After a damp and dreary start to the year, there’s finally a reason to look up—and it’s blooming beautiful. Across London and the UK, trees are bursting into bloom, and the National Trust is calling on Londoners to step outside and soak it all in. Backed by new research from YouGov, the conservation charity is launching its seasonal campaign to promote the joy, calm, and wellbeing benefits of blossom—and they’re urging people to take a “Big Blooming Break.”
According to the poll, nearly half (45%) of London adults are highly attuned to seasonal changes like blossom or autumn leaves. Even more striking is that 97% of Londoners say they feel happy when seeing blossom on trees or hedgerows. And yet, despite this clear link between nature and mood, only 13% of London workers take breaks in green spaces during the day—even though 82% say they feel more positive after spending time outdoors. It’s this disconnect the National Trust hopes to close by encouraging people to pause their day, put down their screens, and seek out the simple beauty of the pink and white petals blooming all around them.
Annie Reilly, Blossom Programme Manager at the National Trust, explains, “The joyful sight of blossom after such a grey, cold, and stormy start to the year is a real mood lifter. With the season only lasting a few weeks, it’s really important to enjoy it while we can. Our simple ask is for people to take a break, explore their streets or nearby parks, and recharge under the canopy of blossoming trees.”
At places like Ham House and Garden in Richmond, the season is unfolding in full glory. Jenny Woodcock, a gardener at the site, describes the spectacle: apricot trees blooming in pale pinks, peaches just beginning to bud, and blackthorn and cherry plum blossoms providing a traditional yet stunning display in the edible hedge. Add in over 10,000 tulips, golden daffodils, and cascading wisteria, and Ham House becomes a floral haven for any would-be “Blooming Breaker.”
So as the days grow lighter and the trees begin to blush with colour, there’s no better time to step outside and take in nature’s short-lived but spectacular show. Whether it’s a lunchtime stroll, a walk to the school gates, or a quiet moment under a cherry tree, blossom season is a gentle reminder to slow down, look up, and breathe in the beauty around us.
Best National Trust places in London to see the blossom
Ham House and Garden, Richmond
Discover over 100 fruit trees around the garden, and cascading wisteria down the side of the Orangery café during May.
Fenton House, Hampstead
In April and May, 27 different varieties of apple tree burst into flower in the 300-year-old orchard of this 17-century house in Hampstead. The blossom is pink when the flowers first bloom, fading to white as the season progresses. Small ornamental cherry trees blossom along the South Walk too, providing a lovely backdrop for photos.
Rainham Hall
Spot fluffy clouds of blossom in the orchard as apple, cherry, pear, plum and quince trees burst into flower, bringing splashes of colour and a delicate fragrance to the garden. Rainham Hall’s Festival of Blossom is on now until 11 May. Find the Blossom Bench for a moment of calm, spot blossom in the garden, share spring inspired poetry, or add a wish for the year ahead to the Blossom Wishing Tree. Sunday 27 April is Wellbeing Day with yoga and sound bath sessions, and art sessions.
Morden Hall Park
Visit the mini orchard outside the Stableyard to see Merton variety fruit trees in blossom, then head over to the Rose Garden, where you’ll findd the spectacular Prunus ‘Tai Haku’ ‘Great White Cherry’. From mid to late May the horse chestnut trees blossom into shades of brilliant white, and the hedgerows in the North Park are lined with hawthorn and blackthorn blossom.
Osterley Park, Isleworth
Plum, pear and apple trees blossom from mid-April, attracting bees busily collecting pollen and a colourful pink magnolia flowers at the entrance to the Walled Garden. Spot the Great White Cherry in the Winter Garden, also known as Prunus ‘Tai Haku’, with its brilliant white petals making a beautiful backdrop to your visit.
Visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/blossom to plan your visit and find out more about this year’s blossom campaign.
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