Pretty Fuchsia

Posted on May 14, 2014 by myeye1

These pretty pendant flowers are called Fushia but have also been known to be called Ladies eardrops. They remind me of my childhood, of when I would squeeze the pod open between my fingers before nature could, and loving the little ‘pop’ sound they made (I don’t do it anymore though!). We still have some in our garden today and I love the bright colour and memories they bring throughout the year.
I’d love to hear what flowers make you smile or have a special place in your memory

Minty baby shower

Posted on May 12, 2014 by myeye1

My younger sister is due to have her first baby soon, so to mark the arrival of our lovely niece or nephew, my family (consisting of me, my sisters, my sister-in-law, my sister’s husband and a few of his cousins) decided to throw her a baby shower. I think my we managed to do quite a good job, even if I do say so myself!

We decided to go with the colour theme of mint green, but I think some of us got confused with what shade that was and we ended up with various shades of green instead! I’m glad to say though that even with all the greens, the decorations and food looked better than we thought it would.

My older sister who is very crafty made a lovely banner with lots of nice ‘baby’ theme touches

Lots of parties these days have fun things like chocolate fountains, but as delicious as they are, they can be too messy for the little kids who end up with chocolate all over their faces and tops! We opted for something just as nice but less messy; a sweet bar. We have done these before and they have always been popular with the guests. We found lots of different sweets in the colour green and put them in difefrent jars and plates to make it look pretty

I think the colours all sit really well together and I especially like the colours of the cupcakes, which are in a nice vivid green (well done to my brother in law for making these – with a little help from my sister)

My sister got lots of lovely gifts from her guests and family. Seeing as the baby’s gender is still a secret there was lots of soft neutral colours

This is a ‘nappy cake’ made by my creative sister in law; I thought she did a great job

There was also lots of good food and party games including one where we tried to guess baby pictures of the guests.

Everyone who came commented on how much they enjoyed themselves which was nice to hear, and as a little token all the guests got to take home a goody bag of stripes or spots

I hope you’ve enjoyed my photos and I’d love to hear what kind of themes you may of had at parties you’ve been to; what worked well and what didn’t?

Brown lines

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brown table garden
I got this composition almost by accident; I was out in my garden with my camera and as I went to pick it up off the garden table I noticed that it was pointed in the direction of the fence which had vertical lines like those of the table.
I really like this image because the lines of the table draw your eye up towards the fence which continues the verticle line. The light falling on the table brings a contrast in colour to that of the fence which helps to convey greater depth. I think the top of the chair also helps to break up the image. I think this is an nice example of how simple lines, colours and light can be used to create a a refreshing composition even with ordinary, day to day objects. I’d love to hear what your thoughts are, what you’d change if anything and if you can give me any tips

White flowers of the apple tree

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Delicate pink

Posted on March 26, 2014 by myeye1

With Spring having arrived in the UK I have seen lots of tulips around which always look so pretty. I enjoy photographing these flowers as they are less tricky to focus on with their big petals and bright colours than smaller and more intricately detailed ones. I also like how although tulips look quite simple in shape you can still create lots of interesting images (like this one I have taken previously)

Kew Gardens – Autumn visit 4

Posted on March 5, 2014 by myeye1

One of the things I was most excited about seeing at Kew Gardens was the Xstrata Treetop Walkway that was constructed a few years ago. The idea behind the walkway was to enable people to walk among the tree tops to get a closer look at the best part of the trees; the branches and leaves which aren’t usually easily accessible. Walking toward the structure it seems to appear suddenly from amongst the trees.

To access the walkway you have to climb up a winding staircase with mesh sides, allowing you to see the view as you ascend. For those that can’t quite manage the stairs there’s also a lift that will take you to the top. The walkway is 59 feet high from where you get a great view

I was able to get really close to some of the branches but as it was Autumn some of the closer trees had already shed their leaves. I expect the walkway is even more enjoyable in Summer when leaves are aplenty

Another one of the other things I spotted almost immediatley as I entered the Gardens was this tall structure in the distance. I could tell straight away that it looked like a giant Pagoda like those found in Japan and wondered what it was doing in London!

It turns out that the Pagoda was completed by Sir William Chambers in 1762 and that there is also a section dedicated to a Japanese landscape, with plants and flowers typically found in the country as well as a structure called the Chokushi-Mon meaning Gateway of the Imperial Messenger

I thought the Japanese landscape was really nice and something different. I especially liked how tidy and organised it was (and if you look carefully you can see there is a circular pattern created in the pebbles)

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Kew Gardens, I saw some amazing plants, trees and flowers, some that don’t originate from England and learnt a lot whilst walking around, soaking in the fresh air and peace and quiet. I think the gardens are something really special and the thing I like most is that you could visit at various times over a twelve month period and there would always be something new or different to see. I really hope I will be able to go back later this year when the plants and flowers are in bloom and nature has something else to share.

I hope you have enjoyed my photos and there is still so much I didn’t see or haven’t posted about so please don’t think that I have covered even a fraction of what else can be found at Kew. I would definitely recommend a visit if you like being outdoors and are interested in all things green.

For more on Kew gardens please see my previous posts

Kew Gardens – Autumn Visit 1
Kew Gardens – Autumn Visit 2
Kew Gardens – Autumn Visit 3

Leeds Castle

Posted on March 3, 2014 by myeye1

Leeds Castle was once lived in by King Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon and is based in Kent. I really enjoyed my visit here a couple of years ago and what I really liked was that the castle actually looked like castle; it has an enormous, beautiful garden (including a maze and grotto) and is surrounded by a moat just like you’d imagine and like you see in the films. I wonder what it would feel like to live there…

Red berries

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Embrace

Posted on February 13, 2014 by myeye1

This bronze statue called ‘The Meeting Place’ can be found at London St Pancras station and is made by the artist Paul Day. You may not be able to tell by the photo but this statue is huge, standing at 30 feet tall. My favourite part though, is the giant handbag on the woman’s shoulder and the backpack that the man has, which I’ve been told changes every so often for advertising

Fir needles

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I think the needles (or leaves?) on this fir tree create a really interesting pattern, and it’s amazing to think that these tiny little needles make up a whole tree