Category: Nature
Six on Saturday: Trentham Gardens in Late September
1. Actea simplex showing burnished autumn colour
I didn’t really want to go to a garden, but I forced myself. Hours sitting in a traffic jam (more accurately, a series of traffic jams) had taken their toll and, although Trentham Gardens was not far out of my way, I wasn’t feeling it.
As I was wavering, I remembered once calling a friend, MVM, to get out of going to see some gardens as I was not feeling well. He said “You’ll be sorry! You’ll like it! There’ll be flowers!”. I went, and it was that day I got to know my sweetheart. The influence of the two of them, spreading as it does over time and space, was powerful enough for me steer my car away from the default path, up the M6, to invest in all the things we invest in when we visit a garden. Continue reading
Wordless Wednesday: Bees
Leaves And Branches
Taking pictures of tree canopies is not that easy with an iPhone, but blue sky, branches and tree leaves have a magnetic effect on my attention, so I keep on trying.
And I’m happy with this one. I have no idea where it was taken. Though I could hunt through my files and find out, it really doesn’t matter. It’s not about the place, but the feeling. For me, this tree neatly wraps up natural beauty, abstract pattern and an emotional experience all in one. It’s uplifting. It rewards the eye that lingers and traces out a few of the branches. Continue reading
Rather Impatiently Awaiting Snowdrops
I know it’s not going to be long till they’re here. I’ve seen the advanced guard, including some in Manchester City Centre yesterday, scattered in amongst the earliest crocuses. Their white tips were still sheathed in greenery, but I’d know them anywhere. Continue reading
Gnome snow gauge
Whiteout
Status: Hat showing
Traffic advisory: Reduced visibility
Snow depth: 5”
§
Drifting
Status: Beard showing
Traffic advisory: Avoid unnecessary journeys
Snow depth: 3-4”
§ Continue reading
Snow-covered Fondren, Jackson, Mississippi, Looking Extra Funky
Suzie Cranston’s birdhouse garden looks magical in the snow
Not the day to dine outside at Walker’s Drive-in
Burning logs in the fire pit makes the garden feel cosy, despite the snow
Autumn Leaves
Massive Live Oak Trees
This Southern live oak tree (Quercus virginiana) seemed almost too big to fit on the camera screen, silly as that seems. I had planned to crop out the people, but rethought the shot because they give a sense of scale. Their placement doesn’t comply with the rule of thirds (rule of thirty-thirds, perhaps) but then my pictures rarely do. Continue reading
