Queen Mothers Lake

After four days of posting I am nearly at the end of my Harlow Carr photos. I think I have done a fair job of photographing sections of it as interesting blog posts. My memory is good that I can piece together the day from the images stored on the computer, as the camera puts them on in time order. I have been tagged by Michelle about seven Random things which I will do when im not on nights.

This time around the Queen Mothers Lake I was interested in the light, reflections, and water lillys. I only photographed a few flowers. Flowers and water make great photos. You can feel the serenity with the still water.

We saw a fish rise to the surface and gobble up a juicy bug from the lake surface.In an instant it had come up then plopped back under the water.

The Ducks had gone off somewhere, so it was just flys, bee's, and the gentle rippling waters reflecting the sun that had just come out.

My Flag Iris had come to the end of the flowering. There were only a handful to photograph. The plants that i associate with Harlow Carr are the Flag Iris, and the Candelabra Primulas, in June and July anyway.

Looking at the Blog post titles down my side bar you can see the variety of areas. Im sure there are undiscovered areas still to be found, and new finds. The builders were constructing a new building in the Woods area by the tall skinny trunked pines, and building a new path that runs alongside the north bank of the Streamside. The last photo from Streamside shows the dry stone wall that were being built.

The main entrance was having a stepped terrace built, but the torrential rain had temporarily stopped that construction. The Whale/mermaid photos show that how the paths had been damaged, and repairs were ongoing to make them walkable again.

It comes down to the ethos of working with the prevailing conditions, growing what can survive, and running with it. Forcing plants that are not suited to the local conditions will end in failure.

It is a spectacular Garden though. You might get the impression I like it after taking nearly 500 photos in two visits...I will come back there again. Maybe once a month...untill I have my own garden. Then I can take inspiration from there.

The Doric columns that I didnt see have a connection to me. They were taken from a Victorian house called the Cheltenham Spa house. My hometown is Cheltenham...from Cheltenham to Harlow Carr... and a connection between the gardens and my hometown.