Composition

If possible, start by finding out what variety of fruit tree you’re looking at.  There are lots of experts out there, and some apple-specific websites such as Fruit i.d. and the national fruit collection.   There are subtle differences in colour, growth patterns, and size and shape of petals; as well as bigger variation between the apples each variety produces.

Blossom is often clustered at the tip of a branch, may grow off sideways from a stem, or is produced on lateral spurs.  This needs to be reflected in the drawing.  If there’s lots of variation, I’ll include two bunches of blossom.

Two views of blossom from the same tree

As always, slightly curve straight lines of twigs, and leave plenty of white space around your subject.

Specimens and blossom care

A major challenge of painting blossom is that the flowers are so ephemeral.  Buds unfurl, stamens expand, petals stretch outward and fall.  You can cosset your blossom to try and make it last longer.

If it’s a small sprig, you can put it with a little moist tissue in a sealed plastic bag in the fridge.

Keeping blossom in the dark somewhere cool, like a cellar or garden shed, also helps to delay the blossom burst.

On the other hand, you may have buds you want to come into flower.  Encourage them by putting them somewhere warm, in direct sun.  Placing your specimen under a bell jar or in a greenhouse will also speed things along.

Apple blossom growing from the tip of a branch and from a spur twig

Caring for blossom as you paint

Once you’re at your desk, drawing, it’s something of a race against time.  You can keep the room you’re working in really cold.  This makes the flowers unfurl slower, and buys you a couple more hours.  It’s not pleasant, though.

Draw fast.  I get the basic measurements done right away, using callipers or a ruler.  I always take lots of photos before lifting a pencil.

Make sure the cut end of the twig is wet.  I use plastic test tubes held in a desk clamp.  The specimen stays in water but isn’t resting on the side of a jam jar. It is is held still, in the position I chose to draw it in, and I can move the angle of the plant without touching the blossom.

Apple blossom specimen held in test tube with a desk clamp

It’s also vital to have more than one specimen. This means if something happens to the flower I’m working with, I can refer to another one for the missing information.

If my illustration takes more than a day, I store my specimens somewhere cool and dark overnight instead of leaving them out on the desk.

Colours

Apple blossom tends to be white, flushed with pink.  Within this, there are a multitude of nuances.  Some flowers have a general pale flush, others only show the pink on veins on the petals.  Most have far pinker buds than opened blossoms.

The buds are amazing.  In many cases, as they unfurl, you can see a sharp delineation between white and deep pink.  The pink is where the bud was exposed to sunlight, the white is the petal that was hidden.

Apple blossom buds unfurling, showing the stark difference between pink and white.

I tend to use various ratios of Opera Rose, Cobalt Blue, Permanent Magenta, Alizarin Crimson, Cadmium Red, and Winsor Violet to try and capture the pinks.

Some blossoms have intensely coloured buds, almost purple.

Purplish buds

Another challenge is that the hue of pink seems to alter massively depending on whether I look at in in daylight, artificial light, or direct sun.  Pinks also become more purple as the day progresses.

White petals can be outlined in pencil, or with a neutral grey.  I like a neutral mix of Alizarin Crimson mixed with Winsor Green (Yellow hue).  The veins, if not pink, tend to be a yellowish green, and are often indistinct.

Flower veins, changing from yellow-green near the centre, to pink

Shadows

Representing petal edges, and shadows on pale flowers is always tricky.  You need to show them, but it’s important to keep the flower white.  For more on this see my blog on painting white flowers.  Placing a darker leaf behind a blossom is one solution.

Blossom with leaves behind it.  No need to outline the petal edges.

Adding drop shadows, where a petal casts its’ shadow on the one below it, can look really effective.  Again, don’t overdo it.  A dilute Cobalt Blue mixed with Winsor Violet, or Cerulean Blue are all worth trying.

Detail showing blue shadows on a bud

Drop shadows help separate the two flowers and their petals

Anthers and stamens

Surprisingly, the pollen-producing stamens of the apple seem to change colour.  When newly opened, the anthers are a pale creamy yellow. (For more on the parts of a flower, check out my blog). Once mature, they turn a rich red, or even dark brown.  They can often be a wide variety of colours in one flower.  The filaments vary too, from a fresh yellow-green to a colour closer to Yellow Ochre.

Different coloured anthers in one flower.

