The Lost Garden is a work in progress. It recalls the sweet sharpness of the mint that grew in my grandfather’s back garden and the heady scent of roses on a warm summer evening. 

Working with my mother’s recollections, family photos and my own memories, I am attempting to recreate my grandfather’s garden on the banks of Loch Long, Scotland. I started the project during lockdown. I was inspired by the parallels between the budding interest in gardening brought on by the crises and 1940’s Victory Gardens. Influenced by this, I made a series of lumen prints of the fruit, vegetables and flowers that my grandfather grew. I am half way through my list of plants. I decided not to fix the lumen prints leaving them vulnerable to fading. They are safe in a box. I digitally scanned the original 10 x 8 inch prints and experimented with printing them a little larger than life. 

During lockdown I learnt of my father’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Like many elderly people, lockdown had a detrimental effect on him and advanced his condition. He died in hospital last January. As the project progressed these prints became a home for my feelings of loss and a means of expressing my grief. The Lost Garden has been exhibited at the Darkroom Birmingham, four prints from the project were displayed as part of Shoot Festival, Coventry and one print is currently on show at the Rugby Open.