In Bloom

When lockdown was announced in March 2020 I decided to sort out my garden. My inspiration and guide was Derek Jarman’s Modern Nature, the only “gardening” book I have read. As a lifelong lover of gardening, he presents us with the poetry that is creating new life.

In between work, a daily stroll and gently toiling in the garden over the weeks and months of isolation I researched the etymology and folklore associated with each of the plants I grew. I then experimented with naturally lit photographic portraits. Just as they burst into bloom I captured each flower at the height of its beauty. The project is a reminder of how life blossoms, that no matter what tragedies are unfolding in the world at large or within our own private spheres, life goes on and beauty abounds. The garden’s ephemeral nature, its seasonal transformations also remind us that life is transitory and ever moving. There’s a natural ebb and flow; plants grow, die back and grow again, the colour fades in and out - gardens are deeply reassuring places. To become a real bona fide gardener there’s still much for me to learn, but the spring of 2020 was a start. Buy In Bloom a 52 page full colour photobook of portraits of the garden flowers.