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Naoko led a UK sakura group to Hokkaido in May 3-11 2023.    

★July-September  2022 A magnificent ‘Suffolk Sakura’ event took place at the White House Farm in Great Glemham, Suffolk, in July- September 2022. The owner of the farm, Jason Gathorne-Hardy, organized exhibitions of beautiful cherry blossom paintings by a Suffolk artist Emma Green, and stunning sakura silk scarves by Jenny Nutbeem, a natural-dye artist. Both were inspired by Collingwood Ingram’s love of cherry blossoms. The farm has about 60 cherry trees and Emma has been painting them as they came into blossom in the past two years. Jenny has dyed silk scarves with the flowers and leaves of these cherry trees. Jason is a descendent of the first Earl of Cranbrook, …

‘Cherry’ Ingram’s cherry blossom legacy continues to grow Read More »

Naoko gave a talk about  ‘Cherry’ Ingram and some new developments of cherry diplomacy between Japan and the UK at RHS Wisley Gardens on March 30th.  It was part of a special cherry blossom event which included a tour of the Gardens’ cherry trees with the curator Matt Pottage and a splendid five-course Japanese meal at the Garden’s restaurant.  The Ggardens have many different varieties of cherry trees including ‘Yamazakura’ ‘Taihaku’ ‘Shirotae’ , weeping cherries and the Matsumae cherries. The blossoms were at their peak and it was a lovely evening.

Naoko is giving a talk about ‘Cherry’ Ingram and cherry blossoms at RHS Wisley Gardens on 30 March. It is part of an exciting tour of cherry blossoms at the Gardens followed by a 5-course Japanese meal. My talk will be during the dessert and coffee. For booking, follow the link: https://www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley/viewevent?EFID=3294… —This event is fully booked.

       Collingwood Ingram’s cherries have returned to Japan! The 5 cherry varieties that ‘Cherry’ Ingram introduced to the UK in the 1920s and 1930s and which went extinct in Japan have just returned to Japan. The varieties are ‘Daikoku’, ‘Asano’, ‘Okiku-zakura’, ‘Kokonoe-zakura’ and Sumizome’. A Japanese cherry expert,Takaaki Ohara at the Toyama Botanical Gardens in Japan, came to England in 2017  and visited UK cherry expert Chris Lane’s nursery in Kent. Ohara identified 5 varieties that were growing at the nursery but which had disappeared in Japan.  Ohara has since imported them from Chris’s nursery with the help of Oxford University’s Botanical Garden. It was not an easy …

Homecoming of ‘Cherry’ Ingram’s cherry trees. Read More »

Naoko gave a talk about ‘Cherry’ Ingram to Sherborne Historical Society. 170 people came to attend.

　Naoko is speaking about ‘Cherry’ Ingram and the latest news of cherry blossoms in the UK and Japan at 6pm on Thursday, 24th February via zoom for the Oxfordshire Gardens Trust.  Click here to sign up　→　　https://ogt.org.uk/2021/12/11/24-february-lecture-collingwood-cherry-ingram-and-the-japanese-cherry-tree/ 　’Cherry’ Ingram Chinese edition has been published. 

Naoko attended the cherry tree planting ceremony at The Grange, the former residence of Collingwood ‘Cherry’ Ingram, in Benenden, Kent, on 29th November. The planting was part of the SAKURA cherry tree planting project, in which more than 6,000 cherry trees are being given from the Japanese to the British people. The planted trees are: Daikoku, Asano, Hokusai, Okame, Umineko, Collingwood Ingram, Autumn Glory and Shosar. They are all Ingram-related trees, either cultivated, introduced to the UK or discovered in Japan by Ingram. Hokusai is the tree which first ignited Ingram’s passion for cherry blossoms when he moved into The Grange in 1919. These trees had once blossomed at The …

Cherry Tree planting ceremony at The Grange in Benenden Read More »

★September  2021 Naoko gave a talk at Chipping Campden Literature Festival about ‘Cherry’ Ingram. It was the first on-site speech in 18 months and the tickets were sold out.

★August  2021 Spain’s newly appointed culture and sports minister, Miquel Iceta, calls the ‘Cherry’ Ingram book (the Spanish edition)  ‘a story of great sensitivity ‘ and  ‘a book he liked very much for those who want to delve into it this summer’. to read the article, click  https://www.eldiario.es/cultura/iceta-ministro-pasara-verano-prendido-haikus-tina-turner_1_8193652.html