Sussex's National Trust spots that are blossoming this half term - Nymans, Standen House, Sheffield Park , Bateman’s, Petworth House, Uppark House, Woolbeding Gardens, Alfriston Clergy House, Monk’s House -IN PICTURES
With spring around the corner and many flowers and trees bursting into life, the National Trust is celebrating the beauty of blossom and is flaunting fabulous floral displays in its gardens.
By Joss Roupell
Published 16th Feb 2022, 11:53 BST
Updated 16th Feb 2022, 13:31 BST
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Emulating Hanami the ancient Japanese tradition of viewing and celebrating blossom as the first sign of spring, the conservation charity is encouraging everyone to take a moment to enjoy the fleeting beauty of blossom.
See below for a list of the National Trust' s best places to witness the first-rate florescence of the fantastic fauna.
The National Trust is also asking people to share their blossom images using #BlossomWatch, with the hope that the joyful sight of blush-tinted blooms will lift spirits and enable everyone to celebrate nature together.
The National Trust is also asking people to share their blossom images using #BlossomWatch, with the hope that the joyful sight of blush-tinted blooms will lift spirits and enable everyone to celebrate nature together.
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Woolbeding Gardens Woolbeding Gardens delights at every turn with its distinctive garden rooms set against thoughtfully composed borders – look out for primulas, geraniums and other early flowering perennials. Apples trained to climb the historic walls of the herb garden reveal displays of blossom set around a central sundial and English thyme beds. In the Ruined Abbey, cherry trees show their white and pink blossom, which create a carpet of petal confetti on the grass below, in the spring breeze.
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Nymans The Walled Garden at Nymans is famous for its lavish displays of frothy blossom, camellias and spring bulbs. The waxy blooms of the magnolia trees flower around the ruins each year in early spring. Look out for daphnes, planted throughout the garden along the main visitor routes, which offer a lovely scent you walk past. Later in Spring, Nymans don’t miss the rare and prize-winning rhododendron collection as it bursts into life. Joe Whelan, Head Gardener at Nymans, gives this advice for your spring garden: “Keep on top of the early spring weeds, it will save you time later in the year. Early spring is a good time to plant trees, before the ground starts to heat up too much, it will give them a chance to get established. A lot of tender annuals can be sown indoors (or on a windowsill) in February/March.”
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Alfriston Clergy House The cottage garden at Alfriston Clergy House is a lovely place to find inspiration on a domestic scale. The orchard is planted with rare varieties of apples such as Lady Sudeley, Crawley beauty, Monarch and the local Alfriston apple.
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Standen From new blooms to soft birdsong, Standen comes to life in springtime. Enjoy bold displays of spring bulbs and tulips on the house terrace - and banks of daffodils and fritillaries around the garden. The bluebells in Rockinghill Wood are spectacular in late April. Rhododendrons from Mrs Beale’s original collection can be seen around the garden from mid May. While wisteria clothes the wall by the lavender lawn with fragrant purple blooms. The garden team at Standen have recently replanted the border by the cafe with a narcissus called Goose Green, plus wildflowers and over a thousand alliums. Don’t miss the clouds of apple and pear blossom in spring. James Masters, Head Gardener, says: “We have apple, pear, cherry, pear, quince and medlar blossom at Standen. Look out for them in the orchard, Goose Green and the kitchen garden. The best time to see blossom does vary each year, pears are normally first in mid-March, the apples blossom throughout April and we have a couple of early cherries that will
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