The Orchard Studio

July Polaroids

I am steadily getting through my last supply of 600 film which expired in August 2009. These images were taken in Laugharne at Ginst Point, which is a vast deserted beach. Our house is on the hill overlooking this amazing landscape and we rarely see more than a couple of other people walking their dogs here.

This beach has also yielded some amazing finds including huge pieces of driftwood, shells, and strange flotsam and jetsom. More recently a sheeps jawbone and a large birds skull as well as a huge piece of rope and a sea-worn piece of timber sleeper which I hope to make into a bench. The last large piece of driftwood I found would not fit in the car however, and resulted in the smashing of the windscreen as I tried to slam the boot down to make it fit in!

This amazing lily grows outside the door to my studio, the scent is incredible and it brightens my day.

How time flies

Lately it feels as if I've hardly had a chance to pick up my camera. Life has been a whirlwind of activity combining a very busy work life with rushing to our retreat in Wales at every chance. Suddenly it's July and I hate that feeling of life rushing past at a pace I can hardly keep up with.

I think it's time to try to slow down and take stock again! My business has taken off this summer with a velocity I did not imagine, with a continuous flow of new projects, the usual diverse offerings including redesigning large areas of a golf club near Bath as well as many gardens large and small.

We are gardening and planting busily and managing a very beautiful garden on a regular basis, which I love as I get to see my work develop and change and the garden owner allows me to get on with things, which is always a bonus!

I don't remember ever having a summer where everything has blossomed and bloomed so amazingly. Every single garden I've seen has been a riot of flowering and fecundity, roses, foxgloves, Philadelphus, any flowering shrub or perennial has seemed to take on a new life after this last winter. Clients have told me that shrubs which seemed to previously struggle or not flower have pulled out all the stops this year and come back to life. My own apple trees are heavy with fruit, more than ever and the roses are flowering their heads off.

This rose was rescued from B&Q about five years ago as a nearly dead stick and has been amazing this year.

I hope all you, my blogging friends, are all well and enjoying your summer and I'm sorry I have not been able to say hello to many of you for ages.