It can be very heartening to see the previously bare skeletal trees and shrubs suddenly burst in to a dazzling white, almost as if coated in snow. Indeed, white is very much the colour of choice for blossom. Shades of white into yellow are the prevalent colours of spring flowers, as they’re bright and more easily noticed by the fewer pollinators early in the year, against the generally dark backdrop.

Blackthorn is generally the first shrub to blossom, indeed writing this in February, I have already seen its spangled blossom brightening up the later winter days. Hopefully it hasn’t emerged too soon in this very mild winter as it could be vulnerable to a lack of pollinators and any cold weather that may still be to come. If this occurs, there could be slim pickings for Sloe foragers this autumn. In March, lengths of hedgerow and patches of scrub can be turned white by the Blackthorn with early season insects taking full advantage when other flowers are scarce.

As spring progresses various other blossoms will grace our hedgerows and woods with Wild Cherry, Crab Apple, Guelder Rose, Wayfaring Tree, Wild Privet, Elder, Bird Cherry, Rowan, Whitebeam, Wild Service Tree, Horse Chestnut, Hawthorn, Dogwood and others all putting in an appearance. There is also the yellow blossom of gorse, however this isn’t particularly a feature of spring because as we all know, “when gorse is out of bloom, then kissing is out of fashion.”

It is fantastic to see the blossom within the traditional orchards that are dotted throughout the Gwent landscape; a harbinger of fruit crops that will feed us and our wildlife in the autumn.

Travelling through the Wye Valley in April, the splashes of white dotted within the woodlands clothing the valley sides pinpoint the location of many fine Wild Cherry trees. The Wye Valley is a great place to spot many other of our scarcer blossoming shrubs with Wayfaring Tree, Wild Privet, Dogwood, whitebeams and others favouring the calcareous soils found there.

May is the season to see Hawthorn at its prime, hence its other name of May-tree. Hedgerows again turn white with masses of Hawthorn blooms, and it is a splendid site to see all the Hawthorn bushes dotted within our upland slopes become bright white sentinels for a few weeks.

One of my favourite blossoms is Bird Cherry. This is a relatively scarce plant, however a visit to the Llanthony Valley in early May can be rewarded with eye-catching sprays of blossom emerging from over-grown hedgerows.

As May progresses and in to early June, then Elder blossom reaches its peak, with its frothy blooms glowing in the hedgerows and being swarmed over by busy insects. It has a lovely refreshing scent and is great to make Elderflower cordial or champagne with, as long as plenty is left for our wildlife. Be warned that the fresh floral scent turns to cat wee in the afternoon!

As well as being visually appealing, these blooms are a fantastic source of spring nectar for our insects and the blossom is followed by fruits in the autumn. This makes three great reasons to enjoy our blossoming trees and shrubs, and if you can make space for these in your garden also then all the better.