Welsh Garden #4 | Blue Hydrangea

This mini series was inspired by our Welsh holiday cottage garden which fringed the coastline of Aberdaron. It had the bones of once cultivated, well loved borders. Left to its own devices for years, it had softened into a semi-wild state, and was utterly charming for it. This garden captured that magical tension between wildness and cultivation, and how, when plants are left to their own devices, they can reveal a different kind of beauty. One that feels more honest and surprising. 

Acrylic on cartridge paper with oil pastel accents. All original artworks will be signed in pencil by hand with a printed certificate of authentication.

Frames not included. The unframed painting is W14.5cm x H22.5cm.

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Emily's Journal

I was surprised by the joy this chaotic, unplanned, neglected planting gave me. It was full of what I’d always considered garden thugs, plants I’d never normally appreciate but I saw them with new eyes. They were holding their own against the stronger native colonisers, blending into mounds of riotous colour.

Hydrangeas - mopheads and lacecaps romping away in giant domes of enchanting speckled patina with hundreds of blooms the size of my head. No evidence of special pruning, just what looked like an annual buzz cut - who'd have thought?! Fiery daylilies nestled with zesty Crocosmia, magenta Geranium, and sugary mauve Japanese Anemone. Butterfly filled Buddleia, honeysuckle and bramble happily tangled next to huge, blowsy Fuchsias, draping their magenta jewels over the paths and tapestry lawn. I couldn’t resist snipping a jug of fresh blooms to take inside the cottage to enjoy from the inside too. It didn’t even make a dent!

The Llŷn Peninsula sees its share of wild weather. Extreme and frequent storms, plentiful rain, blazing sunshine, and mild winters. Plants that thrive here are tough and resilient, wind and salt tolerant. Survivors. This garden was a glorious testament to what can endure and flourish with very little care or management.

Em xoxo