Petal drop

Petals dropping is the toughest challenge of all.  You’ll be in the middle of illustrating the venation where a petal curls over itself and…poof!  The petal is gone.  I try to work with the fallen petal, but this is where the reference photos I took earlier come into their own.

None of my photos show this stressful moment, or even the desk at the end of a day where every single blossom has fallen to pieces.  I think I’m too busy panicking to get the camera out!  The pear below shows me working from two specimens.  Neither is the flower I initially drew.  It shed its’ petals a few hours earlier. I had to make do with under-studies.  It’s a familiar story.

The main thing is to stay calm.  And trust that the initial drawing shows the petal shape correctly.

Beautiful blossom

So yes, there are challenges.  But the spring-time beauty of apple blossom more than counter-balances this.

Capturing the fresh green of an uncurling leaf, the magenta flush of a bud, the nuances of a pale pink vein on a petal.  All of these are joyful.

There’s also the pleasure of trying to depict the twigs as accuratley as possible.  Are they grey or brown, or green?  Is lichen present?  Are there leaf scars?  Lenticels?  Is there a colour switch between the main twig and lateral branches?

Twig with leaf scars, buds, lenticels and lichen

The leaves are young, so the greens are fresh.  Illustrating tiny holes and leaf damage is a lot of fun too, as well as being true to life.

Leaf with damage

Conclusion

Whenever I illustrate from life, there are challenges.  These are often the same across the board.  Keeping flowers fresh is difficult whether you’re painting apple blossom or a sweet pea.  Colours change because of time of day, or because a plant has been picked.

Sweet peas also change colour once picked

Leaves and petals move, buds unfurl.  Specimens are alive, so they change. Some are more resilient than others, and over time you learn which ones are ok with being picked and which are not.  A periwinkle might last several days in a jar of water.  A hellebore or magnolia is hard-pressed to manage more than an hour or so.  I take photos.  I have lots of specimens to work with.  I’ve got better at drawing fast, before the plant wilts.  All of this helps.

Periwinkle are pretty robust once picked

But ultimately I like the fact that the plants I illustrate can be so challenging.  It’s a reminder to respect them as living, changing organisms.  And to relish their beauty, fleeting as it may be.

Another apple blossom variety

The post Illustrating apple blossom appeared first on Lizzie Harper.

The twist on this commission is that this good garden needs to be cited in Sweden, which means a whole lot of research into Swedish hedging species, houses, garden plants, and native species of bird and butterfly.  However, many of the over arching themes and hints on how you can improve the health of your garden, and encourage wild animals and plants, are universal.

Hedges and Edges

Gardens which are welcoming to wildlife and encourage nature tend to have hedges rather than fencing.  There should be plenty of undergrowth to hide in, and hedging species should be native, or designed to appeal to pollinators.  In the main illustration of the Swedish garden, Maple and Hazel make up the majority of the hedging (although from a distance it’s hard to tell what the species is!)

Hedging – Lilac is often used for hedging in Sweden

Trees and Shrubs

Old established trees and numerous shrubs and bushes are good practice in a wildlife garden.  Rather than felling an ancient tree, make a feature of it.  This illustration has a central apple tree, with an area of young Birch saplings on the right.  Fruit trees are excellent in wildlife gardens as they provide blossom in the spring, and fruit in the autumn.  These benefit both the gardener, and the insects, mammals, and birds you’re looking to attract.  If you’re lucky, there will be other mature trees nearby.  These will link to the canopy of trees in your garden, making it easy for birds and insects to access your space.

Apple tree Malus domestica

Shrubs illustrated include more Hazel, and Buddleja.  Earlier in the year, Lilac provides nectar and pollen for bees, and looks lovely.  Not necessarily seen as a shrub, bushes of lavender can be beneficial for pollinators too.

Butterfly bush Buddleja davidii

If and when your established trees shed their branches, try to avoid clearing it all up.  Fallen wood encourages a whole different community of insects and animals, and leaving it on the ground allows the nutrients to seep back into the soil.

Apple tree with fallen branch left in situ

Woodpiles

You can introduce extra rotting wood into your garden by having a wood pile.  Allow this to rot a little, don’t be too keen to keep it neat and tidy.  Ivy, brambles, nettles and long grass growing around it provide perfect cover for animals seeking sanctuary, or somewhere to hibernate over winter.

