Against The Wall

I spotted these tiny flowers growing against the bottom of a wall in the shade of some climbing roses. I'd love to be able to tell you what they are but I haven't been able to identify them so if you know what they are please leave a comment below.

Whatever they are they are really beautiful with such an interesting design, in the first image it sort of resembles a cartoon duck, at least I think it does so maybe that says something about the way my mind works.

If you have followed my blog recently you will know that I am offering a chance to win a limited edition print when page views on my blog reach 50,000. All you have to do is visit my facebook page and like/share for a chance to win. Today could be the last chance as the target is likely to be reached tomorrow, so go ahead and have a go...

Pretty In Pink

Alliums are really fabulous plants with the flower heads more like colonies of tiny flowers. 

Walking past a bed of alliums you tend to see rows of colourful balls perched on top of their slender stems. But it really is worth taking a closer look and then you will see the gorgeous detail that you can see in today's first picture.

I hope you like today's post if so and if you would like to be in with a chance to win a free limited edition print (of any picture from posts past and present) simply visit my facebook page where you can like and share. The draw will take place at the end of this week when total blog visitors reaches 50,000 (likely to be Friday if current trends continue)

Beauty and the Beast

I know that it is not very pretty but a close up look at the fly on this flower reveals some really good details (if you can bear to look) such as the speckled grey body and its spiky hairs. 

It also reveals details in the centre of the flower, for example who knew that the yellow segments at the heart of a daisy actually have black tips?

Having shown the beast I had to balance that with the beauty of the daisy which seems to shine in the sunlight. Often thought of as weed, like Dandelions, Daisies are really beautiful and deserve some recognition.

Remember there is a chance to win a limited edition print by visiting my facebook page just like and share the page to be in with a chance to win. The draw will be at the end of this week.

Pin Mill Two

Two more shots of the Pin Mill at Bodnant Gardens today. This time from the inside using the arches and windows to frame the garden.

I like the warm colour of the wall is the first shot but I particularly like the second shot taken from a low vantage point looking out into the garden.

Remember there is a chance to win a free print of your choice (from my blog of course) simply visit my facebook page Like and Share for a chance to win. The draw will be taken when the number of visitors to my blog reaches 50,000. It won't be long so have a go.

Pin Mill

So yesterday I said I had planned on sharing some of the agricultural features from Bodnant and here today are three different views of the pin mill. The third shot is perhaps a more traditional view but the others are views that would often be missed or overlooked.

I like the way the trellis frames the building in the second shot and in the first I like the way it draws the eye towards the mill.

I have really enjoyed posting my blog and I am very pleased that I will soon reach a total of 50,000 views (not counting the page views on my facebook page. So I have decided that I will giveaway a high quality print on the day that I hit the 50,000 total. To be in with a chance to win all you have to do is visit my facebook page and like and share. The more times you share the page the more chances you have to win. Give it a go, you have nothing to lose

Pompon de Paris

I had intended to take a break from flowers tonight and I was going to move onto some of the architectural features of Bodnant Gardens but in the end I plumped for these three different varieties of rose. The first is Pompon de Paris and the last one is Rosa "zigeunerknabe".

Recently I was asked what my favourite flower was and my answer almost without hesitation was the rose and so I was obviously going to share some rose pictures from my day at Bodnant. Of course Rose covers a huge range of flowers, colours, shapes, sizes and of course fragrances. There is so much to love about a rose and hopefully you will love the ones I have chosen for you today.

If you look closely at the tight rosebud in the second image you will see the texture of the new petals and a fine covering of delicate hairs which perhaps you wouldn't expect to see. It just goes to show that it is always worth taking a closer look at things as there is very often much more going on than you would normally see.

Cool Clematis

I love the bold colours of these large and striking Clematis flowers. I have got it wrong in the past when I have described the colours in some of my pictures so before I started to write anything I checked out with my youngest son so now I can say with confidence how much I love the different shades of pink and yellow.



Only kidding, purple and cream :)

These are such beautiful flowers and so that is why I have posted several shots .

