Japanese Flowering Cherries reach their blossomy peak at Batsford Arboretum
Batsford Arboretum’s National Collection of Japanese Flowering Cherries are on target to reach their blowsy blossomy peak in time for the Easter Weekend.
With around 120 trees planted in clusters, it’s a wonderful time of year to enjoy the spring sunshine in the 56 acre Gloucestershire arboretum. The 52 different varieties known as Japanese village cherries (Sato-Zakura group), offer a confetti of colour ranging from pure white to fuchsia pink and every shade in-between.
It’s been a an amazing year for blossom at Batsford Arboretum, which is also home to 73 different varieties of magnolia and tens of thousands of spring flowering bulbs.
The cherry collection was established at Batsford Arboretum in the 1950’s by the then owner, the 2nd Lord Dulverton and added to over the years. It offers visitors a show stopping display early in the season. There are also a number of incisa cherries – a mountain variety of Japanese cherry offering even more colour. Lord Dulverton was fascinated with Eastern cultures which he reflected both in his planting and the oriental statues dotted around the arboretum.
Both Japanese village and incisa cherries are available to buy from the Plant Centre at Batsford which means visitors can take a piece of the arboretum home with them. They make a great addition to medium sized gardens – providing show-stopping interest early in the season.
The height of the blossom is a great chance for visitors to get involved in Batsford’s new photography competition to capture the essence of Batsford. The competition runs until Saturday 3rd May and there are 3 categories:
Adults, Seniors (aged 12 to 18) and a Junior category for the 11 and unders.
As well as featuring on the front cover of next April’s Moreton Times, all three winning photographs will be displayed in Batsford’s Visitor Centre and feature in the 2015 Batsford calendar.
The winner of the adult category will receive a season ticket giving year round access to the arboretum for two people and the senior and junior category winners receive a Flying Start Falconry Experience, courtesy of the Cotswold Falconry Centre.
How to enter.
The theme is capturing the essence of Batsford and each entrant can enter just one image which must be landscape.
Send a 5 x 7cm print of your entry to Susie Hunt, Batsford Arboretum and Garden Centre, Batsford, Moreton-in-Marsh, GL56 9QB If successful, the winners must be able to supply an image or up to 300ppi for print purposes and consent to their image being used by Batsford Arboretum and Moreton Times for promotional purposes.
The closing date for entries is Saturday 3rd May and the winners will be announced in June’s Moreton/Stow Times.
Explore Gloucestershire
17 April 2014
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