Logpile with Hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus

Log piles are really good for fungus too.  The image above shows bracket fungus growing on the wood, along with more conventional “mushroom-like” fungi.  Look out for King Alfred’s cakes Daldinia concentrica growing on fallen Ash.  It looks like black balls, or burnt biscuits.  Turkey tail, with its striations, also turns up in woodpiles.  Fungi interact in the soil with other plants, and help recycle nutrients and encourage good soil health.  They break down wood, returning carbon, nitrogen and other vital minerals to the soil.

Turkey tail fungus Trametes versicolor

The woodpile in this good garden has a Coal tit perched on top, probably looking for small insects and caterpillars to eat.

Woodpile

Minimize Hard Surfaces

Straightforward enough advice.  Hard surfaces such as decking, gravel beds, and patios not only stop plants from growing on those spaces.  They also add to run-off from rain water, and stop the land from working as it should, like a sponge for rainfall.  Instead, water pours straight off and can clog drains and lead to flooding.  More on this in this article by the British Association of Landscape Industries.

Hard surfaces can also get dirty, and people may use harsh cleaners to keep their paves areas pristine.  Run-off from these can flow into water courses and damage local wildlife ecosystems.

Avoid Visible Soil

When trying to run a good garden, keep exposed soil to a minimum.  Patches of sandy soil can be useful for mining bees, but in general, bare earth doesn’t help wildlife.  When you’re growing food crops, inter plant between rows of vegetables.  Allow plants to work as cover crops, shielding the soil from erosion, protecting it from having minerals and nutrients washed out, and adding to soil health as these rot down.

This illustration shows Cabbage and Leeks growing under a cover of French marigold Tagetes patula and chives.  French marigold is a common companion plant, helping plants like tomato and aubergine to thrive.  Although it actual competes with Cabbage, it does have the benefit of repelling Cabbage white butterflies and caterpillars, which is why this good garden combines the two.  For more on Companion planting, see 10 suggestions of good companions on the Gardener’s World site.

Vegetable gardening

You can even choose to plant cover crops or green manures on areas of bare soil, expressly to improve the soil.  Nitrogen fixing plants like White clover or Alfalfa are good for this.

White clover Trifolium repens

Grow Perennials and grass, not Annuals and Vegetables

If you can, grow grasses and perennial flowers rather than short-lived annuals and vegetable crops which. once removed, leave the soil like a desert.  Some grass species are highly ornamental and look beautiful.  Many wild flowers are perennial, such as Cornflower and Foxglove.  Obviously, these will vary according to where you’re gardening.  Perennials are good for the gardener, too.  You no longer need to go and buy new bedding plants every year.  Perennials will return year after year, and many will also self seed.

Foxglove Digitalis purpurea

Planting grasses and perennials, be they native or not, is a good way to look after both animal visitors and the soil.  For more on what to plant, and how best to encourage butterflies to yoru garden, check out my blog.

Compost

Every good garden will have a compost heap, or two.  Worm bins are excellent ways of getting the most from food waste, you can even build your own!  Making your own compost means you don’t need to spend money on fertilizer or, even worse, buy unsustainable peat.

Compost heap

For information on how to make your own compost (and it isn’t difficult) check out this guide from the Wildlife Trusts.  Compost rots down, so it’s a good way to get rid of garden waste without resorting to bonfires or taking green waste to the tip.

Compost degrading over time

In Scandinavia (as elsewhere), thermal composters are popular.  This method of composting basically compresses compost, meaning the layers of organic matter and microbes involved in decomposition are in closer contact.  Garden waste may need to be broken down into smaller parts with a chipper, but the benefits are higher yields of compost and compost free of weed seeds.  It also doesn’t smell, is ready in 30 – 90 days, breaks down pesticides, and kills eggs and maggots of flies.

Hot composter with Robin perched on top

Leave Weeds on the Flower bed

This is new to me, but leaving weeds on the flower bed keeps the soil covered, and allows their nutrients to leach back into the soil.

Weeds left to rot on soil

Rainwater

Preserving rainwater is a great idea if you’re wanting to create a good garden.

Water but on left hand side

Water butts can be fixed to guttering, and will collect all the rain water that falls on the entire roof area.  Rain water is free from chemicals which are added to water that we get from taps; things like chlorine and fluoride.  Tap water isn’t bad for watering plants, but rainwater is much better.  According to the Royal Horticultural Society, rainwater “is free from hard water elements and is the correct pH for the majority of plants, including acid-lovers such as rhododendrons and camellias.”

