When Skies are Grey

 I have been working from home today, and all day long the sun has been shining and there has hardly been a single cloud in the sky. So, I was looking forward to finishing work and getting outside for a nice evening walk along the sea front. But as I turned off my work laptop I realised that the sudden gloom in my  home office is not because the nights are drawing in (we have past the summer solstice after all) but because there is a weather front coming in and the sky is now heavy with dark grey clouds.

As an antidote for that I thought I would quickly post some beautiful, bright and colourful shots of some flowers taken not so long ago in the gardens at Erddig. Hopefully these images will give your day a little lift just as they have mine.

You're welcome.

Beautiful Bluebells

 

You know that feeling when you look under a cushion and find a £20 note that must have fallen out of your pocket unnoticed? No nor do I, it is more likely to be a till receipt or a tissue in my house. But just imagine how good it would feel. Well that is sort of how I felt earlier today when I picked up my camera to get a couple of macro shots of a mysterious bug on our garden wall (more of that at a later date). After I had got a few decent shots I scrolled through to find a load of pictures from a recent day out that I had forgotten I had, then to make things even better I found a load of pictures from a day out before that too. I was so pleased I could hardly wait until I finished work to upload them.

So although the bluebell season has ended I still have a few pictures that I haven't processed yet, I don't want to overload this post with too many pictures so I will spread them over a day or two. Unlike my last post which was from a walk in Boilton Woods these were taken at Burton Mere, I think you will agree that these are quite special, such beautiful flowers and now they are gone for another year it is nice to still be able to enjoy their beauty.

I am so grateful for the beauty of nature and I am grateful that I found these almost forgotten images (I would have liked to find £20 too).

Death Come Quickly

 

I haven't really been able to indulge my passion for photography for a long time and on the odd occasions when I have been able to get out with my camera I have had limited time and only managed to get a few shots and so I have not regularly posted anything to my blog, it has been in fits and starts. So this past week has been a much needed treat for me. I was able to spend a few days down in Somerset and Devon and along the way I managed to capture a few decent images that I am looking forward to sharing and perhaps sharing the story behind some of them.

On Monday I went to Hestercombe Gardens just outside of Taunton. There are some lovely formal gardens designed by Gertrude Jekyll and Edwin Lutyens in 1908, but there are also some wonderful landscaped gardens which date back to the 1750's with lots of little surprises and hidden gems, such as gothic temples, cascades and alcoves where you can sit and enjoy spectacular views across the garden. 

It was wet and grey when I visited but that didn't spoil the visit in any way. In fact the rain added some extra interest as you can see from the images above. 

I have a few more pictures with a watery theme to come but for today I have a shot of this Geranium robertianum; a species of cranesbill. It is commonly known as herb-Robert, fox geranium, red robin, stinking Bob, crow's foot, squinter-pip and as in the title of this post death come quickly. Apparently it can be used in folk medicine with a variety of benefits; one that particularly interests me is that the smell from the leaves if rubbed on the body will repel mosquitoes. As someone who seems to attract mosquitoes and all manner of bitey bugs that sounds quite tempting although perhaps the smell which is said to be similar to burning tyres may actually drive away more than just mosquitoes.

This is a very unassuming little plant and could have been overlooked very easily but I think it was worth the time and attention to get this shot (and the cropped image too) with the raindrops for added interest. The pink flower stands out nicely against the green backdrop of bracken, I think it is really beautiful.

Tulips

 I love tulips but I was somewhat surprised to find these little beauties growing in a kitchen garden at Sizergh Castle. It seemed an unusual setting but to be honest they looked really good.

I think the flower in the first image is absolutely stunning in its elegance with its soft cream and pink petals. I am sure you will agree it is a real delight.

The other images are of two different red varieties. I have been told that photographing red flowers is really difficult because it is hard to capture a true reproduction of the colour. I am not sure why this is but it is true and so I had to try several times to get what I hope are the true colours of these lovely blooms. 

Cardoons

 Thistles can be pretty. I love the pinky purple tones of the flower head which viewed close up has a multitude of little tendrils; black, plum and mulberry coloured fingers reaching upwards from a spiky ball.

I like the colour images but I also really like the black and white image because it highlights the structure of the flower

Three Narcissi

 So I had had a lovely time in the grounds of Sizergh castle watching the wildlife and having a lovely picnic lunch and then I went to walk around the castle gardens. Early in the season I wasn't sure what to expect and I was amazed to see so many different varieties of narcissus. I didn't photograph them all but here are three of my favourites.

Roses are Red

Violets are violet!  I love these flowers how about you?

OK so I know it doesn't rhyme but I have never claimed to be a poet...

These are Viola riviniana commonly known as dog violet or wood violet. I think it is a stunning little flower. Hidden away in the woodland shade it would be so easy to miss as you walk by, but it is definitely worth a second look.

A Little Bit of Sunshine

 Yellow is my favourite colour. 

It was a brilliantly sunny day and it just lit up this bed of beautiful lilies, creating a wonderful and uplifting display.

I'm Alright Jack(daw)

 So after several days of posting colourful blossoms and blooms I will be sharing some more of our feathered friends, and then I might share a few more floral images we'll see...

Corvids are not always the most exciting birds at first glance but if you look closely at this Jackdaw you can see they are actually quite beautiful with sleek and shiny plumage. They're also really quite intelligent so they are definitely worth a closer look. You could say they are bright and beautiful!

The Great Pretender

I love bees and I get a buzz when I get to photograph them because they're not at all easy subjects.

But this is not a bee, or a wasp it is a hoverfly, one of the 300 species that are native to our country. They don't sting like bees or wasps but they mimic them as a means of defence against predators. They are important pollinators just like bees and just like bees their numbers are declining as a result of the increased use of  pesticides.

Just like bees they are interesting subjects for photography and luckily for me this one sat around long enough to get a few decent shots.

Insect Heaven

I love these white Cone Flowers (or Echinacea), their strong white petals folding back to reveal the spiky orange centre that attracts all manner of pollinating insects. 

That's Just Dandy

Whenever I post pictures of Dandelions I ask myself the question "are these weeds of wildflowers?"  

Looking at these beautiful images the answer is clear, to me at least.