My friend Roby gave me this Italian Thyme. It was such a great gift. It's appropriate because she inspired me to cook more with fresh thyme, she's Italian, delicate and beautiful just like this plant.
18th March
You have to admire the hard work that gardeners put into the public parks in London. These spring bulbs must have brightened up a lot of faces.
17th March
There is no other flower as warm, bright and full of hope as the daffodil.
16th March
I came across this Heather after I'd stopped to photograph something else. Now spring is well and truly underway, There are so many wonderful flora to enjoy.
15th March
I went for a run and saw this Teasel plant in the distance. I read up about how they attract Goldfinches, which have a fine beak for getting out the seeds.
14th March
When I was photographing these flowers. A man who was getting in his car, got out and told me he had planted the quince shrub from a cutting. He was very proud of the plant. He also told me that he used to be a gardener in his student days.
13 March
I cycled past this Camelia for weeks without realising just how amazing it was. I'm so glad I stopped to photograph it and appreciate it. I have never seen a Camelia like this before. It looks Chinese. I spoke to my parents who are a fountain of knowledge when it comes to plants. They told me that Comelias originate from the Chinese mountains and are closely related to the tea plant.
12th March
Fur trees have such a beautiful turquoise colour as well as a great texture. When you are looking for the positive it's interesting how much beauty you can find.
11th March
So many colourful Camellias to photograph. I love this time of year.
10th March
Classic Camellia.
9th March
This Viburnum shrub has beautiful posy like clusters. Delicate and romantic.
8th March
I really like the contrast here between the fallen Camellia and the urban lichened concrete.
7th March
Micro plants such as moss are fun to play around with. When I was a child my friends and I made a miniature gardens in seed tray for a local competition in the village hall. The grass was made from moss we collected.
6th March
Pink Blossom exemplifies spring. These flowers were incredible.
5th March
Often I take photos of flowers from above but this flower I have shot from the side. When you are designing you need to take many photos of the flower so you can draw multiple flowers of the same kind within your design.
4th March
Here's another Pyracantha. I think the orange berries look great with the pinks of the Camellia from the 3rd of March.
3rd March
Camellia's have such pretty flowers. They inspire so many fabric designs. This one particularly makes me think of the Dutch masters with it's dark background.
2st March
So it turns out this remarkable plant is called Which Hazel. I have used which hazel on my skin as a teenager. Fifteen years later I now know what the plant looks like. What a stunning plant it is too.
1st March
I have put a cyclamen up here before but they are such great, colourful, shade loving plants that they deserve to be in my diary in every colour. Here is a ruby red cyclamen with baby pink blooms in the background.
28th February
These leaves look great with the blue pot in the background. This photo proves that colourful pots can be a good backdrop even if the plant itself is not in a pot.