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A Year at Padley Wood

Heavily inspired by the wonderful BBC2 series 'The Garden' with Dan Pearson, this photo-journal charts the changing seasons in our own little patch of land. What hopefully comes across is the simple yet intense happiness that may be found in living close to Nature, in working with it, taming it, but not entirely so, allowing Nature's oft fortuitous experiments their head. I think the camera can capture, to a surprising extent, mood and atmosphere. But I'm biassed, having a necessarily subjective viewpoint. What do you think?

Each thumbnail picture links to that season's gallery of photographs taken in and around the garden, of vistas, plants, moments... 24 photographs in each gallery, it would have been easy to include more, but webspace is limited.

 
Late Winter/Spring

We begin the journey, appropriately, as the old season finishes and a new one begins, shrugging off old winter's dusty mantle for a fresher, cleaner light and the excitement of new life everywhere.


Spring

Perhaps the most exciting time of year in the garden, when rate of change reaches a maximum and the first alfresco meals are indulged with a bottle of wine.


Early Summer

Spring slips rapidly and effortlessly into summer. One day, the garden seems poised, just on the brink of expressing its potential, the next, it seems, all heaven has broken loose and colour takes centre-stage.


High Summer

If we're lucky, this time can be a crowning glory in the garden, if not, a disappointing damp squib. This year, it's been the former: absolutely classic summer weather, showing off the hot colours to their best.


Late Summer

After a brief interim known to gardeners as 'the July gap', the garden may now build towards its final peak. The hope remains that it shall turn out, after all, to be a plateau...


Early Autumn

Once again, the shift from late Summer to early Autumn has been almost imperceptible: the latter has been teasing since almost late July, yet the weather has continued, on the whole, to be kind.


Late Autumn

A lack of severe weather has provided a long and gentle descent towards Winter, tricking some plants into spring behaviour. But there's no mistaking the quality of the light: not the freshness of Spring, but suffused with a restful ease.


Winter

The final chapter in what has been a most enjoyable project. As well as recording the changing seasons, it has also necessitated my learning the basics of decent photography. All aspects of the season are here: a late, late Autumn of magical light; deep Winter with heavy frosts and some snow; and finally, the first hints of the new season to come.


 

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