To see a world in a grain of sand
And a heaven in a wild flower
William Blake, Auguries of Innocence
Sometimes it’s easy to forget that ‘small is beautiful’. Also, how much of that beauty can be found very close to home. There may be a whole wide world out there, but that world begins as soon as we step out of our own back (or front) door.
For the Lens Artists challenge this week Egidio invites us to practice being ‘stuck in place’. By this he means that we should see what photos we can create while remaining in a very small area, moving just ten to fifteen steps in any direction to capture new images. I realised that from our back door to the end of our small urban patio garden is only nine steps. So I decided to take my camera out there and see what I could capture.
We’re in that in-between season, the spring flowers faded and the summer ones only just starting to come into their own. But I found plenty to focus on, as I hope you will see. And I’ve exercised considerable restraint (for me) and gone only very slightly over Egidio’s five image limit!
Disclaimer: the credit for any beauty to be found in our garden goes to my husband, not me – I simply capture it!
All images were taken on my Panasonic Lumix bridge camera, and edited in Photoshop Elements and Nik Color Efex Pro
Hydrangea in bud
Fern detail
Ivy growing through the back fence
Love-in-a-Mist / Nigella
Begonia
Dead Photinia flowers against the sky
I visited Sri Lanka in February 2026
13 Comments
EgÃdio
Sarah, you have shown such beauty with these images. I liked the whole gallery, but a couple of images stood out among all others. The Hydrangea bud was the first. We often admire the flowers and overlook the buds. The other was the ivy growing through the fence. That is the kind of image we often overlook. Excellent gallery!
Anabel @ The Glasgow Gallivanter
Chris has done a marvellous job (as have you of course). John made noises about taking an interest in the garden after retirement but somehow it has never happened (something to do with the 5 bikes). It gets no tlc from me either, I’m afraid.
Tina Schell
Hydrangea are my favorite flowers Sarah, I hope you’ll post them when they bloom! We had them in our home up north but sadly they die too quickly down here in the south. Your photography as always is perfect – those lush greens in the first three images are truly wonderful! They’re so alive on the screen it seems one could reach out and touch them. Beautifully done.
Susanne Swanson
A beautiful gallery of small! I love the the colors and intricacies you captured in your garden!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Susanne 🙂 I do enjoy capturing small details like these!
Wandering Dawgs
Sarah, your gorgeous images show us that small is truly beautiful. I love the details you have captured in these closeups. The fern is my favorite.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Beth, I’m glad you enjoyed all the details here 😊
Sue
what a lovely little Haven you have there, Sarah! the hydrangea in bud is green lovelines
Sarah Wilkie
A haven indeed, thanks to Chris 😀 We have a lot of hydrangeas all waiting to flower soon!
Teresa
I love your little finds in your garden.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you very much Teresa 😊
margaret21
This looks a pretty uplifting back yard to me. I do love ivy’s persistence and can-do attitude too!
Sarah Wilkie
It’s a pretty little haven, thanks to Chris 🙂