I visited Felbrigg again yesterday, the second time since I began the project.

The colours and shapes cried out the season with the autumnal hues of the oranges and yellows laying claim to the garden.

The purpose of the visit was to get a sense of the visuals of the project, and luckily for me it was not a wasted trip. The vegetable patches grabbed my attention with the dying down of the vegetation revealing the pumpkins and gourds with their garish hues but also their distinctive shape.

The theme of circles continued as I explored the public part of the garden as well as behind the scenes. The poly tunnels with the planting trays and the bubble wrap that provided insulation got my imagination and in particular my designers brain focused. I started to be drawn to anything spherical and particularly multiples.

I began sketching and snapping away with the camera at the delightful shapes I found. However, something was missing and it took me a while to realise what it was.

As I explored the gardens to find the shapes, I was drawn to the volunteers, who were busily tidying up the gardens. Around them were wheelbarrows and buckets full of the pumpkins and gourds, and suddenly I was reminded of the whole purpose of the project.

I was supposed to be communicating the work of the volunteers and I needed to include this sense of vitality in my pictures.

Aware that I did not want to be intrusive I asked if I could picture the working side of the garden, and so I started to photograph the working hands and muddy boots of the volunteers as they went about their jobs.

This involvement allowed a flow of conversations to start and reminded me that if I am to honestly represent this community I need to get my wellingtons on and join in and stop being a voyeur!