Thursday 23 December 2010

Warming Winter Photograph's - No.1

‘Warming Winter Photographs,’ is a set of posts I hope to add to my blog during this festive period, featuring some of my favourite photo's. I’m not only a frustrated garden writer it seems, but also a frustrated garden photographer! I enjoy shooting gardens where I work & on visits, mostly for personal record. However, with the invention of personal blogs, I can finally post my own photo's & thoughts to the world at large - well, to a few interested parties anyhow!

The danger is, once I sit at the keyboard to add a post – I just can’t stop typing. This obviously makes for wordy articles which can be glossed over all too easily. Therefore, with a few days away from Compton Verney over the Christmas period, I thought I’d try & add some of my photographs, & post some warming photographs from sunnier times. I hope you enjoy – do let me know your thoughts, questions, & if you have suggestions for local gardens worth visiting with my camera.

For this first post, I’ve added a few photographs from a garden sculpture exhibition we visited back in the summer. Russell’s Quarry Garden & Avondale Flower Gardens, Baginton, Coventry, was the location pictured for an exhibition titled ‘Outside Art’ , (Link to website describing events up to & including 2010.) Please take a look at the photo's, a short description of the visit follows.









It was a very warm day, with shade from the numerous ornamental trees being particularly welcome. In fact, photography was proving quite challenging due to glare from the bright sunshine; not to mention all the visitors who were studying most exhibits closely. The display items were set very well within the quarry garden, using all the available nooks, crannies, rock faces & still pools to best advantage. Some stunning pieces were on show, & even though they were available for purchase, they were positioned very well to allow each piece its own space to shine; in such a beautiful situation.

The garden there is very special, with paths that meander high up above the quarry, & also deep down & over bridges that cross reflective & secluded pools. A wide variety of shrubs & herbaceous plants provide ground cover in very natural proportions, & a lovely selection of trees have matured to give the garden an establish feel. I dread to think of the overall distance of the path network, but it is one of those gardens, where you know you have to cover every inch of footpath so that you don’t miss anything! Fortunately, the garden is blessed with numerous benches, all placed with lovely & quite different views. I would add that the garden was very well tended, especially so considering the abundance of planting, & size of garden – no space was wasted at all. (Yes, I do apologise for being a neat freak – but I am a professional to the end!)

I shall halt my typing now….. but if you've made it this far through the article - I'd love to hear your constructive feedback?! 
Enjoy your gardening!   (Make that snow clearing.....)

Gary.
p.s. You can find me on Twitter, just search or click on:  GaryWebb1

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