Unsprung

These images are great examples of why this season is aptly named Spring as these leaves uncoil like springs.

I love the rich greens in the first image not just in the plant itself but also the different shades in the background and the effects of the light.

I chose to post the second image in black and white because I like the contrast and it also makes the detail of the hairs stand out more. The background in this picture is also interesting as it is like a mirror image (albeit out of focus) of the plant which is the main focus of the shot. I know that not everyone likes to see plants in black and white but here I think the shot works really well.

Campanula

This lovely purple flower is a wall bellflower.

It is difficult to get a sense of scale from these photos, especially as I don't know what size these pictures will appear on your screen. The bud in the second shot was just a couple of milimetres across and the open bloom was no more than a centimetre. They would have been easily overlooked but with the help of my macro lens we get to enjoy a nice close up view of a real gem.

Californication

More of my favourite colour for today's selection but instead of Laburnum today's flowers are California Poppies.

The first picture isn't a crop it is the full image. I wanted to get right in to capture the detail of its fertile centre.

I like the meadow feeling from the second image with the trees, azaleas and ferns as a backdrop and then I love the strong yet delicate sentinel in the final image.

I know I can get a bit carried away when I am talking about flowers but they are so beautiful and they give me such a lift. I don't have the patience to do gardening but I have a lovely selection of photos that I have taken over the years that I can go to at any time.

I think some of you will be on the same page with me and I am sure that some of you will also share my love of the colour yellow.

My Favourite Colour

One of the biggest attractions at Bodnant Gardens is the famous Laburnum Arch which comes into full flower at the end of May.

When I visited the gardens two weeks ago the arch wasn't at its peak glory although it still was a big draw for the many visitors. One end of the arch was coming into flower and so I was keen to get some close up shots of the individual flowers.

I love yellow and these bright flowers really give me a lift and against a pink backdrop as in the second shot they look wonderful. They have such a lovely shape too, designed to draw in bees and other pollinators.

I doubt whether I will get back to see the arch in all its glory this season however these few pictures are enough for me. If you have the chance though get down to Bodnant and I promise you won't be disappointed, if not then come back over the next few days and I will be posting some more floral gems and other shots from the gardens which really are a national treasure. 

Return of the Native

Native English Bluebells that is (in case you were thinking I was referring to Thomas Hardy's classic novel).

You may remember that I recently went to Boilton Woods in Lancashire to find some bluebells and I posted a few pictures here on my blog. Well last week at Bodnant Gardens I found a few more late blossoms hidden away among the shrubs. While there were lots of brightly coloured azaleas and other plants I was really pleased to find these gorgeous bluebells and knew that they would find their way into my blog. 

I hope you think they are worth sharing...

New Blossom

I don't know what this particular flower is but I don't think my ignorance would be a reason not to share it with you.

From the tight little bud in the first picture emerges these beautiful tender white flowers with gloriously bright centres. Set against their soft green foliage they make a splendid sight.

I love getting in close with my macro lens to pick out the detail in the centre with those fine tendrils designed to lure in the bees and pollinating insects so that we can enjoy more of these wonderful plants.

I am so glad that spring has arrived and we can enjoy warmer days and more colour in the world around us.

Morning Fresh

Sometimes plants in the early stage of their development have something of an alien quality about them. Have a look at my post from Monday for a good example of what I mean. 

Today's first shot of an Bearded Iris springing into bloom is another good example. Springing is probably the wrong adjective because it is really a slow unfurling as the flower matures into a beautiful floatey flower.

This one has a soft green background which is the fern from the second of today's pictures. Ferns are really interesting plants with the lovely shades of green and the different textures of the fronds. This one has a really fresh colour as it it young and still has some of the early morning dew on it.

Lovely...

Californian Poppy

I really love the colour of these Californian Poppies and I love getting close up to see the finer details. I hope you like it too...

Coming to Life

Can you tell what this is?


It looks a bit like a dead spider all coiled up or perhaps some other multi-limbed insect.

