Noli me tangere!

The colours of this caterpillar scream it loud and clear - Don't touch me! It is a general assumption on my part that those insects with are coloured most brightly and garishly are sending a warning to us and to other creatures that it would be unwise to meddle with them. Of course, it may …

The View from Federal Twist

This is the story of a gardener and a garden growing and developing together to create a modern American horticultural masterpiece. James Golden was approaching retirement when he purchased a property in western New Jersey, USA, because the house “suited its setting” and “had an intimate relationship with the place”. He had immediately sensed the …

A Walk about the Garden.

When the light is right it is very easy to spend the few minutes it takes to stroll around the garden and take photographs. Over time, many of the shots become routine - the regular views are taken regularly but, rather than becoming repetitive they show the changes of the seasons and the changes of …

The New Kids on the Block

Isn't it always the first to flower of any group of plants which seem to get us most excited. We see the first peep above the ground and are out each day to monitor progress, clicking away with the camera at the first show of colour even before the flower is fully open at all. …

Taking the Sea Air

Destinations for our days out are chosen for what we perceive as their safety, their lack of people, and the village of Ardmore in the west of Co. Waterford suits our requirements perfectly. A quick dash to Wikipedia tells me that it has a permanent population of around 430 but, of course, this swells during …

Simply the Best!

It happens very often that a flower will catch my eye when I am working in the garden, most usually as I am on the lawnmower when, of course, I don't have a camera to hand and I am caught between carrying on with what I am doing or going for the camera to capture …

The Low Light’s in the Garden

Yes, as we say here, the evenings are drawing in; the house lights need to be turned on earlier each eveining with each passing week; the sun is later rising in the morning - though this is not my time of day and I rarely view it - and the light in the garden has …

Singing Edelweiss!

We had in mind for ages to visit the Swiss Cottage, outside Cahir, Co. Tipperary, but, as is often the case with attractions more or less on our doorstep, it was put on the long finger with a "sure, we can go there anytime" attitude in our minds. On Monday last, we reached the end …

Ten Thousand at a Glance

The advent of digital photography gave a sense of the child in the sweetshop to old fogies like myself who had been more accustomed to buying rolls of films in various limiting sizes - 12 photographs in a roll or 24 when funds allowed and then there was the delay of a few days as …

Visually in Lismore Castle Garden.

A Saturday morning appraisal of the coming weather advised us that Sunday and Monday would be wet and as this would lead to two days of confinement, to being indoors, inactive and probably dreary, we decided to put aside our plan to cut the grass before the wet weather and take a day out. Days …