A Day of Storytelling and Autumn Splendour

Last weekend, on a damp autumn Saturday, with the M4 stretching ahead through morning mist and drizzle, I headed to Damson Farm, a regenerative smallholding and edible garden just outside Bath. Turning off towards Chippenham, the roads narrowed as they wound through the valley of St Catherine’s Brook, leading to the softened landscape and picturesque English village of Batheaston, home to garden designer Alison Jenkins.

Her beautiful Somerset home, featured on Gardeners’ World, and in Gardens Illustrated and Homes & Gardens, was the setting for a photography and storytelling workshop led by the brilliant Eva Nemeth.

The Art of Storytelling

After a warm welcome, introductions, and a cup of tea, Eva began the day with a talk on the art of digital photography and visual storytelling. She shared her philosophy on quiet observations and working with natural light, trying to always use the soft, diffused tones of early morning and late afternoon to bring atmosphere and authenticity to an image.

Although I’ve always felt most comfortable photographing flowers, our first challenge was to include a human touch in our images. Alison kindly modelled for us, harvesting quinces in the orchard, while Twiggy, her ever-charming Irish Terrier delighted in the attention of the small crowd of floral paparazzi!

Autumn at Damson Farm

Set within two acres, Damson Farm unfolds as a series of beautifully connected spaces. Closest to the house lie the ornamental gardens, widening into a meadow, an orchard, a paddock for rare-breed sheep, and finally a charming enclosed potager-style garden. This year, being a true mast year, the fruit trees were heavy with apples, damsons, quinces, and pears.

The edible garden, enclosed by rustic estate fencing and Cotswold stone walls, invites you in to explore. Stone chippings trace paths around raised beds edged with alpine strawberries.

Despite the late season and the grey British weather, there was still plenty of colour to find (another of Eva’s challenges). Dahlias and English roses offered a final flourish; autumn raspberry foliage blushed through shifting tones; and bright pops of tagetes, winter chard, towering fennel, and scented mints brought energy to the beds. Rambling Cobaea Scandens and pretty nasturtiums wrapped themselves around hazel supports, giving height and structure.

Within the edible garden space stands an old, half-walled wooden greenhouse filled with vintage terracotta pots, all ready for the next growing season. Vintage galvanised containers and repurposed bathtubs are tucked among garden borders soft with perennial and edible planting. A natural stone path, gentle steps, and a narrow rill guiding water off the hillside runs through the south-facing garden creating a calm, layered, and immersive, picture just like stepping into the pages of a glossy garden magazine.

Everywhere, there were signs of the season: fruit-laden trees, gathered fruit in baskets and squashes of every shape and size curing on tabletops and stone ledges. A perfect reminder to grow more of these next year!

Grow, Gather, and Share

Lunch was a delicious homemade quiche with salad, freshly picked from the garden by Alison all beautifully presented and adorned with edible petals and herbs. Afterwards, Eva shared editing tips, demonstrating how subtle adjustments in Lightroom can elevate an image without losing its natural quality. We shared our photographs and reflections on the morning’s work; the most lasting lesson for me was the simplest: to slow down and stay with what you’re photographing. Spend time noticing it from different sides, angles, and take in the surroundings. Don’t rush the moment.

After a final cup of tea and a slice of home-baked windfall apple pie made by Eva, it was time to say our goodbyes.

Eva’s delicious apple pie

Journey Home and a Note of Thanks

Driving back home through the Wiltshire countryside towards Hertfordshire, the early evening light spilled across the wooded valley. I stopped to gather a few strands of wild clematis, much less weather-beaten than those found by the roadside and noticed a small patch of mushrooms glowing in a shaft of light at the foot of a tree. It felt like the perfect ending to a day filled with learning, beauty, and connection.

In the woods…

A huge thank you to Alison for opening her beautiful home and garden, and to Eva Nemeth for sharing her artistry and insight. Alison will be announcing her 2026 workshop dates in November, and they come highly recommended.

You can also hear more from Eva Nemeth in the Autumn edition of Cultivate: A Seasonal Miscellany — subscribe via the website for your free copy.