photography – Charlton and Blackheath Amateur Horticultural Society

The Rothschild Nerine Collection

CABAHS member Melanie told us about an unusual collection: Exbury Gardens in Hampshire, perhaps best known for the springtime magnificence of its rhododendrons, is also home to a special collection of Nerines.

If you can visit Exbury, the Nerine collection is on view from 4 – 30 October.

As it’s quite a long way to travel, you might instead like to see photographer Lisa Creagh’s website, where she has captured the extraordinary quality of this South African native ‘Jewel lily’ in some stunning images: The Rothschild Nerines. Lisa gives a super description of the collection’s history as well as describing the drama of the Nerines’ lifecycle.

A photo a day

Clockwise from top left: lady's mantle, cucamelon, Virginia creeper, ornamental grape vine and dogwood, chillies, Japanese blood grass - or - Alchemilla mollis, Melothria scabra (cucamelon), Parthenocissus quinquefolia, Vitis vinifera 'Purpurea' and Cornus alba 'Sibirica', Capsicum annuum 'Cayenne' (chilli), Imperata cylindrica — Clockwise from top left: lady’s mantle, cucamelon, Virginia creeper, ornamental grape vine and dogwood, chillies, Japanese blood grass – or – *Alchemilla mollis, Melothria scabra (cucamelon), Parthenocissus quinquefolia, Vitis vinifera* ‘Purpurea’ *and Cornus alba* ‘Sibirica’*, Capsicum annuum* ‘Cayenne’ *(chilli), Imperata cylindrica*

Late in 2020 Ali H set herself a challenge: to take one photo a day in her garden for a year, and post it on Instagram. Her purpose was mainly to notice and appreciate how the plants develop and change, also to have a record of what is there and when (she’s always surprised to look back and see the bulbs in flower, or a covering of snow!). She tried not to set too many other conditions as she knew she wouldn’t get round to doing it otherwise – so they don’t have to be ‘good’ photos, they don’t have to be plants in flower, they don’t have to be anything other than a photo of a plant in her garden – including fruit and vegetable crops. She likes individual plants and looking at things close up, so that’s what they tend to be – but occasionally there’s a view or a combination. Here are a few photos from September (above) and October (below). Ali’s not sure what 2022’s challenge will be. She might just carry on!

Clockwise from top left: dogwood, cabbage palm, myrtle, oak-leaved hydrangea, Persicaria, maidenhair fern - or -Cornus alba 'Sibirica', Cordyline australis, Myrtus communis, Hydrangea quercifolia 'Burgundy', Persicaria microcephala 'Red Dragon', Adiantum venustum — Clockwise from top left: dogwood, cabbage palm, myrtle, oak-leaved hydrangea, Persicaria, maidenhair fern – or –*Cornus alba* ‘Sibirica’*, Cordyline australis, Myrtus communis, Hydrangea quercifolia* ‘Burgundy’*, Persicaria microcephala* ‘Red Dragon’*, Adiantum venustum*

Online Summer Flower Display 2020

Thank you to everyone who sent in photos for our second online show this year. We hope you had fun! Winners of each class are shown below, congratulations! They are 1C (Pat), 2A (Ann), 3L (Margaret), 4F (Val) and 5D (Kathy)

Garden and flower photography

Some good tips from Helen Yemm, download to view: Tips to take photos in your garden

There was a great article in the Guardian this week about taking photos during lockdown. Some fantastic ones of tulips, very topical following our recent Spring Show photos!

And on another note, here’s a photo lifted from our Facebook page – a bug’s eye view of a tulip, which someone says makes it look a bit like the Coronovirus!

Online Spring Flower Display 2020

Photos of our 70th Anniversary and 1st Online SPRING SHOW 2020 winners

Our President, Sir Nicolas Bevan says, “I am greatly impressed by the quality of entries to our virtual Spring Show and I congratulate all those who sent in their photographs. At this time of anxiety and sadness our gardens can be a source of consolation and diversion and provide an outlet for our energies. I encourage all our members to carry on gardening and I look forward to the time when we can meet together again.”

The winner of Best in Show photograph is 10A, sent in by Faith. Congratulations! Here it is:

CABAHS Spring Show 2020: Best in Show photograph, by Faith

Close runners up were 9F, the tea cup display by Ann H, followed by 4D the stripy camellia by Peter S, and 2D, the white tulips by Anastasia.

We have submitted Faith’s lovely photo to the Horti-Aid Gardening competition being run by the Perennial charity, to be judged by Alan Titchmarsh, Jim Buttress & others.

CABAHS has traditionally helped to support Greenwich & Bexley Community Hospice over many years. Usually, we donate two months of our Plant Sales Table proceeds to the Hospice but this year we invited donations through this page, in celebration of successfully holding our first online Spring Show.