The Optimum Time for Garden Photograhpy

Posted: June 17th, 2014


What is the optimum time for taking sensational garden photographs?  It is not midday day on a gloriously sunny summer’s day but early in the morning just after sunrise when the quality of light is best.  Some years ago the renowned garden photographer, Clive Boursnell  www.cliveboursnell.com came to Doddington to take photographs for a magazine article.  He declined our invitation to stay in the house opting for the comforts of his camper van which he parked in the garden.  His gracious explanation was that he didn’t want to disturb anyone at the crack of dawn.  All the children thought this was a deeply eccentric decision on Clive’s part.

We recently opened our garden at 6.30am as part of the National Gardens Scheme (NGS) www.ngs.org.uk Festival Weekend, described in The Yellow Book as ‘an annual “hurrah”.  Now in its second year the Festival was dreamt up by George Plumptre, the Chief Executive of the NGS,  as a novel way of attracting extra publicity.  The NGS annually raises millions of pounds for several beneficiaries including Macmillan Cancer Support, Help the Hospices and the National Trust.

Whilst we were waiting for keen NGS punters to arrive I wandered around the garden taking photographs.  Here is a selection of them:

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‘Felicia’ Rose – a delectable sweetly scented hybrid musk rose breed in 1928 which flowers for months on end.,

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A soft romantic image of the Sunken Garden designed by Kirsty Knight Bruce in 2010.

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A good illustration of the attractions of seedheads combined with eremurus one of my all time favourite plants.

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We are thrilled with the way the rock garden is developing after its overhaul now a good six years ago.

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Kirsty Knight Bruce’s design complements the bulk of the house which is testament to the confidence of the Victorian age.