Rosemoor in blossom

One of my favourite cherries for its simplicity, Prunus ‘Jo-nioi’ is bursting with clouds of pure white flowers in the lower shrub border. It really is a striking specimen – a magnet for both visitors and pollinating insects.

Nearby Prunus ‘Shirofugen’ (image above) could hardly be more different with its clusters of double pink flowers set against bronzed young foliage.

Of course, cherry trees have the biggest impact when planted in groups. In the Fruit Field, a group of three Prunus serrulata var. hupehensis catches the eye, smothered in pure pink blossom emerging from darker pink buds.

In Lady Anne’s Garden we have some of our oldest specimens, including another favourite, the great white cherry, Prunus ‘Tai-haku’. It’s a wonderful, wide canopied tree, with exquisite pure white, single flowers.

This magnificent specimen was planted by Collingwood ‘Cherry’ Ingram, the man regarded as saving many rare Japanese cherries from extinction. His chance meeting with Rosemoor’s then owner, Lady Anne Berry, sparked her interest in horticulture and spawned the garden we see today.

The Woodland Garden has its fair share of cherries set among camellias, magnolias and rhododendrons. The small, delicate white flowers of Prunus incisa jostle for space along its bare branches, and the white blossoms of Prunus verecunda ‘Autumn Glory’ glow against fresh bronze foliage.

Blossoms for friendship

Recently added to our ornamental cherry collection are 15 trees as part of the Sakura Cherry Tree Project celebrating friendship between Japan and the UK. Cherry blossom (Sakura) is the national flower of Japan.

In Lady Anne’s Arboretum we have planted a group of three Prunus × yedoensis alongside a selection of existing cultivars which in time will make a fabulous display.