At an End of the Garden

Gate in Cally Gardens

The image above is of a old gate set in one of the high walls of Cally Gardens in Scotland. We always visit the gardens when in Scotland but on this occasion discovered that the man who ran them, Michael Wickenden, had died while hunting for plants in Myanmar, and that the gardens are to be sold.Continue reading

My Walk this Week – Botanic Colour

Red tulips at Swansea Botanic Garden

My walk this week is perhaps less of a walk and more of a showcase. We had a slow amble round Swansea’s botanic gardens in Singleton Park on a day that was dry but could have been brighter. Well, I say brighter but I mean sunnier as there was plenty of brightness Continue reading

Forest Flower in June

This flower-to-be is a classic of the forest in June and if you don’t immediately recognise it without its colour, check out the patch of colour in the background as a hint or the other photos below. The sun and the colours are bright in June and with the forest in full bloom the light and shade is dappled.

June in the forest

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Kunsthuis Colour

My walk this week around the gardens at Kunsthuis Gallery in north east Englandnon a beautiful end-of-summer day revealed a lot of colour. After crossing one of the wooden footbridges over a small river, I carried on past a creatively arranged children’s play area and then through a tunnel-like path amongst some trees to discover a wildflower garden at the extremity of the property.

Summer Flowers

Bouncing Balls and Babies – Sounds of the Park

If you were only to look at the images below, the scene in Brynmill Park, Swansea might appear quite tranquil, but the park is full of all sorts of sounds let alone the background ambience of the city. Bouncing balls and babies are just a couple of the elements to the park’s soundscape but I will be posting a more comprehensive edited recording of the sound landscape at the end of the week.

Brynmill Park, Swansea

Bouncing Balls and Babies

Unlike yesterday’s post, I can name at least a couple of the flowers in the photos below.

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Valley Viewpoints and Detail

There are a number of “viewpoints” along the various upper footpath routes at Penllergare Valley Woods. Some reveal the amazing range of greens to be seen in so many trees. Others allow you to look down on lower path networks or reveal the contrast between trees and water.

Penllergare Valley Woods - lake

As I near the end of my walk this week, there are cultivated details to be seen as well. The yellow welsh poppy may grow naturally all over the place, but the old tree stump these wildflowers are springing from may have had a helping hand in the positioning of plants. If so, then it was very well done!

Welsh poppies

Penllergaer Woods-30

Broom Bloom

Moving to higher ground from the woodland river on my walk this week in Penllergare Valley Woods, we came upon a familiar meadow where, a year or two ago, we picnicked in similar sunshine. A broom was in full bloom and my favourite ribwort provided a foreground to this peaceful scene on a beautiful day

broom bloom

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Enjoying the Waterfall

There are people hidden in this first photo today from my walk this week at Penllergare Valley Woods – you can just see them near the centre of the image. They are enjoying the area on the river where the waterfall from the lake flows over the rock arrangement constructed by John Dillwyn Llewellyn back in the 19th century when he was developing the original valley gardens.

Penllergaer Woods-8

The colour of the rhododendrons in this image is accompanied by foxgloves below, and then there is the beautiful yellow of buttercups in a marshy looking meadow displaying the lushness of the environment at this time of year.

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