Back together again – explaining a near two-month absence….

Acer Autumn Colour

Acer palmatum dissectum Crimson Queen

Acer palmatum Elegans

Aconitum helmsleyanum

Actaea simplex Black Negligee

Asschynanthus Hot Flash

Aeonium arboreum atropurpureum

Aloe polyphylla

Anemone Dreaming Swan

Anemone Dreaming Swan

Anemone hupehensis Splendens

Anemone hybrida Carmen

Anemone hybrida Rotkappchen

Anemone Hybrida

Symphyotrichum turbinellus

Berberis thunbergii atropurpurea

Blueberry

Callicarpa bodinieiri var giraldi Profusion

Camellis vernalis Yueltide

Campanula Blue Octopus

Carex comans Frosted Curls

Castanea sativa Variegata

Certatostigma plumbaginoides

Chilli Sparkler

Chrysanthemum L’Innocence

Colchicum Waterlily

Cornus sanguinea Magic Flame

Cyclamen hederifolium

Dahlia Tartan

Painted Heathers

Rudbeckia, Sedum, Aster

Euonymus europaeus Red Cascade

Franklinia altamaha

Gentian Compact Gem

Gentian Devonhall

Gentian Kidbrooke

Gentian Lucerna

Gentian scabra Blue Mountain

Gentian terniflora Cangshen

Gladiolus Ovaite

Hamamelis x intermedia Orange Peel

Painted Heathers – No!

Painted Heathers – No!

Hedera helix Buttercup

Hedera helix Calico

Hedera helix Manda’s Crested

Hedera helix Midas Touch

Hedera helix Pink and Curly

Helleborus niger

Largerstroemeria Strawberry Dazzler

Leucothoe Carinella

Lilium Merostat

Liquidamber styraciflua Parasol

Malus hupehensis

Malus Professor Sprenger

Malus transitoria

Malus x robusta Red Sentinel

Mespillus

Miscanthus nepalensis

Nandina domestica Filamentosa

Nerine bowdenii

Nerine Elegance

Nerine sarniense White Swan

Nerine sarniense Mandarin

Nyssa sylvatica

Nyssa sylvatica

Panicum virgatum Northwind

Parrotia persica

Pathenocissus tricuspidata Veitchii

Petersham at Shades of Autumn

Petersham at Shades of Autumn

Petersham at Shades of Autumn

Petersham at Shades of Autumn

Petersham School of Garden Inspiration

Prunus incisa Kojo No Mai

Quercus coccinea

Quince Champion

Rosa Belle Epoque

Rosa English Garden

Rosa Fascination

Rosa Old John

Rosa Sue Hipkin/Lady Jane Grey

Rosa Tatton

Rosa The Prince

Ruscus aculeatus Sparkler

RHS Shades of Autumn

Streptocarpus Crystal Ice

Streptocarpus Fiesta

Streptocarpus Harlequin Lace

Streptocarpus Marion

Streptocarpus Polka Dot Surprise

Streptocarpus Tanya

Streptocarpus Targa

Symphotrichum Marie Ballard

Trachelospermum jasminoides Waterwheel

Autumn colour – unnamed tree at Wisley

Well, I’ve been rather busy …

• Devon – The Garden House and Knightshayes Court
• Cornwall – Eden Project, Barbara Hepworth Garden, Trellisick, Lanhydrock
• Beth Chatto Gardens, Essex
• RHS Wisley, several times including their Autumn Fair
• Kew, several more times
• East Bergholt Arboretum/Place for Plants, Suffolk
• RHS Shades of Autumn Show, London
• Waterperry Gardens, Oxfordshire
• Waddesdon Manor, Oxfordshire
• West Green House, Hampshire
• Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Hampshire
• Petersham Nurseries
• Rose Care and Pruning Workshop
• Gardening – this Indian Summer has meant some lovely extra weeks in the gardening year
• lots of photography

I’ve done a little tweeting, just to keep my online presence alive and weakly kicking, but my usual expansive and generous photography spreads have been absent from my blog – and Facebook too. One reason for my absence, which really should be a plus – and will be – but there’s a time factor I need to overcome.

I’ve bought a much better camera – a Nikon 7200 – and the file sizes for the individual photographs is now 15-20MB rather than the quite acceptable 2-3MB I’ve been used to, and have been happily using for blogging, facebook and tweetery. But, without a great deal of time-consuming file management, these new files are way too big (and unnecessary) for my blogging needs and I haven’t found a way yet of dealing with this – particularly given the sheer number of pictures I generally take…. I have a mind that the camera itself, with two slots for SD cards, can produce both a huge file, and a downsized version, so will have to explore this.

There’s another reason, which is just a little hush-hush, but I’ve my first proper photography commission and setting myself up for this project has taken hours and hours and hours – and hours. For an outdoors man, I’ve spent and an inordinately long time staring at a computer screen but I think this goes hand-in-hand with the photographers’ lot. Love taking the photos, but the downside is managing, editing, naming, filing and uploading new images. Next year will be even more interesting as I’ll be busier on all fronts.

I’m sure to find a compromise, particularly over the quieter winter months, so that I can manage my time at Petersham with all my other commitments. I love my blogging time, so will have to strike  balance somehow..

In the meantime, here are a couple of galleries featuring just a few photographs from the past ‘missing’ weeks – and follow my tweets if you like at @Martin_Ogden for more spontaneous photography and up-to-date commentary on my horticultural adventures…

Amarine Belladiva

Symphyotrichum Purple Cloud

Mixed Heathers

Dahlia Hootenanny

Dahlia Spartacus

Delphinium Highlander

Birch bark

Waterperry Gardens

Aster frikartii Monch

Waterperry Gardens

Waterperry Gardens

Waterperry Gardens

Waterperry Gardens

Waddesdon Manor

Waddesdon Manor

Waddesdon Manor

Waddesdon Manor

Knighshayes Court

White Gentian

Lily seed heads

Mixed gourds

Pseudolarix amabilis

Rosa Blessings

Rosa Carolyn Knight

Rosa Champagne Moment

Rosa Grace

Rosa Jude the Obscure

Rosa The Generous Gardener

Rudbeckia Summerina Orange

Salvia Victoria

Verbena bonariensis Lollipop