Michelle's Garden Diary

I feel very blessed to have a beautiful garden and indeed, in this moment of uncertainty, to have an outdoor space at all.

This is my sanctuary, my nest, my place of contemplation. My daily inspiration. A place to reconnect with nature. Watch things grow. Switch off for a moment. Notice the little things. Pause. The world slows down. A momentary escape from the world's current events.

It’s somewhere I feel safe, somewhere that I can connect to the earth, listen to the birds and feel at one with my feet on the ground.

Throughout the year, I like to come out here when the sun is shining bright and enjoy what I see and hear around me. It gives me so much joy.

I often come out early in the morning and take close-up pictures of things around me.

So I thought I’d share with you some of my favourite things. In some ways, It’s a kind of meditation for me. I thought I’d share this with you...

I do hope these images and photographs will lift your spirits. Over the coming months I’ll add to these, showing you how things grow, what’s in season in my garden and hopefully brightening up your day.

Friday 27 March 2020

And breathe. This morning I woke up feeling a bit overwhelmed by the enormity of everything. Perhaps things have sunk in a little. An email I received from a customer last night resonated.

I realised I was feeling a bit lost at sea. I normally cycle with my friends on Friday’s. It’s my one definite day off in the week. It's where I get quite a lot of my inspiration from. My friends are extremely patient with me. Always happy to stop along the way so I can take photographs.

Also realising that although I’ve worked my butt off over autumn, so that I could take mini breaks over spring and summer for inspiration for my work, they probably are not going to happen.

I was being a bit of a spoiled child. I could either sit around feeling sorry for myself or I could get dressed and get out to do one of the little things that always lifts my spirits and makes me happy. Duvet jacket on, bobble hat on and camera in hand, I ventured out into a frosty garden.

Just 10 minutes in my garden photographing nature, the flowers and plants in my garden, always fills me with such joy. There's something about taking photographs that makes me focus on that moment in time. I see things differently. I observe things better. I slow down. I breathe. And in that moment I’m reminded of other things and my focus shifts.

So in my garden today, I saw the plants my nan gave me from her garden over the years, as well as the ones I pinched out her garden before her bungalow was sold.

It also reminded me that I can have my own little adventu