Water butt collecting rain from the roof

Although it can be tricky finding enough places to put water butts, looking after rain water is a really good idea.  You can also combine it with installing a wildlife pond.

Wildlife pond being fed by rainwater

This is another excellent idea which encourages wildlife.  Rain water, devoid of chlorine, is by far the best option for aquatic species.  For more on how to establish a wildlife pond, check out the Wildlife Trust’s guide.

Wildlife pond

No dig Garden

Digging used to be de-rigeur for any gardener.  Many would double dig, every year.  Recent research suggests that doing this can be really bad for soil health.  It breaks up the microscopic networks of fungal hyphae, stopping them from interacting with the roots of plants.  There’s a lot of symbiosis between fungal and plant roots, on a cellular level, and such brutal treatment of soil makes this relationship impossible to sustain.

Double digging is now thought to be bad for soil health

But how can you aerate the soil, making it light enough for plants to grow into?  In the past, this was seen as one of the prime reasons for digging.

Alternatives are numerous.  You can plant Teasels Dipsacus fullonum, or other plants with seriously long and strong tap roots which break up the soil.  Teasels are also great for wildlife as their seed-heads produce thistle-like seed deep into winter, a real treat for goldfinch and other birds.

Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis and teasels

Mulching, growing a green manure like clover or alfalfa, and adding organic matter all help break up the soil.  Without damaging that all important fungal – plant symbiosis.  The Welsh Botanic Garden have more on the benefits of a “no dig” system.

Introduce Climbing plants

The more surface area you can cover with green growth, the better. Good gardens not only grow horizontally, but vertically too.  This means putting up trellis on buildings, and encouraging climbing plants.  Roses or clematis clambering up a house can look wonderful, and provide wonderful safe havens for overwintering insects and nesting birds.

House festooned with climbing plants like clematis, wisteria, and rose

Sometimes, you don’t even need to do any planting.  In my garden, Ivy sprawls across the whole of the back wall.  In winter it’s alive with flies and hoverflies, and spring sees it full of sparrow nests.  Although it’s not great for the wall, on balance I think it’s worth it.  And I never lifted a finger!

Ivy Hedera helix growing on a wall

Some plants are remarkably good at growing up things.  Old Man’s beard, Clematis vitalba can swallow up an abandoned building or a dead tree, and provide lots of safe spaces for wildlife.  Although this is an introduced species in Sweden, it’s become so ubiquitious that many Swedes are surprised to hear that it’s not a native plant.

Old Man’s Beard Clematis vitalba

Don’t Mow too much!

Mowing a lawn too often is a sure fire way to turn a good garden into a wildlife desert.  Even if you like carefully manicured turf, consider leaving islands of long grass unmown.  Small mammals can live in these pockets, and the long grasses shelter insects like grasshoppers, ants, and beetles.

Short tail or Field vole Microtus agrestis in grass

Pollinators thrive, feeding on the nectar and pollen of the wild flowers that inevitably also grow in these long-grass islands.  Many caterpillars have grasses as their main food plant.  It’s thought that you can bring up to 10x more bees to your garden if you simply avoid mowing all your grass too much (Plantlife 2019)!

Small skipper Thymelicus sylvestris on grasses

In the UK there’s an initiative called “No Mow May” in which gardeners and local councils are encouraged to put aside the lawn mowers for the month of May and allow butterflies, pollinators, and wild flowers to thrive.  It’s been hugely successful, and is becoming a given for any good garden.

Long areas of grass left unmown

Conclusion

There are many things you can do to turn your outdoor space into a good garden.  Don’t feel guilty if you’re unable (or unwilling) to make all these changes, or make them all at once.  Every small step taken will help.  And whether you’re gardening in Sweden, Britain, America, or anywhere else; trying to do something to help encourage wildlife and wild flowers in your own backyard has got to be a good idea.

For lots of good resources on how to garden well for wildlife (in the UK), check out Plantlife’s website.

Completed illustration of the “good garden”

Below is the annotated pencil rough of the Swedish “good garden” illustration.  It might help clarify any parts of the finished illustration that seem unclear.

Annotated wildlife garden illustration

The post Good Garden: A wildlife Haven appeared first on Lizzie Harper.