But of course it's not. It is in fact a type of fern which is gradually unfurling and taking shape. 
It was taken in the gardens at Bodnant on Saturday where I spent a happy few hours with my youngest son, both of us taking pictures of the many beautiful flowers bringing some spring colour. Keep coming back for more shots from my day out. I promise there will be some really great pictures.

Heavenly Bodies

I always like taking shots of the moon, it has a magical appeal and last weekend it was really bright and clear so while out at Bolton Abbey for my camping trip I couldn't resist taking this shot. It was hand held and it was very windy so I didn't get the sharpest image, and so I need some more practice. All the same it's not too bad.

I had hoped to get some nice shots of the night sky but as you can see the moon was very bright so although there wasn't a cloud in the sky the starts weren't as prominent as I had hoped although in the second of today's picture Jupiter is shining brightly in spite of the moon.

Walking around Bolton Abbey after dark (particularly by the cemetery proved to be quite spooky and so although I got a couple of shots I didn't hang around too long. 

I have another trip to the area planned for next weekend with two of my kids and I am hoping for two things; a clear but moonless sky and an accomplice who will not get spooked when we go down to the abbey and maybe I will stay around a bit longer and get some better pictures to share. Wish me luck.

The Joys Of Spring

Last weekend couldn't have been more different to the weekend before when I was in Paris and Versailles. Instead of a quaint apartment and cafe culture I spent much of last weekend under canvas in a field in the Yorkshire Dales eating a delicious burger and nursing a toothache following the extraction of a wisdom tooth.

Although there was less in the way of luxury and I certainly got less sleep I enjoyed every minute of my camping trip at one of my favourite camp sites. I didn't do as much photography as I had intended as I was feeling less than 100% so I spent a lot of time snuggled in the tent out of the very blustery wind.

The few pictures that I did capture were taken either as the light was going or after dark down at Bolton Abbey.

Today's selection is a cuteness overload with these lovely spring lambs. I caught these first two sitting tight together enjoying that last of the evening sunshine.

There were lots of lambs and many of them were running and skipping around, I tried to follow them with my long lens and catch the moment. In the failing light it wasn't easy but I managed to get a few just at the right moment. The second of today's pictures is just one of them. It's a fairly grainy image but it fills me with joy and brings back some happy memories of a weekend full of the joys of spring.

A Place To Sit And Think

So today's picture has taken quite a bit of time to prepare. I have recently been experimenting a bit with a technique (I don't know if it has a name) trying to highlight colour in a black and white image. Sometimes it works and others it doesn't. Today's effort is a work in progress rather than the finished item and I will be coming back to it at some point as I really want to get this right.

I love this image but in black and white it is lacking something and in colour the beautiful floor gets lost. So I tried something different. At first i actually wanted to make the chair pop out becaue the colour of the wood and the straw seat is really beautiful but in lightroom which is what I have used the process is quite tedious and not very precise so after three or four attempts I gave up and decided to bring out the floor which is also quite amazing. Again the process hasn't worked as well as I had hoped so more practice is needed. Maybe I need to try in photoshop using layers, if anyone can given me some pointers I would be very grateful.

In spite of its imperfections I hope you will agree that  the image is good and the overall effect is really nice and so worth striving for perfection.

Top Cat

Street life takes different forms, take this handsome cat for example. This little beauty approached me on the streets of Versailles and from it's plaintiff miaoing I could tell that he wanted someone to make a fuss of him. I soon realised when I miaoed back at him to invite him to come closer that my miaouing must have a distinctly English accent because as much as he wanted to be stroked he became more wary and he gave me this inquisitive yet slightly disdainful or disapproving look.

About Town

There is not much to say about today's selection of photos all taken around and about Versailles.

I really like the different styles of architecture which make this such an interesting city.

The Station is one of several in Versailles, the ticket hall is a vast space and I like the imposing clock in what I think is Art Deco style. 

The shot of the market was taken quite early in the morning as I walked to the bakery for fresh bread and croissants. As you can see there were very few people about other than the traders and I had a pleasant stroll enjoying the quiet and thinking about people at home and imagining how different this place would be in just a short while.

I love France, I just need an excuse to go back soon.