After many years living in cities, I now have a home in the countryside, close to the North Sea in England. My dream of living beside a wildflower meadow slowly began to come true when my husband and I decided not to mow the grass and see what would appear. To our delight, the first surprise came one May day when we discovered a Northern Marsh orchid in flower. Looking more closely, we found more orchids, including Common Spotted ones, and began collecting and spreading their seeds around the garden. Over the years, the meadow has been transformed, with hundreds of orchids, natural hybrids and many other wildflowers appearing. From spring onwards, the meadow changes constantly. Dandelions, daisies, Cuckoo Flowers, buttercups, clovers and many other plants provide colour and nourishment for butterflies, bees and other insects. Birds feed among the flowers, and frogs have made their home in the long grass.
What began as an experiment has become a small haven for wildlife and a constant source of fascination. Every year brings new discoveries and a deeper appreciation of the biodiversity that can flourish when nature is given space. As the sun sets, the meadow glows with warm orange and red tones. Insects bask in the fading light, and I find endless fascination in capturing these small moments with my camera. I wrote about this project in the November 2021 special environmental issue of ICM Photography Magazine, created to raise awareness of environmental concerns alongside the COP26 Climate Change Conference in Glasgow.
