botany

A magnificent northern garden

/ 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

Tap/click first image to see gallery

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

Link to mikeosbornphoto's Instagram account

Manchester wildflowers

/ mikeosbornphoto / 4 Comments

Here in the middle of Manchester you look for every scrap of nature – and it can flourish in the most unexpected places.

A stone’s throw away from my Castlefield home is a vast, very busy interchange where major traffic routes meet.

One central section has burst into life with yellow, white and pink wildflowers – a stunning show bringing nature alongside a stark man-made creation.

Less than a mile away is a rust-coloured branch of a self-storage company where alium flourishes, while cow parsley grows undisturbed on an area of the canal towpath. 

We need wilderness more than ever, especially in our urban centres. Why mow it down for the sake of neatness? Please share your thoughts on this below

Tap/click first image to see gallery

Link to mikeosbornphoto's Facebook page

Bodnant Garden: Wonder of Wales

/ mikeosbornphoto / Leave a comment

It’s a short distance from Manchester to the border with Wales. Travel along the country’s north coast and you’ll come to the delight that is Bodnant Garden. READ MORE BELOW

Tap first image for gallery view

This property, now cared for by the National Trust, is a magnificent place to wile away your time.

It’s packed with plants in a variety of settings from lush riversides to formal gardens.

Bodnant’s crowning glory has to be the Pin Mill, a handsome building next to a long lilypond. Wales’ answer to the Taj Mahal?

A lot of staycationers from nearby seaside resort Llandudno visit here, so come early to avoid the crowds. A beautiful spot to have largely to yourself!

Link to mikeosbornphoto's shop

The life of tulips

/ mikeosbornphoto / 13 Comments

Tulips are an irresistibly favourite flower of the Spring season. It’s hard not to love their cheerful blooms in a whole spectrum of colours.

I recently came home with a rainbow bouquet and bunch of “rhubarb and custard” blooms. 

It was hard to resist photographing them in their prime. But as the flowers withered and petals dropped, I found them even more compelling.

Flowers in death are as beautiful as when they’re freshly picked. What do you think?

Tap/click first image to view gallery

Click through to mikeosbornphoto's greeting cards shop

The beauty of decay

/ mikeosbornphoto / 6 Comments

Do you think that beauty is exclusively the preserve of youth and vitality? CONTINUE READING BELOW

Tap/click first image to see gallery

I always have fresh flowers in the house and recently bought a lovely spray of roses. Of course cut flowers fade sooner or later and are discarded, to be replaced with a new arrangement.

But this time I held on to the roses as they began to wither away. Fellow blogger and Australian photographer Lee Cleland suggested drying some blooms and capturing them – an excellent idea.

The vibrancy of flowers fresh from the florist is replaced by a darker mood and the sense of impending death.

But the beauty isn’t diminished by degradation. In fact I think the creative rewards and interest are enhanced. How about you?

Click through to mikeosbornphoto's floral greeting cards shop