South Wood Farm
Long before I became a full time garden photographer in 2017, I worked in an office. Full time. I always had a garden and always looked for garden inspirations. One day at the office, I remember this so clearly, instead of working, I was looking through Arne Maynard’s website. That’s where I first came across South Wood Farm. Visiting and let alone photographing this garden one day seemed like a long shot dream. But like most dreams, if we really want to, they do come true. I’ve been to South Wood Farm a few times now and I pinch myself every time I’m there. This applies to some other gardens too and I’ll share those with you too sooner or later.
My first visit was in 2020 when I was on a garden shoot nearby. It was Summer so I had a very early start to the day and I was very tired by the time I got to South Wood. (I was tired only because I booked a room in an inn and when I checked in I was told I was going to be the only person there and so spent my night alone - and awake - in an inn full of empty rooms and an empty pub below. All sorts of Agatha Christie stories came to mind) Anyway, later that morning I made it to South Wood. The first selection of images is from that day and all taken with a 50mm lens. No, it was not a sunny day but did I mind that?
In the Spring of 2021 I returned for a shoot of the gardens for House&Garden magazine. You can read and see the full article - by Anna Pavord - here and see selection of my favourite photographs below.
It was an early Spring shoot and the morning brought a gentle frost. I absolutely loved it.
And only just a week ago, I found myself at South Wood Farm again. Early July. A cloudy day. The garden visit didn’t last long as a heavy drizzle set in. Sitting on the porch, listening to the sound of the rain in this most peaceful place with the friends I went with was the cherry on the cake.
I really tried to limit the number of images I wanted to share here with you, too many, too few, I don’t know, here they are, gloomy or not, whatever the weather, I just love gardens. Follow along as I might have some more things to share with you with South Wood Farm.
Château de Miromesnil
I was commissioned to photograph a beautiful garden in Normandy, France back in 2018. After the shoot, I had some time left before catching the ferry back to England so I stopped at the Château de Miromesnil where I had a lovely walk around the gardens.
Birthplace of Maupassant, many visitors come here because of him. I didn’t know much about the place before I got there and I was so happy to discover the beautiful potager around the château. It is not your usual manicured French garden but it’s full of lovely fruit trees, colourful dahlias and zinnias, cabbages and very photogenic rows of dill. Absolutely heavenly. I would highly recommend to visit and join the guided tour as well (if you’re a French speaker) which is very informative and gives lots interesting details about the past of the château.
Garden by the sea
In recent years, one of the highlights of my trips up to Scotland is meeting Rachael of Hedgerow / @hedgerow for a coffee or lunch and a walk and chat around the streets of Portobello. She shows me the most beautiful little streets , colourful old doors and gates and we admire anything green and flowery (I must do a blog post just on that). When, after a long long time, we finally travelled up to Scotland again in May, I got to see Rachael’s beautiful garden too and her stylish home (proper magazine material but I didn’t want to be too pushy on that front, maybe next time)
Rachael is a floral designer and an architect and these passions of hers can be found everywhere you look in her garden and home.
We had tea and cinnamon buns and a good, much needed chat and I spent some time out to her rainy garden with my camera. We then headed out for lunch to Rachael’s favourite place - Skylark - before walking back home through rainy Portobello and making a flat lay with flowers from her garden.
Making this flat lay with flowers from Rachael’s garden was such a treat. I never take it for granted picking flowers (or dismantling a bouquet) just for this. The backdrop we used was her kitchen table and the light in the kitchen just worked perfectly and helped us create this moody image on that rainy day.
Thank you Rachael for this very special day, I had the best time. This must have been the most relaxing day of my holiday.
I’m going to share with you more private gardens, do come along.
