Hello Blossom!

With longer days and more sunshine and nature slowly waking back up Spring has definitely-sprung! And nothing says Spring more than a beautiful blooming blossom tree.

Right now, we can all enjoy the spring time flowers on crab apple, cherry, Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Rowan, to name but a few and it’s a joy to see them in full bloom. But it is a short and spectacular window as they don’t last long, but even watching a flurry of petals dancing in the breeze as the flower fades and the delicate petals fall is mesmerizing.

Blossom is truly beautiful and a spectacle to behold and is celebrated across the world.

In Japan Hanami is an important event centred around its much-loved cherry blossom trees (Sakura), crowds in their thousands flock to see the spectacle of the trees in bloom in March/April time.

The Netherlands celebrates a Cherry Blossom Festival. The celebration includes picnics with family and friends under the blossoming trees, with Japanese themed celebration of food and drink and the cherry blossom seen as a metaphor for life. Life’s new beginnings, to celebrate the beautiful things in life – but never forget their fragility

There is also the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC, 1000’s of cherry blossom trees bloom and have been 100-years! And every tree a gift form Japan.

Every new tree planting season, BTfL will plant blossom trees across Birmingham with school children and volunteers ensuring Birmingham’s residents can enjoy their beauty and that Birmingham gets prettier every Spring.

 

And despite the pandemic we managed to plant 40 blossom trees in North Birmingham this month.

The trees were a month late going in, but nevertheless they were bedded down as part of the HS2 funding programme to plant trees in build up areas Birmingham so that resident can benefit from the improvement in air quality, flood management, encourage wildlife and make they area greener.

In the areas of New Hope Park, B7 5HR, Ward End Park,B8 2HB, Elliott Street, B7 5QS and Mount Street B7 5QT

Trees planted last season in Bournville Park are already blooming beautifully so this time next year the residents the above postcodes will be able to enjoy all the benefits blossom trees bring.

So, as a tribute to Birmingham’s blossom trees, as well as planting them BTfL decided to celebrate them in a small corner of South Birmingham, Bournville with BTfL committee member Fiona Williams photographing the trees and sharing them with our followers and readers.

 

The legacy of parks, open green spaces and trees comes for the Cadbury Brothers and started in 1842, when John Cadbury opened a small shop in Birmingham and quickly grew into manufacturing chocolate and in the 1870’s the brother moved their site to Birmingham building a factory called Bournville after the small stream running through it.

His aim was that one-tenth of the Bournville estate should be “laid out and used as parks, recreation grounds and open space, becoming known as the, ‘factory garden.’

Ensuring social reform for his factory workers, enabling them to enjoy good housing and a substantial garden to improve and enhance the quality of family life and no doubt hundreds of the blossom trees in Birmingham are another beautiful legacy eft by the Cadbury Brothers

From March to May we must make the most of blossom trees, sitting under them and admiring them so here are a few for you to enjoy before they fade by the end of May – if you see a beautiful blossom tree you would like to share with us then please send it to – justinemarklew@btfl.org.uk – thank you.

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