Large grand building with field of grass and flowers in front
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Gallery: wildflowers for renewal in Kensington Gardens

May 18, 2024 / 47 Comments

Almost every person, from childhood, has been touched by the untamed beauty of wildflowers.

Lady Bird Johnson

I can remember a time when wildflowers were always just that, wild. They grew randomly in places where they had self-seeded, in hedgerows or on verges. In towns they were too often seen as weeds, not part of the gardener’s plans. If we were lucky they might pop up in odd corners of our urban concrete jungles, softening them and giving us a lift whenever we spotted them.

In recent years however there has been a welcome trend to actually plant wildflowers in our cities. Scattering their seeds in parks where grass has been left to grow tall, encouraging insects such as bees to visit and pollinate. And what a delight they are! They transport we town and city-dwellers to the countryside, renewing our spirits.

For that reason, and because their annual return reminds us of the power of renewal more generally, I’m sharing some photos from a recent visit to Kensington Gardens with Becky for her May ‘squares’ theme. Some are fairly straight-forward shots whereas others I’ve edited to give a more impressionistic feel using Nik Color Efex Pro (mainly ‘sunlight’ and ‘vignette blur’ filters).

In joy or sadness, flowers are our constant friends.

Okakura Kakuzo
Grassy field dotted with flowers
Orange flowers growing in long grass
Orange flowers growing in long grass
Single red poppy
Pale mauve flowers on a tall stem
Two young women sitting in a field with flowers
Orange flowers growing in long grass
Single orange poppy
Bright yellow flower
Feathery petalled flower

I visit Kensington Gardens regularly; these photos were all taken on my latest visit in May 2024

47 Comments

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