Sweetgum and Black Grasses

 I can never resist photographing the frost covering the black grasses (Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens). This fallen red leaf from our American sweetgum tree (Liquidambar styraciflua) added a touch of colour to the picture.

Ice Pattens

 Winter arrives in Ainsdale. Whilst our reflection pool has been a disaster as a water feature, it is a successful successor to my old ice bucket at the cottage. It's produces unique geometric ice patterns.

The Last Apple

 

Autumn colours.

  A lots of leaves came down in the garden after storm Ciara. This is one off the sweet gum tree fallen on the last of the Katsura leaves still smelling of toffee apples.

Traffic Lights

 

Katsura Tree

 

Crab Apples

 This time last year our crab apple tree was full of fruits. This year they are very scarce. I thought perhaps it was the dry spring, but the apple and pear trees have fruited well.

Osteospermum Tresco Purple

 

Osteospermum Tresco Purple, is providing a splash of colour in the garden. It's been a little late coming into flower but as it a semi hardy evergreen perennial hopefully will provide some colour again next summer.

Centaurea dealbata (Perennial Cornflower).

 A late flowering perennial cornflower which bears an abundance of lavender-pink flowers from midsummer, which are irresistible to butterflies and pollinating insects. I always struggle to photograph cornflowers, this ones flattened centre makes it a little easier.

Rowan Berries

 

September and the Rowan are already ripe, ready for the blackbirds. This week I have discovered two unusual thing. Starlings do not like nuts and Wasps do not like coffee.

Cosmos in September

 They are certainly the tallest on record this year at over four feet tall. It is the first year they haven't suffered from mildew ( so far ).

Copper on Blue does it again.

 

Copper on Blue does it again. This time it won the best overall image in the DPS's Annual Competition. My most successful image to date. Four gold medals, a best in show, plus it reached the final ten of GPOTY. Not bad for a little butterfly.

August in the back garden.

 A lush green looking garden which doesn't show off the yellow of the helianthus and the pinks of the anemones and cosmos.

Hydrangea paniculata "vanille fraise".

 

A bit of a mouth full this Snow White Hydrangia.Panicled hydrangea, are species of flowering plant in the family Hydrangeaceae native to southern and eastern China, Korea, Japan and Russia Loose pyramid-shaped clusters of flowers form at the tips of red-stemmed branches in summer. They emerge creamy-white and turn shades of pink as they age, before finally taking on rich red and russet tones. 

Sunflowers - Helianthus 'Lemon Queen'

 

Our field of gold is in full bloom. I find it more and more difficult each year to take a picture which is different from previous years.

The sleepy bee.

 This bumble bee was either very sleepy or intoxicated on the nectar of the Lambs ear flower.

Stachys byzantina (lamb's ear) is a nectar-rich plant that is attractive to a range of species, particularly bumblebees. It's a particularly important plant for the wool-carder bee.Medicinally the leaves can be used as an antibacterial bandage to speed up the healing of cuts. Curiously the squash leaves and put on bee stings and insect bites. 

Cosmos

 

Cosmos, have long been a favourite flowers of my summer garden for years. This year they seem to have gone a little mad. They are currently over four feet high

The last of the poppies.

 

Such a shame the opium poppies flower for such a short period of time. You don't realise how many blooms are on each plant until there is nothing but seed heads left. 

Centranthus ruber

  Red valerian grows well in our coastal soil.We have an array of red, pink and white variants.

Astrantia

 

Often called Masterwork or Hatties Pincushion were used in traditional herbal medicine, Astrantia flowers where used to treat various ailments, including digestive issues, respiratory problems, and even as a diuretic. In folklore, Astrantia flowers where believed to possess protective qualities. They were often placed in homes to ward off evil spirits and bring good luck. I just think they are so photogenic.

RHS Botanical Art and Photography Show, Saatchi Gallery , London.

 

What an honour to have a set of images on display in the Saatchi Gallery in London as part of the RHS Botanical Art and Photography Show.

Opium Poppies ( and blackly ).

  It's amazing how good cameras and lenses are these days. Either that or I need to go to Specsavers, it wasn't until I looked at these pictures that I saw the black fly climbing up the opium poppies stem.

Nectaroscordum tripedale "Pink honey garlic"

 

Nectaroscordum tripedale  "Pink honey garlic" prettier than the normal honey garlic, but didn't seem to attract bees much as the traditional honey garlic Nectaroscordum siculum.

Aquilegia vulgaris

 Or as I prefer to call it, Columbine, I am not sure where this beautiful double white flower came into the garden, must've been blowing in the wind.

Alliums and a bee.

 It's always nice to get some wildlife friendly plants in the garden, and the bees certainly like these alliums.

Hyacinthoides 'Excelsior' "Jumbo bluebells"

 Hyacinthoides 'Excelsior' "Jumbo bluebells"

Katsura Tree

 

One of the first trees to come in to leaf in the garden is my beautiful Katsura tree. It seems to have doubled in height since it was planted in the ground last October.

Ranunculus

 I always think ranunculus flowers are so beautiful. Sadly, this flower is not homegrown as the little mice decided that the corms are delicious. So this flower was bought at the garden centre.

First Bee

The first bee of the year, also one of the first pictures since I broke my wrist in January. It's wonderful to be back with my R5 and 100 mm macro lens. Something I worried at one stage that I would never be able to do again.

Summer in Paradise

 

2022 was a good year for my flower photography. This week I was honoured to be invited to exhibit at the Saatchi Gallery in London as part of the RHS Botanical Art and Photography Show 

Copper on Blue

 

Another Gold Medal for "Copper on Blue ", this time in the member's section of Southport Photographic Society, 76th National Open Exhibition.

Oops!... I Did It Again

 

Oops!... I Did It Again - Right hand this time, so I am playing catch up with my iPhone, no 100-400ml lens for a while.

2022 - A Year in Flowers