trees on the North Lawn of this Tudor manor house provide an impressive display of blossoms. There’s also an orchard which is bursting with a variety of fruit trees, including apple and plum, which create a lovely mixture of pink and white flowers. There’s even blossoms in the hedgerows on Bund Path, which overlooks the River Mersey and is sure to be a very picturesque scene. Photo by National Trust Images/Andrew Bu. | ©National Trust Images/Andrew Bu