Lovely walk on a dull morning (Thursday Coombe Wood)

It was cool and overcast.

Some leftover trimmings of holly had dried up and looked metallic

The little waterfalls along the stream seemed louder than usual and I noticed a very tiny one that I've never seen before.

The gardener had put a platform by hedge above the Cafe Courtyard ready to cut some hedge tops

Once again I was fascinated by the incredible patterns in the centres of the flowers

The anthers of the raspberry coloured flowers are like delicate little purple dots floating around each tiny floret

The bees weren't at all bothered that it was a dull day - they were busy collecting nectar

The flowers with big protruding middles have tiny bobbles which open in bands like a Mexican wave travelling up to the top

On this one the yellow bobbles have opened and are covered in tiny double yellow curls

How amazing that in a short while these green curled strands will be yellow petals

Double brown curls on this middle

I could hear the hedge trimmer and saw the gardener in the distance - head and shoulders above the tall hedge

So much happening in the centre of this flower - rings of different shapes

I heard the click click water sprinkler rotating before I saw it. The teasels were getting well soaked

The middle of this flower has green curls and the petals have fine lines on them

A wider view for a change - a very green area and so many different greens

Orange berries on a tree with very open leaves (well that's my very technical description. Google says they are compound pinnate leaves)

Such a range of colours in these heart shaped leaves - from cream with barely a hint of green, through various shades of green to purple

Looking closer at flower middles again. This one has incredibly flat, oval anthers

The hydrangeas continue to amaze me. All of the tiny bobbles that are surrounded by the circlet of bigger wide open flowers burst open and then the outer flowers join in and their segmented middles pop open and little purple stamens erupt

On the same plant there are pale green, cream, pink and lilac coloured flowers. The photo below shows a hydrangea with the bobbles on the big flowers around the edge tightly closed and the bobbles in the middle closed except for one deep pinky purple one at the top of the picture

 This archway is almost a tunnel at this time of year

More middles - more fabulous patterns

There's a very tiny insect on this one. The centre of the middle is so very neat - the outer circle is shaggier

Another tiny insect here. Lovely soft pink petals against the circle of long yellow stamens

A deep raspberry blush is beginning to spread across the green sedums 

Zingy yellow fronds wave in the breeze

a closer look at the fluffy flowers

I found it a little more challenging to get past this water sprinkler. It was rotating all the way round rather than doing a semi circle and leaving a dry corridor behind it - and I was slower than usual. I was walking very cautiously because I had slipped over in the garden on Wednesday evening when watering the tubs

From a distance this looks similar to wild carrot but close up it is very different

Shaggy white flower with a bee

Looking closer at the bee - what amazing wings and look at the colour range in the stripes, some with blurred edges and some with straight edges, creamy yellow through shades of brown to very dark. And if I hadn't looked closer at the bee I might not have noticed the beautiful starry centre of the flower

Here come an assortment of pink flowers. This pink looked luminous

So many buds waiting to burst open on this one with soft pink petals and vibrant pink centres

This one is quite striking with the yellow middle (wonderful patterns), surrounded by deep dark burgundy and pink frilly tipped petals

Looking closer at the middle - what a fabulous pattern - and more tiny stars in this one

 as well as this one - fabulous

Here's the wild carrot - and that tiny red flower in the middle

But this one looks as if it has a cluster of red flowers rather than just one - the ones around the edge of the red cluster are tipped with white

Two of the three cats came and kept me company for a little while. The both meowed at me - they have very different voices - one is a lot deeper than the other

Two hover flies in a poppy

One flew away but the other one allowed me to get really close and I got a much better look at it. They have very long legs. Their very straight edged stripes vary in width and colour - including honey gold and a shiny pale gold. There's a ridge along their backs which seems to distort the stripes a little. They have a very distinct H on their backs. They are completely harmless, they don't sting.

Thistles 

One of the supports for the platform had been moved over - for trimming the top of the yew arch

Sweet peas

 These are tiny - I don't think I've noticed them before

Most of the lemon yellow flowers at the edge of the bed under the sunflowers were still tightly closed but the sun came out - they would soon all be opening up like this one

The orange and red flowers under the sunflowers were wide open though. A ring of shaggy pollen bearing tufts around the centre

 One had an oval centre

The circle of yellow dots had travelled nearer to the top of this one. Just behind the yellow dots there's a circle of shaggy thread-like structures and lower down there's a neat honeycomb pattern

 This one reminded me of a Christmas puddling with tiny flames dancing at the base

and this one looks as if it's been rolled in chocolate vermicelli

Tiny flowers but this colour really pops out against the greenery

Soft peachy yellow flowers clambering up sticks

A smoky blue cloud floating above the other plants

Anthers like flattened yellow coffee beans

 These are "my" colours - delicious

Not sure what these are peeping over the wall - or if I've ever noticed them before

Bee climbing in a nasturtium

 Quite a selection of nasturium colours . . . orange

orangey yellow

lemon yelow

Hops over the brick arch

Lovely combination - still flowering pink and purple 

Deep purply blue

I felt some drops of water and wondered if the gardener had moved one of  the sprinkers but it was a light shower of rain - not enough for an umbrella though - it soon stopped

Mixed shades - all on the same tiny flower heads

Pale blue flowers on tall slender stems bobbed and danced whenever a bee landed or took off

Love in a mist seed pod opening

Purples and pinks

A lady had just come in the gate as I was about to leave - we had a conversation about our enjoyment of the gardens and how much good a walk here does in every way. A very light shower began - I hoped it wouldn't spoil her walk. She said it wouldn't put her off as she was from Wales and the way they know it's summer in Wales is when the rain is tepid instead of cold.

Thank you very much for joining me