A magnificent northern garden

July 10, 2022July 10, 2022 / mikeosbornphoto / 2 Comments

A warm summer’s day is the perfect time to visit the RHS Bridgewater Garden in Salford, just a 30-minute bus ride from central Manchester. CONTINUES BELOW

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The garden, which opened last year, is on the site of stately pile Worsley New Hall.

Some of the old architecture remains, while there’s a sleek new building which houses visitor amenities.

Bridgewater’s focal point is a large walled garden which was bursting with plants and colourful blooms on my visit. It looks like it’s been established for decades, not just a couple of years.

Woodland and meadow trails are also part of the site, full of grasses and wild foxgloves as I wandered around the site.

RHS Bridgewater is already a huge success, with many visitors which I hadn’t expected. It was a challenge to take photographs giving the impression I had the place to myself!

Have you been to Bridgewater or another RHS garden? Share your thoughts below.

A pair of seats in the walled garden at RHS Bridgewater

There are plenty of spots to rest and enjoy the gardens

Urban meadow

June 12, 2016March 16, 2020 / mikeosbornphoto / 15 Comments

The White City housing estate here in west London is quite large and imposing. I walk through part of it every day and it’s become a familiar place. Just lately, “my” little corner has been transformed. An area of lawn was carefully seeded and has flourished into a meadow studded with poppies, daisies, cornflowers and other delightful flowers.

The obvious juxtaposition is this slice of English countryside in the middle of a city estate. It’s stark yet beautiful. The little meadow has trails weaving across it, while it’s bright and upstanding in the sunshine and gently wilts in the rain. It’s a pleasure to share this delight with you…

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Summer house

August 23, 2015July 30, 2019 / mikeosbornphoto / 9 Comments

This is a very pleasant obsession of the Swedish nation. A great love is to have a second home in the countryside or by the coast – a rustic escape from the trials and tribulations of everyday life in the city. Many Swedes enjoy a long holiday during the summer months, and the sommurstuga is a base for walks in the woods to pick berries, taking bicycle rides and enjoying an evening barbecue. It’s called getting away from it all.

The summer house I visited is a solid, rugged wooden home with an orchard and meadow surrounded by tall handsome trees. A flagpole proudly flies the nation’s light blue and yellow flag. Redcurrants and wild strawberries grow in the garden, which is a peaceful idyll for enjoying the short Swedish summer.

Thank you to Bodil and Anja for their warm welcome and allowing me to prowl around with my camera.

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A breath of wind

June 6, 2015 / mikeosbornphoto / 16 Comments

The meadows are bursting with life. The grass is shooting up and is studded with buttercups, clover and clouds of cow parsley. They’re less prevalent in urban west London, so I found mine in the grounds of Eltham Palace, tucked away in the city’s south-east corner.

This involved a lot of lying in the grass and lengthening the exposure as much as possible to catch the grasses as a breath of wind-swept them into motion. I also tried some deliberate off focus to emulate the mood of a burgeoning summer.