Georgianna Lane - London in Bloom

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Table of Contents

Guide

GEORGIANNA LANE

ABRAMS IMAGE, NEW YORK

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

L

ondon captivated me well before I meandered along its ancient cobblestoned

alleyways or marveled at its historic structures. From the air, circling Heathrow

one long-ago summer, I discerned, at first, the bright-green patchwork fields of the

countryside, and then the breathtakingly grand expanses of the Royal Parks, and finally,

closer in, a multitude of row houses with their tiny gardens of pinks and purples, all

lush and welcoming.

Subsequently, I fell deeply in love with the irresistibly complex bouquet of

tradition and trendsetting, whimsy and pageantry, playfulness and propriety that is

this magnificent city.

Perhaps not surprisingly, my most memorable London experiences have been

inextricably interwoven with gardens. Whether I was rambling through nearby

Richmond Park from our Sheen cottage the first summer I visited in my teens, or

sitting in Russell Square in my early twenties, memorizing Shakespeare for my acting

courses at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, the open spaces of London have

seeped into my consciousness, awakened my imagination, and become part of me.

My dual passions for natures flowers and mankinds resplendent buildings

form the basis of much of my photography and writing. Thus, as in the creation of

the previous volumes in this series, Paris in Bloom and New York in Bloom , Ive drawn

inspiration for this book not only from the botanical bounty found in the city but also

from its floral-inspired architecture, and the juxtaposition of the two.

Throughout, Ive been continually fascinated by the distinctive London details that

make up its unique visual language, inscribed with quintessential English eloquence: the

blacks of taxis, iron railings, lampposts, and checkered tiles; the reds of buses, phone

booths, post boxes, and the Union Jack; the yellows of daffodils and mews cottages.

CELEBRATING LONDONS FLORAL HERITAGE

To those I would add gilded ceiling medallions, spiral staircases that mirror the

whorled petals of an unfolding flower, painted panels in stately homes, designer fabrics,

vintage cars, flowery china teacups, pubs festooned with flowers that are echoed in

their etched and frosted windows, the rose gates at the National Portrait Gallery,

imposing white Mayfair mansions that take themselves seriously, and pastel-painted

Notting Hill houses that dont. Ill never tire of wandering, observing, and collecting

images of this evolving panorama.

I adore chatting with London taxi drivers, especially when, upon inquiring about

my profession as a floral photographer, they invariably share particulars of their

own cherished gardens, which are an essential element of their existence. These

simple conversations exemplify the nearly universal passion that Londoners have for

gardening, on glorious display everywhere in the city.

Photographing the floral abundance of London is a joy and a privilege. But equally,

I like the rare days when I leave my camera behind and amble through a park with only

a pen and notebook, scribbling down details about the emerging plants and flowers,

gathering field notes and memories.

These past few months, while completing this volume, Ive been fortunate to

reside in an elegant Kensington house on an exceptionally quiet and pretty street that

must be one of the citys most floriferous. Flanked at either end by two residences

extravagantly embellished with wisteria, the lane has since early March offered an

astonishing procession of spring beauty: ornamental plum trees, magnolias, camellias,

cherries, lilac, wisteria, jasmine, roses, and, soon to come, lavender. Each week brings

new and fragrant wonders outside my front door.

At this moment, as I write from a curvy iron bench in Kensington Gardens on a

warm April morning, with the heavy scent of lilac entwined in my hair, all the magic of

that first London summer comes rushing back: the thrill of arriving, the anticipation

of exploring, the jubilance of discovering a land of enchantment.

So, if the realm of England is a garden, an Elysium of blooming delights, London has

always been, to me, its floral heart, a demi-paradise for flower gardeners, flower sellers,

and flower lovers. My ardent wish is that you may also discover, through these pages,

that glorious wonderland beckoning to you.

Georgianna Lane

London,

April 2019

N

o place, real or imagined, enchants quite like an English garden. The ornate gates,

the tumbling roses, the winding paths, and the sunlight winking through branches

of delicate blossoms have long inspired poetry and romance.

True to this heritage, the vast topography of London flourishes on a dual plane: a

dense urban network of dignified squares, sumptuous palaces, and modern structures

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