Creative Cottage Garden Geranium

Geranium x Oxonianianum Wargrave Pink

It’s important to me to use my creative side, and very much I lean toward post processing images to give my photographs a fantasy or painterly effect. 

These are photographs that are  generally combined so there could be 2 / 3 or more images in one finished image to get it to my end result. 

This is a lovely perennial Geranium that come back year in year out, and flower sometimes 3 times from late spring to late summer.

Here I have used the brushes in Photoshop to create a texture under and over the original image using blend modes. 🌷

Foxglove Tree

 Paulownia Tomentosa 

(Empress Tree, Princess Tree, Foxglove Tree)

This was planted as a small sapling and grew into a really amazing bush with the most humongous leaves I’ve ever seen! Honestly speaking I knew nothing about it except that in its native to China.

It grew and grew, and after 7 years suddenly before the leaves even started to appear, a mass of lilac flowers appeared! It is without doubt a stunning tree and a beautifully shady tree in full leaf but trust me when I say...this tree is big and it’s roots will emerge lifting slabs. 

Having said all that... I love it, and it is the focal point in an otherwise normal garden.

Geum ‘Mrs Bradshaw’

Geum chiloense

Another new arrival for my garden this year is this pretty Geum it’s a clump forming perennial... if you find that confusing it simply means it comes back every year. These are the type of plants I like I don’t have time or space to overwinter plants and mess with annual bedding plants.

These come in many varieties and colours, this is Mrs Bradshaw a burnt orange colour.

*click the image for a larger image*

Shrub Rose Penelope

Rosacea (Rosa) Hybrid Musk 

This rose is so pretty and smells amazing!
It was originally bred in the U.K. by the Rev. Joseph Pemberton around 1924 it’s a beautiful hybrid shrub rose.
I’ve just purchased and wanted to get some quick photos before I plant it, and as soon as it sits in its new home in my garden I will be photographing this a lot more!

*click the images for a larger view*

Pinks

Dianthus 

The centre stamen of the Dianthus is very pretty and that’s why I focused on it to do the monochrome photo.

I’m not over keen on the photograph of the full flower but as a point of interest  to see the original colour before I chose to see how it worked in monochrome. I like the close up personally.

*click on the images for a larger view* 

Livingstone Daisy

Mesembryanthemum Acinaciform L.

I was in Devon when I saw this blazing pink bed of colour. I remember as a child trying to pronounce Mesembryanthemum....it’s a mouthful!
Ice Plant or Livingstone Daisy is easier.                                                                                    
I have only seen this particular variety on coastal areas, but that doesn’t mean it only grows  there.

I remember seeing this as the light was hitting the centres of this stunning display, it appeared like a thick jewelled carpet.

I can only hope in those few moments of perfect light that I managed to capture exactly what I saw.

*click on the images to get a larger view*

   

Granny’s Bonnet

Aquilegia Vulgaris

What an awful name ‘Granny’s Bonnet’ I’ve never seen anyone wear a hat this shape 😃

These are elegant plants that flower each spring they grow wild in my garden, and I love them!

They give a lovely seed head after flowering which is lovely in dried arrangements.

In this first photograph the beautiful Bokeh (dappled effect) in the background seems to add a touch of mystery to this lovely flower, this effect is generally dependant on the lens I’m using at the time.

I won’t get technical and start talking f stops as I don’t want you to think I know what the heck I’m actually doing with my camera. I love to point and shoot!

Japanese Snowball bush

Viburnum plicatum f. tomentosum 'Mariesii’

That’s the correct name. This is stunning when in flower. It spreads across more so than up.

It is a lovely plant for oriental themed gardens. 

Having said that my garden is more ‘weed themed’ :

*click each picture for an enlarged view*

Dodgy Dandelions

Taraxacum

I can hear the cries ‘Weeds !!...yes..but the dandelion seed head is one of the most photographed weed seed heads we have! And it’s totally understandable....No? Check it out Here
Ok then tell me you have never stood blowing a dandelion seed head trying to tell the time? 1oclock 2oclock...ah my dark and distant childhood memories. The flower of the dandelion is stunning!
Let’s go to the images. You might not understand why these photographs please me... that’s fine it’s a mystery. ;0/
*ps* can you find the greenfly? Hehe!

*click on each Image for a larger view*

Balkan Spurge

Euphorbia oblongata

It’s a very pretty plant that attracts attention with the dark green at the base and the upright fresh flower that stands proud.
It can be invasive but in a small garden easy to control. Great in flower decorations!

*click the picture for a larger view*

Spanish Bluebells

Hyacinthoides Hispanica

Isn’t a Bluebell a Bluebell?
Well I’m reliably informed the Bluebells pictured here are the dreadful Spanish variety!? Hey..who knew? (Not me) You can find out more here if you really need more info ;0)
Soft focus close up followed by the awful (lol) Spanish Bluebells in their normal state!
*ps: I love them...who cares what they say? ;o0

*by clicking each picture you will get an enlarged view*

Magnolia in blossom

Magnolia x soulangeana ‘Susan’

This beautiful Magnolia we planted over 12 months ago has given us its first blossom this year. I find it strange that this tree/bush gives its flower first on bare branches then as the blossoms fade the leaves appear and the slugs and snails hurry on over to eat the bloody fresh growth!!

I am a bit geeky if you look at the history of magnolias it is said that they date back over 95 million years and these plants were around before bees. Check it out here

*Click on each image for a larger view*

Soft focus Rowan Tree

Sorbus Aucuparia

I am working on an effect that gives the beautiful soft focus almost painterly effect. It’s a technique that can be achieved by spending countless thousands of pounds on lenses which is not something that we can all do, I do have what some people call mid range lenses but with a lot of twiddling with my settings I’m getting some kind of results...not exactly what I want but it’s a work in progress.

Rowan tree is stunning all year round. Bought as a tiny sapling it’s the focus point of my garden!
A magical tree with an interesting history! Check it out here

*Click each image for a larger view*