April in the garden - ii
So our garden is not particularly big and it’s not particularly exciting for many, I’m aware of that. This garden has seen someone coming here and saying to me, I don’t like your gardening style. Oh well, that’s absolutely fine, of course. We’re renting here so there’s only so much you can (and want) to do to this garden but our landlords are the best and let us do anything we like. This garden had been neglected for a long time before we moved in six years ago but then as we slowly started to work on it (and with it), we discovered so many wonderful cottage garden plants and many traces from a garden that it once was. The garden is quite long and not too wide. When we came, I started to dig up a border on the sunny side, there was a lot of fight with ivy and ground elder but that long bed is now absolutely managable. Many parts of the garden are still ruled by the aforementioned plants.
April has been blue, forget-me-nots all over the garden. I love the cottagegardenness of this garden. Geraniums everywhere and the aquilegia has started to flower too. The tulips are slowly gone but my peasant eye narcissus has just started to flower, I forgot to photograph that but I’ll add it next time. With Salomon’s seal. And cow parsley.
But until then, these are the things I’ve recently captured in the garden.
April in the garden - i
I’ll be sharing with you little details from my garden here as long as I can. I finally have time to really observe every tiny bit of the garden through my lens. I hope you enjoy it.
2019 January - June
JULY
July was a very busy month. I photographed some stunning gardens from the Cotswolds to the Kent coast, you’ll see them this year. However, one of those has already been published - that of Matthew Rice at Ham Court - you can see this beautiful place in the Plant Issue of Gardens Illustrated.
July saw the publication of one of my favourite gardens. This was a commission by House&Garden and I spent a few days in Cheshire. The hottest Summer days, in fact. The garden was designed by Chris Moss.
Summer also meant Summer evening parties, and there was a wonderfully magical one and that I photographed for Mercurial Moon.
One of my favourite shoots in July was with my dear friend Justine in her studio.
AUGUST
August continued to be a busy month with more travels to Yorkshire. And as I mentioned earlier, this was the month the article of Debbie George and Andrew Sanderson’s house was published in Homes&Antiques.
London gardens again, here’s one designed by Emily Erlam
and one by Non Morris
In August I had a fun shoot at the Big Festival in the Cotswolds, for Country Living.
And a different Food Festival at Soho Farmhouse. Special guest, Tomos Parry
Several visits to Chastleton House. This house is very close to Daylesford farm where I held 4 classes.
and the rest, well, that is to be revealed later next year!
OCTOBER
In October, we finally! went on a wee holiday to Scotland. But even holidays cannot be complete without garden visits, so we went to Cambo (oh the dream!) and Broadwoodside. Both were stunning. Scottish gardens are just magical.
In October I went back to Middleton Lodge but this time to photograph at the Knackered Florists retreat. For me it was a definite treat. I sometimes still find it hard to believe that this is actually my job and I’m having the best of time while I work.
In October, I had a video one-to-one with the moooost wonderful person and teacher and photographer, Sarah Mason. I cannot upload the video I made with the help of Sarah here but you can find it on my Instagram. This was the most inspiring day.
And in October was published another Chris Moss garden I shot last Autumn. It appeared in Gardens Illustrated.
NOVEMBER
November was the month when I had my most one-to-ones, they were suprisingly more about editing images rather than taking them. I loved ever single one of these.
There were also bonfires and fireworks.
and a Dog Modelling class with Honeysuckle and Hilda and Darlingdog .
and I started to get in the festive spirit..
There were more gardens in November too.
DECEMBER
December was about wreaths. And more wreaths. And drinks.
One at Soho House, I didn’t make one here.
I did make one here, this was with Swallows and Damsons, read about it here.
I met Santa ..
And I have a few shoots for local businesses like the Coaching Barn
December also brought some quiet time at home and one final shoot in Yorkshire between Christmas and New Year.
So this just a fraction of what 2019 brought for me and to give you an idea of the work I do as in the busy days, I so rarely get the chance to share anything with you.
I have some very interesting projects lined up for 2020 and I can’t wait to get back to work. I still find it hard to call it work as I just love so much what I do. I am very generous and thankful for everyone who commissioned me and trusted me to photograph their garden, their events or their small businesses.
Happy New Year!
Chastleton House - Garden
And here’s the continuation to the previous post - Chastleton House - the garden of Chastleton House. Perfectly imperfect as it is, no words needed.
