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The enduring appeal of Cherry Blossom; Japanese author to give public lecture in Durham.
Cherry blossom or 'Sakura' is the national flower of Japan, symbolising the transient beauty of life. Tourists make pilgrimages in the blossom season to view the springtime spectacle of the kaleidoscopic montage of pastel pink and white blossom that adorn Japan's parks and gardens. However, this diversity of blossom was almost lost forever, were it not for one eccentric Englishman: Collingwood "Cherry" Ingram, without whom some of the best cherry varieties would have gone extinct entirely.
This is the subject of the book by esteemed Japanese journalist and author Naoke Abe, who will be delivering a public lecture entitled 'Saving the blossom: Cherry Ingram and his rich legacy.' in Durham on Thursday 28th November.
Cherry Ingram (1880-1981), the Englishman who saved Japan's blossoms had fallen in love with Japanese cherry blossoms at the beginning of the 20th century, travelling to Japan three times to bring back cuttings of different species and varieties of ornamental cherry trees. By the 1940's, he had created the world's largest cherry tree collection in his garden in Benenden, Kent. He also created new varieties by artificial hybridisation.
Ingram spread the beauty of cherry blossom across the UK and beyond, he was determined to preserve the diversity of cherries at a time when many varieties were disappearing from Japan because of industrialisation and militarisation. Ingram saved several varieties in his garden that had gone extinct in Japan. The most notable was 'Tai-Haku', the Great White Cherry, which Ingram returned to Japan in 1932 with help from Longwood Botanical Gardens USA.
Naoke will explore Ingram's legacy, which continues to the present day and why cherry blossoms are increasingly popular in the UK with many new planting projects planned. She will also explore the role Sakura plays in Japanese culture, including the Japanese military's ideological distortion of cherries during the Second World War when cherry blossom was used to encourage Kamikaze pilots to die bravely for their country.
The lecture is being hosted by the Northern Branch of the Chartered Institute of Horticulture as part of their 40th anniversary celebrations, it is sure to fascinate gardeners and anyone with an interest in Japanese culture, history and of course cherry blossom. Naoke will have copies of her books available for signing.
Tickets available from website
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