It’s always tough to capture the true spirit of a wonderful garden. Should you take wide shots that show the overall design or zoom right in to the plants to capture their beauty close up. Staying with my parents who have a wonderful garden has given me the opportunity to try out both approaches with my camera.

Yesterday I posted the broad view picture of their garden – it’s unsurprising that this is a popular garden for people to visit as part of the Yellow Book National Garden Scheme.  They’ve had heaps of people visiting each week and raised money for charity in the process.  This garden is described as a garden for plantaholics as it’s packed full with different varieties and has plants that people have never seen before.  Years of collecting and searching has created this collection of plants that are lovingly tended throughout the seasons.

I have enjoyed looking at the garden but never more so through the lens of my camera.  I know I’ll be in trouble for not putting plants names here but here’s a selection of my favourite close ups which I think you can enjoy perfectly well without the need to know their name.  It’s the contrast between the dark background and the plant here that brings out its form and colours.

The symmetry of these two flowers mesmorises me.

And the way the light shines through the dried flower heads.

What’s interesting about photographs have a different impact on different people.  I liked this one for the way the light falls across the flowers.  My parents weren’t keen on it but I think this may have been because it’s the light not the flower that’s centre of attention.

I like the light and darks of this shot which show off the colour of the flower.  The bokeh also accentuates the flowers in the background.

It’s the architectural plants that I love most.  Their firm lines give real structure to a garden.

This pond lilly has the benefit of both architecture and colour which is what makes it particularly appealing.

I quite fancy having some of these in my own garden, I think they are pretty in a girlie sort of way!

Whereas these are my favourites – their vibrancy of colour and the way they stand tall to show off.

When I get back to my parents I’ll update this post with all the plant names and make a special effort to try and remember them next time.

I can totally understand why people garden.  To bring some tranquility into what is otherwise a hectic life.  Today I drove on the motorway to reach my in-laws.  It was a hair raising experience to say the least.  The roads weren’t busy by UK standards but for a country mouse in a strange car with a stick shift it was sensory overload.

It’s the sheer volume of people, houses, traffic and stuff that I’m noticing on my visit.  Everywhere you turn there is someone or something.  I’ve really enjoyed the countryside though. The big tall hedges  and green fields which have grown up over the years.  It’s certainly very different from the native bush of New Zealand which in many parts is untouched by human hand. Here in the UK you can see how the land has been crafted and developed to meet people’s needs.

Our travels have taken us now to Bulkington where my in-laws live.  In fact many of MT’s extended family live here so it’s been wonderful to see them all again and I’m looking forward to the many hours we can sit, drink tea and tease MTs Auntie J who is the kindest person in the world you would ever want to meet.