Arty journeys...

LITTLE ARTY JOURNEYS . . . LOOKING CLOSER, SEEING DEEPER.

Saturday 6 August 2016

Another walk in Coombe Wood (Thursday)

Thursday morning -

The pond was looking really clear

Such a contrast between the strong orange colour on the outside and the soft pastel orange inside

The flower beds are bursting with colour

Rose hips are forming

I caught sight of the gardener cutting hedges in the distance

Bees buzzed busily everywhere

Tall plants have shot up in the prairie beds


I love the contrasts of size, colour, texture

I'm fascinated by this peculiar plant - a spray of tufty flowers, sprouting from the stem with a single tall spike shooting up from the centre. Today the light was shining through the little hairs below the top flower.

Close up of quaking grass seed - fabulous structure

Many of the pathways in the prairie beds have an abundance of plants flopping over them making them difficult to walk along but there's a little semi-circle that is clear. Honesty plants are growing up thickly - when these flower it is likely to be pretty spectacular


Protruding veins on abutilon petals (Indian mallow)

I was wondering what the flowers look like on the plant with arrow like leaves - if I hadn't tried to get a photo of them I wouldn't have noticed the tiny white spider which scuttled away just after I'd taken its photo

These tiny berries will soon be purple

More berries on their way - little oval ones

These tiny berries are beginning to blush red

Not long ago these were bright orange flowers (Buddleja Globosa/Chilean Ball Tree)

Bright orange berries

Acer seeds 

The winged seeds on this dark acer were only visible when the breeze gently lifted the leaves

Showers of berries forming where there had been cascades of creamy white bell-like flowers

Even this dying bush is a magnificent colour in it's decline. So many amazing shades of red, brown and green on one dying plant

Looking up through the big green leaves at the overlapping shadow patterns

The top of the Australian pine amuses me - it's a wonderful top-knot to the tree which is now looking encouragingly healthy

Little insect with a very round head and huge eyes, on a hydrangea flower

Stripy insect

Cornus berries/fruits turning red


Lime green leaves and yellow flowers next to pink flowers - not colours I would think of putting together - amazing contrasts

Big Cosmos flowers on slender stems with wonderful feathery leaves


Everwhere there was evidence of where the gardener has been working. He works so hard

Bands of little flowerlets opening around the teasels

Broader stripy insect

The wild carrot flowers really fascinate me. This nest like structure looked like the flat white flower above a few days ago. I think the little individual claw-like bits that make up this structure are incredible - they look like miniature venus fly traps

Looking at an open flower head from behind

Here's one that hasn't become nest-like yet. Each individual pink flowerlet base has formed a little pointy hat
 

These are the flowers on the large mystery plant that has grown in the middle of the wild flowers I thought they looked soft but are covered in barbed hooks. I know because I got stuck to one when I touched it


Slim black and yellow insect

When the insect turned round, I was surprised to see it has a long yellow snout

 Tiny yellow buds wafting above the pathway

Looking closer - how bizarre these little flowers are as their tightly coiled petals begin to unfurl

The gardener was still cutting hedges - there are a lot of hedges to cut

Wonderful variety of heights, textures etc. in this flower-bed but more cleverly limited colours - just shades of yellow and orange

Bees were flocking around these flowers - making them bob and bounce and they clung under the tiny flowelets

Not so many bees on the purply pink ones though

Shiny berries

This sunflower is far too heavy for its stem

Another unlikely colour combination - I do enjoy these challenges that make me think again about how colours work together

The gardener has cut lines into the egg shaped bush in the corner

 Splashes of colour among the luscious green

I linger at the pond to admire the reflections in the lovely clear water before heading home

Thank you very much for joining me

2 comments:

  1. Another great visit, and some amazing photos. I love the teasels. The various colour combinations are great.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Helen. I'm quite hesitant about using complementary colour together - much more comfortable with either a very limited palette or with pinks, blues and purples. It's stretching my brain to take more notice of unusual colours together.

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