kimbofo

Bird on a bouy

Place: Kensington Palace Gardens, London.
Date: April 15, 2012.
Camera: Panasonic TZ3.

Snapped this today on the return leg of an 8 mile walk to Mayfair and back. I can't believe the size of his feet!

A gorilla in the garden

Place: Elgin Crescent, Notting Hill, London.
Date: March 25, 2012.
Camera: BlackBerry Curve.

I don't know about you, but a lovely posh house like this calls for a special focal point in the garden. Maybe a fountain or a pond or a beautiful ornamental tree?

Or how about a sculpture of a gorilla, then? Yes, I thought so.

Personally, I love it, but the mind boggles as to the how the owners of this house settled on this particular piece of art in this particular part of chic West London — it's just so surreal. 

Snowdrops at the Chelsea Physic Garden

Place: Chelsea Physic Garden, London.
Date: February 11, 2012.
Camera: Panasonic TZ3.

Do you know what a galanthophile is?

Apparently it's someone obsessed with snowdrops, those lovely little white flowers that pop up in late winter, of which there are nearly 100 different varieties. The botanical name for snowdrops is Galanthus — from the Greek meaning milk (gála) and flower (ánthos).

This weekend the Chelsea Physic Garden is throwing open its grounds to the public specifically to celebrate the humble snowdrop. The garden was founded in 1673 by the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries so that its apprentices could study medicinal plants. It is London's oldest botanical garden.

We arrived late this afternoon and took a wander around the garden, which covers 3.8 acres, features numerous greenhouses and beds of plants labelled with their botanical names arranged in systematic order.

The sun was shining and there was still  snow on the ground from Thursday night's snowfall, but it was ice-cold and my hands quickly became frozen, even in my gloves, as I took these photographs: 

According to the leaflet that came with our entry ticket, you can distinguish the different variety of snowdrops by "subtle differences of markings, leaf shape and fullness of flower". At the risk of offending galanthophiles everywhere, I really couldn't tell one variety from another. But that didn't stop me from admiring these beautiful and delicate flowers.

Roll on spring!

Swan on the Serpentine

Place: Hyde Park, London.
Date: February 10, 2012.
Camera: Panasonic TZ3.

I disappointed this pristine-white swan this afternoon. She came swimming over to me as I stood at the side of the Serpentine in Hyde Park to take a couple of snaps. I think she thought I was there specifically to feed her. When she realised my pockets were empty and I had no bread on offer, she swam off towards an old lady and a little boy further downstream — they were probably a better prospect.

Frosty landscape

Place: Richmond Park.
Date: January 16, 2012.
Camera: Panasonic TZ3.

Taken mid-way through a 15-mile cycle to the park and back earlier today. Beneath the winter sky the ground was covered in a light dusting of frost — even at 11am.

Mount Street Gardens, Mayfair

 

Place: Mount Street Gardens, Mayfair.
Date: June 6, 2010.
Camera: Panasonic DMC-TZ3.

One of the best things about exploring London on foot is coming across little parks tucked away in the most unexpected of places. I found this gorgeous oasis of calm while wandering around Mayfair yesterday afternoon in search of elephants. It doesn't have any street frontage so has to be accessed by following a little laneway off Mount Street. It was so beautiful and green that I parked myself on a bench, ate a sandwich and enjoyed the peace and quiet for a few moments before battling the Sunday crowds on New Bond Street.

You can find out more about the gardens via the official website or the wikipedia entry.

Finsbury Circus

All pictures** taken: Finsbury Circus, London.
Date: September 20, 2009.
Camera: Panasonic DMC-TZ3.

Finsbury Circus is one of those magical green spaces right in the heart of London that you'd never really know about unless you'd carefully studied a map or stumbled upon it by accident. 

Most parks of this nature are square, but Finsbury Circus is, as the name suggests, circular, or, more precisely, elliptical.

Its 2.2ha comprises immaculate garden beds, gently sweeping paths, manicured lawns and the city of London's only bowling green, which was laid in 1904 (according to the club's history).

There's a bandstand and a pretty little drinking fountain, too.

All rather lovely, isn't it?

** I wish I could claim that I took this wonderful aerial photograph (above), but alas it's from Wikipedia. The photographer, Reguiieee, has very kindly released it into the public domain and has granted permission to use it for "any purpose". I wanted to publish it here to demonstrate the shape of the gardens and the built-up area around them.