Durham Botanic Garden's lockdown photo diary

Mike Hughes, head gardener of the Durham University Botanic Garden, has taken a picture each day of lockdown

From badgers to butterflies, trees to tulips, life has been carrying on at the Durham University Botanic Gardens throughout the coronavirus lockdown.

Head gardener Mike Hughes started a blog on the first day to keep people informed of what has happening in the gardens.

He has posted at least one picture every day since lockdown began on 23 March.

At day 89 and counting, here are just a few of his photographs.

Day One: The lockdown was immediately evident at the botanical gardens, which normally attracts more than 80,000 visitors per year

Day 5: Even without people, the garden was still a hive of activity for the many bees, insects and birds that visited

Day 8: The eighth day of the lockdown brought the first Peacock butterfly of the season

Day 10: It might look serene, but head gardener Mike Hughes said the air was abuzz with the noise of bees, cooing of pigeons and banging of a woodpecker when he took this picture

Day 16: The garden was founded in 1925 to aid Durham University's science, botany and wildlife students. It has been on its current site since 1970 and is also home to some sheep

Head gardener Mike Hughes said there had been plenty of jobs to do during the lockdown

Day 27: The tulips are a colourful feature of the garden on the edge of Durham City

Day 31: Mike Hughes found a surprise visitor in the garden's food store. A badger broke in overnight but become trapped when the box's lid fell closed

Day 45: Mike Hughes said the big koi in the greenhouse pond were probably donated by people moving home or whose fish had outgrown their ponds

Day 71 and 74: Bergenia and hayrattle are among the thousands of plants found at the garden

Days 83 and 86: Flowers have been bursting into life throughout the lockdown