Broadleaf spring issue: bring on the blossom

It’s spring! Season of bluebells, blossom… and salad shortages, as food sustainability becomes a hot topic in the UK. Our lead feature examines the ways trees on farms can boost productivity while tackling the climate crisis, with nitty gritty on how from our own Hall Farm in Devon. We’ve a nature feature unmasking the delicate dance between blossom and pollinators, plus nation’s favourite Alan Titchmarsh talks witch sticks and the whopping willow in his garden in our Trees & Me interview slot.

Agroforestry: making trees work on farms

A healthy environment is essential to sustainable food production, and trees are the ultimate multitaskers. Our lead feature takes a deep dive into the ways strategically placed saplings can shelter livestock, buffer crops and boost profit. Discover:

• how we’ll create a best practice blueprint at Hall Farm in Devon, by showcasing the ways trees can be stitched into the landscape for future-proof farming.
• the ways we've teamed up with Defra and talked to farmers from every side of the industry to help shape the policy and payments that will pave the way for greener land management.
• how Welsh dairy farmer Abi Reader has planted 3,500 saplings on her land – slashing her cattle feed costs and the farm’s carbon footprint.

All right, blossom?

Dainty blossom frothing along our hedgerows and from tree-tops is a soul-gladdening sight each spring. But did you know climate change means each bud is bursting open much earlier than before? Find out:

• how data from our citizen science project Nature’s Calendar proves blooms like elderflower are opening circa two weeks sooner than in 2001.
• the ways this impacts on the pollinators who emerge in concert with blossom each season: some are specially adapted to drink nectar from certain flowers, so timing is crucial.
• why you should carefully check the credentials of that ornate cherry you plan to plant in your garden: if it’s too pink or the blooms are too blousy, it could be a dud for pollinators.

This season’s latest trends

Spring is when the world wakes up, and a stroll in the great outdoors is a riot of birdsong and scent. This issue, our box-fresh round up of the best things to do and places to see on our estate and beyond includes:

• hedge-laying at Durham’s ancient Low Burnhall woods, where a 10ft-tall willow sculpture can be discovered by wheelchair users and pram pushers alike thanks to 7km of new all-access trails.
• the 100-acre haven we’ll help plant in the heart of Nottinghamshire’s DH Lawrence country, as part of our Platinum Woods project to honour the late Queen.
• The People’s Walk for Wildlife in London, led by Chris Packham, will demand urgent action to halt the catastrophic decline in the UK’s biodiversity.

And there’s more...

Our spring edition is bursting with tales worth shouting from the treetops. Flick through and find:

• where national treasure Alan Titchmarsh forged his lifelong love of nature, how many trees he’s planted over the years, and why a rub-down each spring makes his silver birch sing.
• the latest news and events from the woods, including a hallowed peek at our rarest and most magical habitat – temperate rainforest – and a look at the links between hairy wood ants and rare ground flora in Scotland.
• A bespoke stomp through Cheshire’s Frodsham Woods, where we’ve just bagged a 38-hectare golf course we’ll now turn over to nature.

All this and more in the latest edition of Broadleaf, free to members of the Woodland Trust.

Broadleaf is our magazine exclusive to Trust members. Its inspirational writing and stunning photography tell the inside story of how we, our members, volunteers and partners stand up for trees. To receive your regular copy, become a member now.